ENVIORNMENTAL DEGRADATION: A GANDHIAN SOLUTION

Abstract

Modern world is marked by environmental crisis enveloping the individual, social, political and cultural lives of man. The pursuit of materialism with all its emphasis on growth and development has led neither to individual happiness nor to social harmony and peace. Man lives in a state of inter-contradictions and outer-disconnections being placed against man, society and nature. The problem of poverty and hunger, unemployment and inflation are assuming staggering proportions day-by-day. Threats of environmental pollution depletion of scarce natural resources and deteriorating ecological imbalance loom wider than ever before. The world is today faced with catastrophic situation. Albert Schwetzer remarked, “It is clear now to everyone that the suicide of civilization is in progress.” Some feel that if the present way continues, there may be no one to write our obituary.

It is in this background that Gandhian ideas have been instrumental in shaping the world since the world has realized the efficacy of sustainability and community participation. The paper emphasizes on the inculcation of participatory mechanics and mass empowerment. The paper also tries to shed some light on the Gandhian contribution in the evolution of ecological consciousness and the subsequent effects of the same. The paper also acknowledges the efficacy of modern technologies and hence vies for the inculcation of the same in policy making and implementation.