Greater Common Good by Arundahti Roy - Essay Example

The article “Greater Common Good” by Arundahti Roy brings light to a very serious problem faced in India. The displacement of the masses that takes place; as a result of the development of mega dams. Although the world appreciates and looks into the economic factors, little concern is given to the people’s displacement and other factors such as aftermath and look after. She has presented practical examples of the grievances expressed by the masses in different parts of India who have throughout history undergone various troubles in events of such dams constructions. She has termed the bigger dams a recipe of disaster that impacts the masses in a direct manner. She expresses her concern in the context of the price being paid by the ordinary citizen. About the author The author of the “Greater Common Good” Arundhati Roy derives her repute and recognition from skills and pedigree in number of domains. Her notable works are “The God of Small Things (1997) ( Roy, 2002)”. Other notable works of Arundhati Roy include the “In Which Annie Gives it Those Ones” (Roy, ,2003) “Electronic Moon (1992)” along with the more talked about movie “The Great Indian Rape Trick” which was more significant on the account of tracing the life events of Polen Devi. Summary: Sardar Sarovar Dam being part of the Narmada Valley is an example of the same pattern where big dam is on the lines of development and construction and this in turn is bringing about all the challenges that are stated above. Arundhati Roy has taken up the case of Narmada River dams with regard to its facilitation, its terrain, impact on the people and other associated factors. The grey areas in case of dams’ construction come in form of the development line. The people do receive compensations and other packages but that is not like the actual case and feature. Little concern and consideration is given to the area of their rehabilitation in the context of mental disturbance and overall social stratification that takes place and hits back in a negative manner. According to Roy, the conventional mindset would for big dams based on the conventional stats and facts that they would serve as repository of water and other resources of natural life; however this would in actual stand as rhetoric only. The other side of the story and the page is given little regard and value. One of the common beliefs that is prevailing against the establishment of the reservoirs is that of the carbon dioxide repository and emission from these sources which further leads to imbalance in the global atmosphere that is already threatened by various sources and activities ranging from the human activities to the natural destruction. She correlates all other “Big items” to the big dams and feels the contemporary times should be based on eradicating everything big which also includes the big dams. The construction of large sized dams is an archaic concept save for few regions and this too would see a declining trend in times ahead. This is being stressed upon in the entire article. The southern sphere of the globe is still held guilty and accountable for working on the same destructive lines of creating large sized dams despite the fact that its negatives have clearly come in front through the various calamities and problems faced in one way or the other (ROY, 1999). Practical and real life examples are quoted in the article which are stressed upon to elucidate the fact that there is little care and look after for those who have been displaced. The instance of previous similar dam building accounts has been quoted in the paper. One example of the ordinary citizen in the form of Ram Bhai has been quoted reflecting the lack of government’s care and responsiveness towards the people’s suffering as a result of building of the big dams in the name of so called national interest and providing fertile lands to the provinces. Other historical perspectives have been given from the periods stretching early into the days of independence. The case of Gora reservoir establishment early in the course along the river Goa is an example quoted of how the overall process has been unveiled through different periods. Other examples quoted include Manibeli in Maharashtra where scores of diseases and other life threatening challenges came forth. The critics of this mindset come hard with regard to the psychological and social disturbance. They advocate the establishment of big dams on accounts that they serve the national interest and all other ideas and postulates presented otherwise are merely a blend and collection of lack of information, negligence and deviation from the core cause of welfare of the people and overall prosperity of the country. Getting into the minute details, Roy tells her exact estimation and analysis in the context of the height that should be set as the threshold for a dam to be constructed. Outside that range, the existence of dam means compromise on the rights of the masses and risk to the natural activities. Conclusion: The big dams according to Roy are a concept of the medieval and prior ages. She gives an account of communist and unified India and states that it was the right time towards the development of big dams. Since then, things and circumstances have changed and the overall mindset must also change in the same context. The usage of the cry of being the world’s front runner in the ranks of democratic governments has also been ridiculed in the article. With democracy allowing the people right to choose and make free decisions. The case put forth does not depict any event and account that would reflect the true picture of a democratic government. This is one internal threat faced unlike the other so claimed and dubbed threats of the neighboring countries. Bullet points (key points): Human element must be brought into it while constructing bigger dams Bigger dams are a concept and trend of past centuries Alternatives must be found against it Compensations and the human suffering and emotional hardships undergone by the people must be compensated for in different ways by the government of time. References: ROY, A. (1999). THE GREATER COMMON GOOD. narmada.org. Roy, A. (2002). The God of Small Things. Penguin Books India. Roy, A. (2003). In which Annie gives it those ones: the original screenplay. 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