A Populist’s Environment and Environmental Populism
by Jahnavi Mukul
Right-wing populism as an ideology has gained significant traction in the last few years. Some of the world’s most vibrant democracies now have populist leaders at the helm. More often than not these leaders come from a conservative school of thought. While there are many key similarities between all these leaders, the disregard for environmental protection is one of the more salient ones. An analysis of the recent Environmental Impact Assessment Notification (EIA) 2020 released by the Indian government under Narendra Modi shows how the draft EIA fits into Modi’s larger agenda of populism. This article looks at how Modi’s stance of prioritizing the economy over the environment fits into the bigger narrative of how populist governments view the environment. It also suggests that making environmental populism mainstream is a way to counter the larger narrative against environmental protection.
The first Environmental Impact Assessment Notification was issued by the Indian government in 1994 under the Environment Protection Act of 1986. In 2006, the EIA was amended. The 2006 version of the EIA made it mandatory for various projects such as mining, thermal power plants, river valley, infrastructure (road, highway, ports, harbors and airports) and industries, including very small electroplating or foundry units, to get environment clearance. The EIA released in 2020, has extremely problematic amendments. The new draft exempts a variety of projects as outside the purview of the EIA, including any project the government labels as "strategic." The notification says that no information on "such projects shall be placed in the public domain."
What can be inferred from these amendments is that the Modi government has decided to create a free pathway for large corporations, government projects, etc. to pursue economic activities without much thought for the environmental impact of them. This decision highlights the disregard for the massive environmental consequences of climate change. It mirrors the approach of other populists leaders like Donald Trump’ who denies climate change, and Jair Bolsanaro’s who utterly mismanaged the Amazon fires.
It is worth exploring why right-wing populist leaders engage in climate skepticism. According to a study done by the Oxford Research Group, there are several plausible answers to this question. However, there is an answer which encompasses current populist leaders. Environmental protection is seen as being espoused principally by liberal elites and viewed by many as being counter to the national economic interest. In India, this is the ground that the Modi government is standing on. He has made his aspirations for a grander economic future for his country clear and environment protection stands between his vision. From his first bid for Prime Minister, Modi made it clear that he is a common man with big hopes. The changes in the EIA fit into that narrative and also seem like a desperate attempt at increasing economic activities in India’s fledgeling economy.
One of the major ways to counter the global populist agenda against the environment, and specifically Modi’s agenda, is large scale Environmental Populism. Professor Mark Beeson, who authored Environmental Populism: The Politics of Survival in the Anthropocene, says that Environmental Populism as an idea combines the idea of environmental protection, with popular movement across all sections of the society, especially from the most disadvantaged groups. When we look at the impact of the climate crisis, it will affect the poorest nations heavily and the poorest within those nations even more. The biggest contributors to the current state of affairs in this crisis are the elite and their usage of fossil fuels which has made a tiny population of the world extremely wealthy. This is in stark contrast to the idea that right-wing leaders express. Populist leaders characterize climate change to be an alien concept that will not affect the masses. In reality, it is an issue that will disproportionately affect the poor, the very people that populists claim to cater to. In response to this skepticism, Environmental Populism as a catalyst for change is important. In recent years, this idea has been made mainstream by the likes of Extinction Rebellion and Greta Thunberg.
Environmental Populism has its problematic side. Many right-wing advocates of Environmental Populism use this platform to justify their xenophobia. Various inward-looking groups have described migrants as a drain on resources, and they use the political right-wing to fuel their idea of environmentalism. However, Beeson has also been careful to specify that an enlightened and progressive kind of populism will be successful in climate action. He mentions that climate action movements differ from other political movements in two major ways. First, the climate crisis transcends class, race, nationality, gender, religion. Even if there are skeptics, it will affect all of us. Second, the nature of the climate crisis’ effect is unambiguous, and the situation is only going to deteriorate. Putting pressure on governments, or electing officials who do is the most effective way to make environmental movements successful.
In India, the movement against the EIA was started by a 20-year old student Anjali Dalmia and saw support from around sixty student union groups and 400 students across India. The government’s response to this protest has been undemocratic. It showcases a darker side to Modi’s populism. The Delhi Police, which comes under the home ministry, recently issued notices to environmental groups which protested against the EIA notification. Action has been taken against Fridays for Future India (FFI) and two other groups. The notice against FFI mentioned that the contents of their website were “objectionable” and depicting an “unlawful or terrorist act.” The Delhi Police “inadvertently” booked these groups under an act meant to arrest terrorists but corrected its mistake by sending a notice to these groups under Section 6 of the Information Technology act. While intimidation and suppression are not new to Modi’s brand of populism, the vicious attack on peaceful groups who were mostly protesting online which showcases that the war against dissent is now making its way to the environment.
Despite the intimidation, the movement continues- hoping to stop the EIA draft from being enforced. This protest can learn from the progressive environmental populism that has been able to bring about action in some countries. The British government declared a climate emergency in 2019, which has been considered a result of the Extinction Rebellion’s protests. This showcases that Environmental Populism is an effective measure, but it is up to the masses to choose the degree of its effectiveness.
Jahnavi Mukul is a third-year Political Science and International Relations student at Ashoka University, India, and is currently a Commissioning Editor for Global South Perspectives with E-International Relations. Her research interests include Eastern European and Central Asian studies, cultural politics, and identity politics. She has been previously published by the OxPol Blog: DPIR Oxford University and Yale Review of International Studies.
“Climate change march” is by Matthew Kirby and is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
