The bitter opposition in Kerala to the Gadgil and Kasturirangan reports on the conservation of the Western Ghats was a result of information asymmetries, engendered by ignorance of the reports’ contents, attendant disinformation campaigns and rumour-mongering abetted by and favouring the Church, ruling and opposition political parties, and other interest groups to mislead settler–farmers and create a panic situation. The exclusive focus on “ecologically sensitive areas” and efforts to exclude certain areas from it failed to address the larger debate on sustainable development.
