People’s Science Movement and the Missing People: Save Silent Valley Movement and the Scientisation of Environmental Debates in Kerala

Abstract

Though primarily understood as New Social Movements (NSM), People’s Science Movements (PSM) in India are also a favourite theme for Science and Technology Studies (STS) scholars. Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad (KSSP) is often projected as a pioneering reference point for studying PSMs. KSSP also figures in Environmental Social Sciences discussions because of its active involvement in the Save Silent Valley Movement (SSVM), one of India’s successful anti-dam environmental movements. While KSSP was foregrounded toabstract some attributes of PSMs by STS scholars, SSVM was one of the environmental movements epitomised to develop explanations on Indian Environmentalism. While agreeing with the PSM’s attributes conferred on KSSP, this paper questions the extent of SSVM’s commonalities with other environmental movements in the debates on Indian Environmentalism.