If we take the last Mann Ki Baat of Prime Minister Modi on December 31 last, the thrust of his speech was that we should rise to the occasion to make India progressive and our youngsters should be the vehicle of progress. The youngsters of a country are the real assets. They should be appropriately and progressively utilized.
The “Make in India” concept of Modi cannot be materialized and cannot take the real gather speed unless the youths of the country cooperate. This is real concept of Prime Minister of India; yet it should be practically materialized.
Modi’s aim is that every young citizen of India should be an entrepreneur in the field of science, technology, knowledge and moral values. India needs the right ecological balance for growth of all. It needs three gospel conditions; one, perfect environmental management with full devoted spirit, two, application of perfect economic principles so that everyone’s livelihood is ensured, and three, high moral and spiritual value.
Environmental management with full devoted spirit is the crying need of the hour. Unless the environmental conditions such as air, water, soil are perfectly managed and made free from every kind of pollution, the future of the people of the country cannot be bright. Hence, united effort by every citizen of the country is required. The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is a part of such attempt of management of environmental stability. The environmental stability depends entirely on smooth ecological process. The whole human environment or the biosphere is composed of several ecological systems. Every eco-system in the nature should perfectly be managed and maintained. Every ecosystem has its own value. A Swachh Bharat does not mean to keep the human surroundings clean alone. Ecological process of the nature should continue without any interruption.
When the air, water and soil are highly polluted due to the very action of the man, how can we ensure the smooth ecological processIJ If the micro biological activities of the soil are damaged, how will new soil be formedIJ Now whole of India is polluted highly by plastic products, which are not biodegradable. The plastic culture has spoiled the whole of environment in land, water and air. The ocean too is spoiled due to plastic. Every moment, different living organisms in land, ocean and air are dying due to irresponsible actions of man. The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan should include the techniques to tackle the plastic menace.
If the life support systems are damaged for so called development works, it cannot be taken as developmental works. So the Prime Minister’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyan should include healthy maintenance of the life support system. The genetic diversity cannot be possible if the biosphere is spoiled or its quality is not maintained.
Water itself is a life support system in absence of which the genetic diversity cannot be possible. The genetic diversity implies the variety and frequency of different genes and genetic stocks. If Mahanadi water is utilized for industrial purposes by the Chhattisgarh Government under the plea of “Make in India”, what would be the fate of genetic diversities of the river systemIJ Not only the case of Mahanadi river of Chhattisgarh and Odisha, but also all the rivers are now mostly utilised by the powerful at the cost of the economically disadvantaged.
Most of our ecosystems are now severely degraded due to rapid industrialization, whose diversity and productivity have been so reduced that they are unlikely to recover without proper rehabilitation and restoration measures. If such retrogression goes on, the very existence of man will be threatened. The carrying capacity of our soil profile is weak due to improper ecological management of the soil. How long can we artificially raise the fertility of the mother earth to meet our ever rising demandsIJ
The economy livelihood of the people is key to growth of a country. The economic standard of the people should be properly sustainable and corruption free. Now above 40 per cent of population in India are not properly fed, educated and nourished. Do these unfed people have anything to do with the Mann Ki Baat of our PMIJ There must be proper and sound economic platform for the human resource management. For this probity in professional life is a must. The economic crimes in the country must stop in the first place to ensure that there is scope for all to earn their bread. The politicians must tak the lead and maintain high moral, ethical and spiritual standards.
The Mann ki Baat of our Prime Minister should create platforms in the minds and souls of our people to make India a very progressive nation. Our children should be properly educated and trained to work out the dreams of the Prime Minister.
(The writer is an environmentalist and a senior forest officer, Mob: 9937460649, Email-nadiya.kanungo@gmail.com)