On Climate Change, Is The Indian Public With The Indian Administration?

by Vikram Malik
(New Delhi, India)

Me riding a Yak in Manali, India, with the backdrop of the Himalayas behind me. I hope they can survive the forces of climate change!

Me riding a Yak in Manali, India, with the backdrop of the Himalayas behind me. I hope they can survive the forces of climate change!


The Indian administration has definitely been at the forefront of all climate change debates and discussions, be it at Rio back in 1992 or at Copenhagen last year in 2009.

This year’s conference in Cancun, Mexico is also likely to witness the Indian administration voicing all its concerns with regard to climate change, and the initiatives that the industrialized nations, especially in the west, need to undertake for the same.

That said, is the Indian public really with the Indian government, as far as the measures being discussed, is concerned? Doesn’t quite seem so, from the look of it. This is because; a lot of the common public feels that such initiatives would come in the way of rapid growth of the Indian economy.

For them, climate change is not even a priority, especially if such measures come in the way of their day to day living and existence.







But the bigger question is, is such an attitude desirable? Can we go about living our today, unabashedly, without paying heed to our tomorrow – the world that we will leave behind for our future generations? Undoubtedly, we cannot do so.

The solution to this situation lies in bringing about a change in attitude of the Indian public, which can only come through education, perhaps with the help of mass media such as Television or Radio, both of which are widely prevalent all across the country. People need to be made to realize, that steps taken on say curbing global warming, will not only ensure a better life for future generations, it will in fact ensure an improved state of existence, even for the present generations.

Undesirable happenstances such as droughts or floods can actually be curbed, if we are able to manage the all round climate better, at least to the extent of not contributing towards the same only getting worse.

Only when the people feel the importance of curbing climate change, from within, will they proactively take steps towards preventing the same. In turn, that is how we can actually ensure a better climate condition all around us – one which is more conducive to our existence.


-Vikram



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