Unit 4Resource conflict cases

Yarsa Gumba Case

‘The Viagra War’

Context: Environmental Conflict• Internal conflict and violence: Greed vs.

Grievances and beyond• Natural resource and environment: Politicized and

securitized (violent environment)• Vital and profitable natural resources, their

management and conservation and people’s livelihoods

• Insurgency, violent conflict and violent clashes over resources: In Nepal

• Ownership, access and control: local / indigenous vs. others

A Case of violence• Mid June, 2009, Nar, Manang: Seven Gurung young male from Keraunja,

Gorkha, while collecting Yarsa gumba in the area “prohibited” to outsiders, were killed, allegedly by locals defending ‘own’ precious resource

The resourceYarsa-Gumba (Cordyceps sinensis)

– A fungus grown in the highland grassland of Himalaya

– Prized in Chinese medicine for tonic and aphrodisiac property Highly profitable trade and good source of income

– Government has recently opened its collection / trade and growing trend of collection and trade (in NW Nepal)

Impacts

• Suspected locals from Nar were detained for the crime waiting court decision – First detained almost 70,

then released minors / women, out of detained 36, 17 released in Nov 2009, 19 still in jail, waiting court decision, frequent protests from both sides (Keraunja and Nar) sometime disrupting the court proceedings as well.

Discussion

• Context of the ‘viagra war’:– Rise of Yarsa collection in the recent years (6-7 yrs)– Frequent clashes due to Yarsa (also in other parts, e.g.

Dolpa): usually between “locals” and “outsiders”, even when they are from the same districts

– Not the Nepali problem only (also in Tibet)– Looting or earning vs. killing or defending– Livelihood problems in Keraunja (limited ag. Production,

migrant labours), same in Nar– Governance and institutions: collection, trade,

conservation, banning and opening (to outsiders)– Local conservation committee (Under ACAP) and

permission for outsiders

Interpretation beyond scarcity and abundance• Why such conflict happens?

– Empty bowl: Scarcity of natural resources (population and environment) leads to violent conflict through various social effects

– Honey pot: Abundance of profitable resource creates resource curse and incentive to seize the resource by elites

– Distribution: Social relations of productions and unequal power relation backed by structures and institutions

• These three may not be different, work in interaction– Scarcity and livelihood crisis and competition over profitable resource occurs

simultaneously along with failed or exploitative institutions / state• Governmentality: How certain acts are naturalized to govern people and

resources, even leading to violence which usually occurs in the particular social, political and cultural contexts – ACAP, local conservation committee, permission and banning – Local communities / indigenous groups are more legitimate than “outsiders”:

Territorialities and identity • Problematic of eligibility: Community, local people, indigenous people

(Others are ineligible!!!)– How such notions were / are being constructed and naturalized culturally!!!

Implication of the case• Research:

– More in-depth analysis of such “violent environments” – Such analysis are more important than search for environmental causes of

larger insurgencies (e.g. Maoists’) using macro-level data – Helps to go beyond abundance-scarcity dichotomy (OR greed-grievances

dichotomy): Neo-Malthusians vs. Neoclassical economists– Understanding historical and institutional contexts are more useful

• Policy: – Local economy and livelihood security by diversifying options– Ownership, access and control over resources– Local / indigenous vs. outsider (= Bhote of Manang and Gurung of Gorkha)– From ‘language of conflict’ to ‘language of peace’ in environment

(Environmental peace-making: Cooperation for conservation and management of scarce resources and benefits from profitable resources for sustainable peace)

• Broaden understanding to other cases: – Indigenous vs. non-indigenous– YCL – youth Force for tax collection– Environmental resources constructing particular governable spaces in

certain context leading violent conflict– Construction of ‘community’ (and also ‘local people’ or ‘indigenous people’

as a eligible and natural entity to access resources