Sustainable Development: India’s Role

 “The world has enough for everyone's needs, but not everyone's greed,” are the famous words of Mahatma Gandhi . These words are find ubiquity in different forums in the world today. With the fast paced developments in the global economy on one side, there is increasing demand for fossil fuels and land for setting up industrial units. This has led to the fast depletion of our natural resources and indiscriminate use of plastics and polymers. Global concern to further development in a manner that ensures sustainability of the planet reflects the Mahatma’s ideology.

The same philosophy has its roots in our ancient civilization. Our forefathers, the Aryans worshipped nature .They worshipped the Sun, the eternal source of energy. They revered the rivers and all water bodies; the springs and the water falls. They firmly believed that they were the nurturer of all life forms. They also worshipped the trees such as the Banyan and Peepal, the plants such as the holy Basil among others.  They revered animals such as the cow for providing milk and the snakes (for protecting the crops against damage from the rodents).

Hence we find evidence of a philosophy that promoted a harmonious relationship between all life forms. Such a state would ensure that each life form was not threatened and got ample opportunity to thrive and flourish.

With the rapid industrialization and its trickling down effects in every part of the world, we now witness a blind race to achieve more and more even at the cost of other life forms.  Our industrial units and our means of transport that depend on fast depleting fossil fuels are a cause of grave concern. These units also release harmful effluents and gases in the environment which threatens the ecological balance of the water bodies and causes numerous respiratory ailments in humans.

With the cutting down of trees and clearing of the forests, vast stretches of barren lands have been created with little or no rainfall.  These actions have driven several life forms towards extinction.

Besides, the widening gap between the haves and the have nots, have wrenched the hearts of many across the world. They have vehemently promoted that human dignity has to be preserved and maintained for a just and equitable world.

With a background of these issues to be dealt with sagacity, sincerity and serenity, in September 2015, UN Summit was held in New York. It was in this summit that the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was launched. It envisaged “a world of universal respect for human rights and human dignity, the rule of law, justice, equality and non-discrimination”. The concern for environment and respect for all life forms was emphasized in the agenda. All the member nations pledged to adopt measures to build adequate framework to ensure sustainable development.

Hence we find that India has since long been a promoter of the concept of vasudhaiva kutumbakam or universal brotherhood. Since time immemorial, she has been peace loving and looking forward for the measures that promote common good of all. Hence the time is ripe to revisit our rich cultural past, learn our lessons and be the torch bearers for the rest of the world.

Ms Suchitra Srivastava

Associate Professor

Department of Management

JIMS, Vasant Kunj