In a thoroughly readable post, Aviram takes us on a journey through time :from the earliest conservation movements in India to the Appiko Chaluvali movement in Uttara Kannada district in present day Karnataka:
Linked by kuffir. Join Blogbharti facebook group.Long before Al Gore began sharing the inconvenient truth about the environment, villagers in India understood it and were performing their own form of environmental activism. About 276 years ago, a group of villagers in India were protecting their forests from felling. The story begins with Amrita Devi, a woman with three daughters who belonged to the Bishnoi sect of Hinduism and lived within a forest in the desert state of Rajasthan. The Bishnois believe in living as one with nature and understand the importance of the forests around them. When the Maharajah (king) of Jodhpur needed lumber to burn lime for the construction of his new castle, he sent his men to the forest. Amrita Devi and her daughters gave up their lives to the cause of protecting the trees in that forest.
Unforunately one person, Mr Pandurang Hegde, highjacked the movement later to earn money from foreign donors, evenuavaly destroyed the spirit of Appiko.
Recently I was traveling in the tropical forests of the Western Ghats in Uttara Kannada district of South India. The forest degradation is enormous and there is an urgent call to protect it with serious measures.
I tried to analyze the various causes and effects and organizations and individuals involved in conservation. Suddenly I recalled my memory about news head lines in several state level papers about quite enormous funding from nciucn to one NGO namely Prakruti in the year 2003. Sadly they stated that Mr. Pandurang Hegde never divulged it to the public and forest dwelling communities and there was no mention of funding organization for the activities like foot march, Village forest committees, Non Timber Forest Products etc, Some journalists challenged him and openly said that there is absolute lack of transparency. From public sources I gathered the information that subsequently he succeeded to get funding from your and various organizations in the name of Prakruti and Appiko.This time I tried to dig some more details and the results obtained in a short period is alarming! The entire activity is being done keeping the appiko activists in dark and management committee itself is false and no body in the management committee knows about anything. I also came to know that Pandurang always keep the blank cheque books and vouchers with secretary signature and money is being drawn. Chartered Accountant being one of the friends of Pandurang the entire money transaction is suspicious. People especially large group of intellectuals and villagers talk about this and news papers have covered the issue several times. There are rumors that huge amount of money is drawn in false names and fake vouchers and bills are produced.
My understanding is the external funding to Prakruti has destroyed the original appiko movement and whatever Pandurang claims of tropical forest conservation is false or partly true.
My sincere gratitude to organizations those really work for the cause and my feeling is the money should go to honest, dedicated and committed groups in order to protect the pristine forests, but not to organizations with individual interests. I summarize that the entire credit of appiko is misused by one person for his individual benefit.
If you are interested in knowing what is happening actually in the field I am wiling to send few evidence available now that of misuse of funds to you.
Please excuse me for bringing this to your notice.
Kind regards
Sridhar BH.
Karnataka
Newpaper report about Pandurang
Referring to external funding to Prakruti/Pandurang and their activities, news paper carried the report (Udayvani dated 5-08-2008) that environment movement become platform to earn the money instead of working for the cause of conservation.
It says, the condition of forest and river valley are becoming worst but organinations getting foreign add have restricted their activities to paper statements, organizing few seminars and foreign trips.
Comparing the earlier movement where entire villagers participated to conserve their forest to raise voice against big dams, monoculture plantations and other unplanned development activities. Now due to organizations with individual benefits in the fore front of the movement the villagers lost their interest.
Quoting earlier statements of union minister Mr. Dhanajay Kumar and Member of Parliament Ananth Hegde who called Pandurang as false environment working for his personal benefit taking external money, and several NGOs opposed at that time their statement on the basis that they are doing it for the cause of conservation. Pandurang also several times claimed that he never took funding from any donors for organizing movement. But the news report said that Prakruti is drawing salary of 80000 rupees per month now but there is not even a board to office and no experienced staff! And it has taken more that 2,25,00,000 rupees funding from last 8 years.
It concluded that he (Pandurang) hijacked the movement for personal benefit and actual activists at the ground level feel that they become foolish after understanding this deal and lost their interest in such activities.
Any how this news report is not good for environment movement in the Western Ghats. It has weekened the strength of organisations who really work honestly abd with dedicatedness.
President and secretary of Prakruti have resigned fearing that they may catch by government agencies due to mishandling of money by Pandurang and new office bearers have appointed.
Hi,
Today I saw the above views and I partially agree with the comments made by the thre people above.
I had worked with prakruti/appiko for almost fourteen years now and since last one and half year I left it. I was handling some projects on Non Timber Forest Products. Main reason being Pandurang and Mableshwar Neernalli were dragging almost 20 percent of project mobey for their personal use. Unfortunately they are claiming that they had worked for the cause of nature conservation for 25 years! My simple question was whether the money earned without any effort and work is good or bad.
More over while applying for funding agency pandurang was claiming that the funding is to Prakruti an offshoot of Appiko, but to the real appiko activists he is saying that it is for me for the survival purpose. Any body interested in this could contact former appiko activist namely appiko anant (working at cooperative press Nadiggalli, Sirsi – 581401, Uttara Kannada – Karnataka, India). I can also give several other contact list who could reveal some hidden mask regarding them.
Narasimha Hegde
Sirsi
Hello Dear All
The above news are distrurbing and not good as per the environmental issues in the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka are concerned.
There are already news and rumours that such fake environmentalists are active just to fulfill their individual needs and common people commenting that establish NGO and steal money.
Only the best way could be to reveal the truth like this Pandurang and his allies and prohibit them from participating in public functions.
I think this is the time for the original appiko activits to take some action to avoid such fraud. As I know Pandurang has joined the movement at a later stage and then started claiming (or creating such false impression)that entire appiko movement was launched by him and become the hero of that movement. I know many of the original acivists who still do not have any idea that Prakruti or Pandurang is getting money from donors even froam sources from foreign countries. He always stating that for any environment movement Prakruti or himself have not secured the money from foreign donations. Now if the statements mentioned above are true then it is a cheat convicted by Pandurang and his colleges (propbably a group of old people who do not have the capability to deliever the good to the society)to the activists as well for the environment. I feel shame to them.
Gurunath GG
Hello there
There should be a public debate on such false and fake environmentalists. I realize that they (Pandurang and his company) ask foreign funding mentioning that it is for appiko activists, but with original appiko activists he denies any such funding taken for appiko movement for environment activism. This is what a pitty.
I know some people who worked earlier with Prakruti, and all of them left now because Pandurang’s misuse of money.
Rajaram Bhat
Sirsi
I totally agree with the comments made by people in this blog. I have worked in Appiko movement for last twenty five years as a volunteer and this is what I have seen;
Pandurang Hegde is a great fraud, he has amassed millions of rupees in the name of propagating the movement. Here is his assests:
- Farm House and plantation land costing at least 1crores
- A Mercedes Benz Car and a Maruti Wagon R car
- Two motor cycle
- Site in Bangalore, Mysore and Hubli
- Stocks worth at least 1 crores of Rupees
- Fixed Deposits for Rs 2 crores
He shows that he lives simply, but he is the biggest crook. He drinks only Scotch Whsisky everyday, has been a womaniser all his life(ask his office assistants who worked with him) and to keep track of his money that is kept in foreign Banks, he travels to Switzerland. He was recently in Japan, claiming to launch Appiko in Japan. In this trip he has earned USD 200 000 as a donation to propagate the movement.
People do not know the real activists like me but frauds like Pandurang Hegde!!
Long live the fraud environmentalist Pandurang Hegde!!
Is Appiko Anant’s actual name Narshimha Hegde?
Why is he spreading lies in media and on the web about a person with whom he worked for 25 years? Just because they have parted ways, Narsimha’s full time job is to spread mis-information about a person who has dedicated his life for saving the western ghats.
Any one who knows Pandurang knows well about his financial status. Such useless spitting is the favourite weapon of many individuals after parting ways/leaving the organisation.
The important question is if Pandurang Hegde is corrupt, why did it take 25 years for Narsimha Hegde (alias Appiko Anant) to know that, even though they worked together in a small place?
The answer is simple: either Narsimha is equally or more corrupt, or he is uselessly badmouthing an old friend and former teammate after parting ways for some minor difference of opinion.
My advise to all readers is to verify it before believing such nonsense.
Truth shall prevail !!