India, Ecology and Capitalism

Great video above of Arundhati Roy speaking about contemporary India, ecology and capitalism. I first visited India in 1990, and returned in 1995. In those five years I noticed a huge change in the country, much more industrialised, much more ‘western’ in their attitude to ecological matters. Seventeen years on, I imagine I would hardly recognise the place as the pace of neoliberal reform has increased exponentially.

India does have a cultural history of being ecologically aware and I remember wondering at the fact that they recycled almost everything, litter bins were complete unnecessary, as well as having the most advanced vegetarian cuisine in the world.

What is particularly interesting to me, is that India is a democracy, so surely there is a place for a Green party of India, with so much tradition to build upon.