[Reader-list] Sleeping legislature, inept admin, perked up courts and hapless citizens

[mahesh sarma]

  The subtext in the CNG conversion story


As I muddle my way through the CNG conversion project, what comes out loud and clear is the tremendous capability of the state to live in blissful ignorance. Not doing nothing unless one is pushed to the wall seems to be an art perfected by the state.


Though the interface between legislature, judiciary and executive is itself an exciting area of enquiry, what is more exciting in the CNG case the seminal role-played by “Civil Society” organisations.  Normally trade offs with respect to pollution, industrialisation, development and exclusions normally would have been negotiated in the political space. But as they get vacated, that space is increasingly occupied by apolitical (a term I am personally uncomfortable with and conceptually not clear) organisations, with an interesting set of consequences. 


Though the debate originated with the PIL  by MC Metha, terms of the debate was set by these civil society organisations, with science as their preferred ally. Since science has the halo(undeserving as a  host of literature would argue) its prestige is transmuted to sit in judgement to what are essentially social and political problems.   And that to me is much more controversial and at times downright dangerous. 


mahesh

B.Mahesh Sarma,
Researcher
Centre for Studies in Science Policy
Jawaharlal Nehru University
New Delhi. 110 067
Ph.+91-11- 26100962
Mobile:9868090468
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