The pathways of change

There are widespread part-rumours and part-truths about an imminent transformation in Tharparkar. This magical land of serenity, peace and creativity, which has held together a diversity of faiths and has reflected the heterogeneity of cultures for centuries, will never be the same again in a decade or so.

The fossils beneath the sandy land have become the new determinants of a better socioeconomic life in Thar and the region’s hapless idyllic life will soon be gone. Will the enduring riches of the indigenous culture and the wretchedness caused by famine and drought disappear as well? The answer is, of course, not that simple as life will continue to be shaped along a new trajectory of accelerated change – an untrodden path for locals.

The transmutation of sand into black diamond has happened over geological time and has culminated in a commodity of high economic value. The economic value of the coal deposits of Thar weighs more than all other considerations of culture, indigeneity and the eroding of the pristine environs of this beautiful land. It would not be fair to see this transformation as a process of change from the primitive era to an industrial age alone. Instead, it is more about reshaping a society punctuated by an uneven development. The unevenness stems from the powerlessness of locals who have never had a real democracy to allow their voices to be heard in the process of a top-down development. 

The priorities and pathways for this impending change are being set far from Thar, whose people will be affected the most from this transformation. There is also an interesting debate underway about poverty and prosperity among a new generation of development experts. These experts, who live in the comforts of urban life, reduce the dynamism of the ongoing transformation in Thar to an economic debate. This debate is centered around the net returns on investments, the power generation and positive externalities in the form of local employment.

What has not been debated meaningfully is whether we have chosen the right path to achieve those economic outcomes. In a country with a power generation potential of more than 60,000 megawatts – which is produced as a cheap and clean energy – using obsolete, hazardous and costly coal sources is not a people-centric policy choice.

It is not only about the use of coal per se in the case of Thar, but is also about disrupting the hydrological balance and denuding the desert of its scarce water sources through coal extraction. According to some experts, there are trade-offs. These include broadening employment opportunities and improving the physical infrastructure and communication systems, which will make a dent on chronic poverty. However, the accruing benefit from this newly-emerging economy hinges on the ability of local institutions to participate in the process. In my next article, I will try to outline the locally adopted initiatives to cope with this exotically defined agenda of economic transformation. 

There are many development agencies, like the Thardeep Rural Development Programme (TRDP), which are likely to play a critical role in ensuring that locals become the primary actors of change. The programme has already initiated efforts to build a platform of development agencies to channel investments into community-driven local organisations. My next article will also provide a summary of this community-based approach of empowering people as the key stakeholders of this change.

The programme organised a conference in Mithi last week where the leading national and international development agencies and representatives of the provincial government shared their perspectives on people engagement within the new economy. They also outlined their potential role in empowering the communities through smart and strategic community-based investments.

Whether fabricated or real, these stories of change in Tharparkar certainly contain an element of truth. The birth pangs of a new socioeconomic order can be seen from the rapidly transforming infrastructure, the corporate investments and the newly-emerging nationalistic political discourses. 

For many living in the town centres of Mithi, Islamkot and Diplo of Tharparkar, the rumours of a mythical black diamond’s curse have become true stories. For them, these politically framed stories of shrewd leaders look like the premonitions of a bad omen. The unthinkingly devised nationalistic political narratives of a curse and a bad omen do not seem to provide alternatives or viable solutions for engaging people in the new economy. It would not suffice to regurgitate the obvious signs of the rapidly evaporating traditions, culture and local art without finding ways to cope with the new reality.

The apprehensions of locals tend to go unabated when questions are posed by self-proclaimed political leaders about a dreadful and an unbecoming future. The mantra of progress and prosperity also run side-by-side. There is more talk than action towards this rather ambiguous transformation. Some experts would argue that “it would not suffice to present a bleak future only that, at times, keeps the people of Tharparkar away from the prospects of an improved quality of life”. 

Will the moisture under the sand dunes – a ray of hope for life – be gone with those extractive practices to search for this black diamond? The winds of change seem to unsettle the centuries-old tranquility and undisrupted inner life of this land. There is fear and greed in the air and everyone vying for some fortune tends to gravitate towards this region.

The fear of losing traditions and a culture of peaceful coexistence becomes an opportunity for many of those who are out there to sell the dreams of prosperity. The dreams of prosperity are important if they become a source of motivation that help the poor with clear means and the pathways of transformation. The impending transformation of Thar is complex, messy  and disruptive and must be understood within the larger perspective of the changing economic mode of production and emerging social relationships as its corollary. 

This change is not only about the industrialisation of a pastoral economy with investments in coal extraction and power generation, but also about building new relationships. The change is also about the social and cultural meanings of life for a desert dweller who is unaffected by economic greed.

For some people, it becomes a simple proposition of a positive change with the advent of new technology, an improved physical infrastructure and stronger potential of employability for the youth. Some people are afraid of losing the serenity, peace and centuries-old traditions of egalitarianism and peace. Both perspectives are not mutually exclusive if we are serious about formulating an inclusive strategy for a people-centric change.

In recent times, Tharparkar has seen a huge influx of experts, venture investors, development practitioners and impact investors who seek to position themselves as the stakeholders of the new economy. The corporate world is also moved by this new mood and there are many new economic players who are hopping on the bandwagon of a promising return on investment. 

All this is perhaps too ambitious and seems like an exaggeration with an unmatched political propagation of this change. There is no doubt about the poverty, marginalisation, wretchedness and the increasing vulnerabilities of climate change and weak governance in Tharparkar. No one can deny the fact that most of the recent droughts and famines in Tharparkar were aggravated due to the poor governance, lack of institutional accountability and distributional issues. Whether or not industrialisation has taken place, Tharparkar has already undergone many changes, with staggering vulnerabilities triggered by natural, institutional and human-induced disasters. The region merits more attention and people-centric investment rather than mere efforts to adore and admonish such inevitable changes.

The writer is a freelance columnist based in Islamabad.

Email: ahnihal@yahoo.com