PRESS STATEMENT
“IMPLEMENTATION OF GADGIL REPORT: A CHALLENGE
FOR THE WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY”- SWAMI AGNIVESH
New Delhi, 4th June, 2014
President of World Council of Arya Samaj Swami Agnivesh and
Convenor of Sarva Dharma Sansad Manu Singh, met Mr. Prakash Javadekar,
Information & Broadcasting, MOS (IC) for Environment, Forest & Climate
Change and MOS for Parliamentary Affairs, GOI 2nd June, 2014
regarding concerns related to the environment. He asserted that the policies
regarding the Western Ghats should be made as per the Gadgil Commission Report
also known as the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel. The policy makers, under
the influence of the corporate lobby would want to dilute the already diluted
Kasturirangan Committee and then push it forward in the name of development,
which would be disastrous for the eco-system of the Western Ghats. Mr. Javadekar himself was very appreciative
of the Gadgil Report on the Western Ghats. He said he would soon call on Mr
Gadgil as they hail from the same town, Pune. He further reiterated that he
would take into account the suggestions and concerns of all stake holders
including members of the civil society and social activists, before arriving at
any decision.
Swami Agnivesh also proposed that the meat industry is the
greatest contributor to the green house gases. This industry has been
critically affecting the forests as well as the eco- system. He thus, proposed to
Mr. Javadekar to take initiatives for the creation and promotion of an
environment which encourages the inculcation of vegetarianism. Swami Agnivesh
reiterated that our development should be ‘need-based’ and not ‘greed- based’.
It should not be anthropocentric in nature but should holistically encompass
the values of ‘Vashudhaiva Kutumbakam’. Mr. Javadekar showed his willingness to
take this issue up as well and do the needful. All in all, the meeting seems to
throw a positive ray of hope towards a paradigm shift in development- an issue
close to the mission of Swami Agnivesh towards saving the Planet.
-Shilpi Singh
Swami Agnivesh’s Office.
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