Lack of communication creates a vacuum which, if left unchecked, gets filled with poison and disaster - Anonymous

The tragic events leading to the unfortunate deaths during the anti-Sterlite protests in Thoothukudi once again bring into sharp focus the issue of how large industries are failing to manage the operating environment. The situation is compounded by failed dialogues with aggrieved stake-holders, breakdown of grievance-redressal mechanisms and lack of trust.

Choosing to ignore local opinions under the perceived notion that they can be managed once the project gets underway no longer works. The aspirations of the affected communities have evolved and so have the frameworks for accountability and commitment. Communities are increasingly insisting on their demands being met in a time-bound manner. The situation is further compounded by the agitationist approach of vociferous groups of all hues who join in the ‘cause’. The opposition to large projects, perceived or real, among local stake-holders is not a new phenomenon. But what is new is the lack of empathy and concrete solutions from the industry concerned, which leaves the ground open for antagonistic forces to assume centre-stage.

Breakdown of dialogue

The violent confrontations between the stakeholders on one hand and the corporates and authorities on the other, be it in Haryana, Odisha, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh or Tamil Nadu, clearly indicate a breakdown of dialogue and grievance redressal mechanisms. The situation worsens as agitations are intensified and tough positions are adopted by both sides of the divide, and often aggravated by the forces of vested interests.

Today, every high-stakes project gives an immediate rise to counter-balancing forces. Until all stake-holders are taken on-board with magnanimity and proactive interventions, projects are doomed to fail.

The grounds for opposition to an industrial project now have similar pattern ranging from allegations of sapping local resources, polluting environment, side-lining the locals, endangering habitats to staking the locals’ lives and livelihood.

Is enough being done to address the issues? There is no straight answer. The old-style initiatives of the corporates, ranging from a few open houses and predictable CSR programmes, have failed miserably to live up to stake-holders’ expectations for quick rehabilitation and replenishment of resources.

The bare-minimum CSR programmes with a dose of engineered PR are not enough to dispel the initial muted opposition to the project which are mostly ignored. The advisors who discount the initial murmurs do disservice to the project and the people and cut a sorry figure when the protests gather momentum and morph into a major agitation.

Dismissive approach

Why are more and more projects coming under a cloud? Are corporates ignoring the environmental issues or have the protests become too shrill and politicised?

While these remain moot questions, the fact remains that a large number of projects are being either put on the back-burner or abandoned. There is a need for an effective, committed and sincere outreach with a spirit of accommodation.

Unless there is space for a meaningful engagement, dialogue and resolution sans violence the situation will only worsen.

Corporates must formulate concrete plans for resource replenishment and rehabilitation and communicate them to the locals and convince them that their resources are not being endangered.

Traditional CSR and public relations activities are no longer enough to convince the people. Scaling down or abandoning even the meagre allotted resources after the project take-off is a sure recipe to bring down the stake-holders’ confidence which is most likely to fuel a more intense reaction.

This in turn will make the opposition far more rigid leading to conflicts, something that could be prevented. The challenge is to avoid Thoothugudi-Manesar type situations and prevent a public relations disaster for the industry and loss of lives and livelihoods.

(The author is Director, Orion PR & Digital Pvt. Ltd. The views expressed here are personal.)