Friday, May 19, 2017

Conservation Ethos in India - Impact of Vedas

With the passing away of Mr. Anil Dave a seasoned politician and river conservation enthusiast, a great loss has occurred. The loss is not of a political party alone, it is a serious setback for the conservation in India.     

Albeit the scope of river conservation (NCRD) under the Ministry of Environment and Forests is greater with the inclusion of lakes and other water bodies. It nevertheless points out the value system we uphold in this country. 

Most rivers in India have always had a holy status with the usual connotation of "mother." The connotation does not point out the belief as being illogical it should be seen from a wider perspective. This is a shrewd way of according importance to an element of ecological importance. The credit goes to the Vedic system which originated about five thousand years back during the peak of the Indus Valley Civilization in India.

As Indians, we should believe in the system as Vedas have had an indelible impact on our lives since time immemorial. Likewise, the connotation specifying things as motherly or holy is used in many instances, especially elements that are of ecological importance like trees, animals, reptiles, birds, and others. 

Hence the status Mother or Holy is applicable to Ganges or Narmada since they played a significant role in the upbringing of ancient civilizations in the country...they still do. Such connotations just act as a subtle means of adding value. The Vedic civilization has been instrumental in creating such a value system during its prevalence all over India. The value system is a logical address to the creation of cultural values rather than being religious in nature.          

Whatever may be the causes of the degradation of the environment in India. An impressive shred of environmental degradation is the history of imperialism, the impact has also been brought about by our greed, ill-planned land use, and rapid industrialization. 

The negative impact has been mitigated by this value system to a good extent. By this I mean there is still hope for saving the tiger and other species, cleaning the polluted rivers, regenerating niche ecosystems, and bringing about responsible change in how we govern the country and our society.  

The ethos of the Vedic System is ingrained in our psyche consciously or otherwise, It is perpetually instrumental in auguring us towards a more conservation-oriented approach vis a vis nature. The results of impact are obvious whence we take into consideration the efforts being made towards the conservation of animals, birds, rivers, habitats, and the environment as a whole in the country.      

The ancient Vedic civilizations in India were fully cognizant of the impact of environmental degradation on our lives. It was well known for ages that human activities could cause disruptions in weather patterns, temperature, rainfall, and agriculture. The ancient scriptures contain references to aspects of ecological importance and how to prevent damage and augur forth a positive impact.

With all the knowledge stored in the ancient treatises, we should be at the forefront of conservation and hence climate change in the World. 

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