As the day of counting and declaring the results of the Lok Sabha elections draws near, one is thankful that the bombardment of inane statements, especially from those claiming to be “saving democracy” is coming to an end. As many have observed, this election will stand out also for the low level of political dialogue that a number of desperate politicians stooped to.
Those habituated to lying, intoxicated on a combination of arrogance and ignorance, fuelled by desperation to basically save their own skins entertained some people, influenced others or ended up strengthening public support for their rivals through their speeches and actions during the election campaign.
Whether one likes it or not, there appears to be no escaping politicians and the petty politics many of them seem to be indulging in. One would think that living in seclusion in the Himalayas or the deep woods would enable one to live away from all this.
However, that is not so anymore because it is the government consisting of politicians which eventually decides how even the Himalayas and forests will fare. This is where the cause for alarm comes in, though it did not elicit much attention in India due to the ongoing elections.
A landmark new report from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service (IPBES) warned earlier this month that Nature is declining globally at rates unprecedented in human history.
The rate of species extinctions is accelerating, with grave impacts on people around the world now likely.
The overwhelming evidence of the IPBES Global Assessment, from a wide range of different fields of knowledge, presents an ominous picture, said IPBES chair Robert Watson.
“The health of ecosystems on which we and all other species depend is deteriorating more rapidly than ever. We are eroding the very foundations of our economies, livelihoods, food security, health and quality of life worldwide,” he said.
The report also tells us that it is not too late to make a difference, but only if we start now at every level from local to global.
Transformative change means a fundamental, system-wide reorganisation across technological, economic and social factors, including paradigms, goals and values.
Compiled by 145 expert authors from 50 countries over the past three years, with inputs from another 310 contributing authors, the report assesses changes over the past five decades, providing a comprehensive picture of the relationship between economic development pathways and their impacts on nature.
This report caused some governmental responses and debates on environment and business models in various parts of the world.
There were discussions on micro and macro aspects of environment, business and politics. One of the things one can surmise is that flawed business models are a major contributor to this imbalance.
The fact is that earning a livelihood and making a profit are the major motivators for majority of the activities, whatever big businesses may like to advertise and project.
There is nothing wrong in wanting to earn a profit but one does need to have a sound business model for it- one that does not entail damaging or destroying the source of income and profit for short term gains.
When it comes to Uttarakhand, successive state governments have claimed that tourism is the major source of income. The environmental wealth, cultural and religious significance of Uttarakhand makes it an important destination for both tourists and pilgrims.
However, when one looks at what the government has done, one will have more questions than answers.
For example, the website of the Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam still prominently displays banners and ‘new updates’ like Char Dham Yatra 2018, special package for skiing 2018 and booking for International Yoga Festival which was held in March this year among other stale stuff.
The department is not just displaying stale material on its website but is quite dated in its approach too. According to the same belief system which brings millions of people to shrines in Uttarakhand, music was first introduced in what is now Uttarakhand.
Pleased by a prayer rendered by the celestial sage Narad, lord Shiva taught Narad music and presented a Veena to him at Rudraprayag.
Most tourists would be interested in music, so a place believed to be where music was introduced on earth would also be interesting for them. But instead of sensibly capitalising on this and other similar aspects, the authorities continue to tout dated tags like ‘Switzerland of India’.
Flawed concepts can't result in positive action on the ground. The flops by successive governments attempting to boost tourism in the Tehri dam reservoir are also known to all.Coming to the environment, on which all tourism in Uttarakhand is based, the situation is not much better. Recently, a PIL reached the High Court in which residents of Reni village- to which Chipko movement leader Gaura Devi belonged-complained of actions of the company working on a hydro power project there.
Apart from causing environmental damage, the company had also closed the pathway to the jungle used by Gaura Devi and her peers.
It is ironic to say the least that while there is hardly anyone in the government who doesn’t praise the Chipko Movement, environmental damage was facilitated in the very place the movement originated.
To be fair, the current chief minister is doing some good works but action is needed without delay to replace all outdated and unsustainable business models with sustainable ones that result in more than just financial profits for some at the cost of the environment and heritage of the Himalayan state.