ADVENT OF NARENDRA MODI AS AN ECO-CONSCIOUS PRIME MINISTER

The advent of eco-conscious PM Narendra Modi, at this critical juncture, is icebreaking in the socio-economic and political discourse of humankind. PM Modi’s global engagements, be it bilateral, regional or multilateral, have climate concern at its core.

- RAGHAVENDRA P. TIWARI

The concept of binary between the self and the other does not exist in Bharatiya belief system which professes that all forms of life emanate from and return to the same source. Moreover, human body is considered to be comprising of five elements of nature itself called Pancha Bhuta: Prithvi (earth), Jal (water), Agni (fire), Vayu (air), and Askash (space). In Prashna Upanishad,  these elements are considered manifestations of the divine energy. Therefore, there is no scope for the binary between the internal and the external in Bharatiya culture. Since this faith deeply pervaded our thought process and practices, we emphasised on self-consciousness instead of external consciousness. Moreover, this belief system is non-dogmatic and promotes the idea that all human and non-human entities are integral to nature. Contrarily, in the Western culture, the nature is seen as “other” and it exists for domination and exploitation. However, for Indians, connecting with nature implies linking with ourselves for nurturing mother earth for sustainability. Thus Indian civilizational ethos has potential to resolve cataclysmal climate change issues.

Nevertheless, under the toxic influence of the colonial mind-set inculcated through Macaulay’s education system, we look at Indian Knowledge System with suspicion and often discard it as uncivilised, unscientific and outdated. Current environmental crisis is also a creation of such a mind-set. The overexploitation of natural resources for satisfying our greed and utter disregard to non-human life forms and earthly features have become an anathema of the products of modern education system. Thus, natural resources, conserved through generations owing to interconnectedness mindset with all manifestations of nature are under extreme stress.