Question

Sort the following events regarding the efforts of the Kerala Sasthra Sahitya Parishad (KSSP) and the people of the silent valley against the building of a dam in the valley.

• A. Protests against the project begins in 1973
• B. KSSP joins the protest
• C. Added pressure through campaigns and protests
• D. Appeal in
  Kerala High Court
• E. Silent Valley was declared a national park in 1985

Answer 1

The events that took place in the Silent Valley region can be arranged in the following order:

The movement started in 1973 to protect the Silent Valley reserve forest. In 1976, Kerala Sasthra Sahitya Parishad (KSSP), the largest popular-science organisation in Kerala, joined the protest.

Citizens and the KSSP exerted pressure on the government through widespread awareness programs, publications, petitions, and appeals in the court.

A case was appealed in the Kerala High Court against the clear-felling of trees in the area, and the sustained efforts of the campaigners compelled the government to stop the project.

In the end, Silent Valley was declared a national park in 1985, and it stands as a testimony to the power of people’s actions.