Red in Tooth and Claw? Looking for Class in Struggles Over Nature

Abstract

Explores contradictions between "red" class politics & "green" ecological concerns in contemporary Indian environmental movements. The author rejects the contention that Indian environmentalism differs from that of the 'first world.' Many suggest that 'third world environmentalism' is based on an "environmentalism of the poor" & linked primarily with issues of material distributive justice, rather than based on the postmaterialist concerns of the "first world" movements. The ideologies & activities of some of the "icons" of the Indian environmental movement are discussed, along with key momments in the movement's history. Analysis reveals how these movements rely on collaborations with middle- & upper-class actors & audiences, linking the rich & the poor in diverse, but shared, battles against the inequality caused by the global, political economy & environmental degradation. K. Hyatt Stewart