#dnaEdit: Of land bills, Michael Moore and the green lobby

Retreating on land bill
It’s good that the BJP-led government finally appears to be mulling taking a step back on the controversial land acquisition bill. Facing the Opposition’s dogged resistance, the Centre now seems willing to reinstate the two most significant and contested clauses dealing with social impact assessment and consent. Both provisions which were part of the legislation brought by UPA government, have since been scrapped by the ruling BJP. The BJP government has put a lot in store on the land acquisition bill. Prime Minister Narendra Modi pinned his hopes for economic reform and fast-paced growth on the land and GST bills. Both pieces of legislation are now stuck in Parliament. Even as there is hope that the Opposition will facilitate the passage of the GST, no such optimism is in store for the land bill in its present form. The Opposition — especially the Congress — will have reason to smile if the government is forced to climb down on this key bill.

Rebel without pause
Documentary filmmaker, Michael Moore, who never ceases to be straightforward in his criticism of the US establishment has announced his new film. To premiere at the Toronto film festival in September Where to Invade Next is a satirical account of the US’s compulsive need to be constantly at war. ‘Infinite War’ is what Moore aptly labels this syndrome. The film was shot across three continents, is “epic in nature”, but was made quietly with a small crew. Moore himself went below the media radar for the last six years since its making commenced. Considering that his 2004 documentary Fahrenheit 9/11, at $120 million, was the highest grossing documentary of all time, all eyes (and ears) will be now on this maverick filmmaker’s latest offering.

Dodging with words
By now Prakash Javadekar has figured out the most important clue to hold on to his job: keep both industry and green lobbies happy. In June, the environment ministry was on a clearance spree, approving as many as 229 projects, a spectacularly high number considering that only 217 projects were cleared by the minister between May and August last year. Politicians and governments are masters at employing jargon and wordplay to influence public perception. So, Javadekar has ordered all communications in his ministry to substitute the word ‘Clearance’ with ‘Approval with Adequate Environmental Safeguards’, and ‘diversion’ with ‘reforestation’. The effect of the wordplay is comforting as well as misleading. While ‘diversion’ of forest land signals an act detrimental to environment, ‘afforestation’ has a reassuring effect. In a similar balancing act, Javadekar has promised to curb air pollution but also hinted at a conspiracy raising the air pollution bogey to hurt the BJP government. Javadekar’s compulsions are understandable; he follows a long line of environment ministers who have walked a fine line between development and environment. But such verbal hedging has its own limits; Javadekar’s attempts to please all could end up diminishing his credibility.