India Insights: One Earth, One Family, One Future
UNEP/Afroz Shah: On the left, a photograph of part of Versova beach taken on August 6, 2016. On the right is an image of the beach tweeted on May 20, 2017.
The 2024 Indian general elections are underway, and there will be numerous impacts on Indian domestic politics, foreign policy, and the economy. However, another impact will be on India’s environmental and climate policies. Since Modi was elected, he has put sustainable development and climate change as a central agenda item in India’s domestic and foreign policies. Nevertheless, at the same time, the climate change debate in India is complicated as Indian activists seek an Indian-centric solution to climate change and insist on equity in international forums.
The origins of India’s modern environmental movement can be traced back to 1730, with the Kherjali Massacre. Kherjali is a small village in the Indian state of Rajasthan and the indigenous community, called the Bishnoi, lived there. The Bishnois had a tradition of deep reverence for the environment. However, the then king Maharaja Abhay Singh of Jodhpur ordered the cutting of the trees, which were considered sacred for the Bishnoi community.
However, one woman from that community - Amrita Devi - and her three daughters, hugged the trees to prevent them from being cut down and were ready to risk their lives. Their protest was joined by other members of the community as well, and in the end, about 363 Bishnois died. “The Khejarli Massacre was a pivotal moment in Indian history, awakening the nation's consciousness of the need to protect the environment.”
According to climate experts, by 2050, the temperatures in some parts of India will become unlivable. In 2022, according to the Center for Science and Environment, India experienced extreme weather on 314 days out of the 365 days. Additionally, the reporter concluded that it caused the deaths of about 3,000 people and the destruction of about 2 million hectares of crops. During the monsoon season in 2023, according to India’s Meteorological Department, rain during the first week of July was 2 inches more than the normal amount. Notably, according to the World Health Organization, 83 of the 100 most polluted cities are in India.
Amid the growing risk, the Indian government has made combatting the climate crisis a domestic and foreign policy priority. In 2015, India and France launched an initiative to use one trillion dollars to advance solar power in developing countries. In 2017, the Indian government ratified the Kyoto Treaty, making it the 80th country to do so. In 2019, India announced plans to cut its cooling power energy by 20-38% by 2038, making it the first country to develop such a plan. Additionally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced plans to cut India’s carbon emissions to net zero by 2070. What puts India in a unique position is that it can advance the needs of developing countries. For example, India has advanced the concept of “differentiated responsibilities” to make sure that solutions to climate change have developed countries taking responsibility.
At the same time, many right-wing groups, such as the RSS, have used environmentalism to advance their own political agenda. For example, a 1947 article published by the RSS in The Organiser said how Hindu texts and epics “contain deep environmental consciousness and remind Indians of their glorious tradition of protecting Mother Earth and the fatherland. This argument has been at the center of discourse surrounding the Ganga (Ganges) River. The same publication wrote how the Ganga River is “central to India’s civilization” and advocates “vigorous action against those who cause pollution” “ especially those who pollute the Ganga. Additionally, the RSS uses the rhetoric of “purifying Ganga” to purify India’s from “cultural pollution.”
However, it’s crucial to note that groups such as the RSS do not represent the Hindu perspectives on protecting the environment. Rather, protecting the environment is understood as practicing dharma (righteousness) and morality. Thus, using the Bishnois as an example, dharma includes the environment outside religious sites.
Most importantly, the notion of a locally centered approach to climate change expands beyond a Hindu-centric approach. The movement of “Swaraj,” which means self-sufficiency, advocates the importance of environmentalism in resisting Western imperialism, consumerism, and materialism.
Nevertheless, Modi’s plans for sustainable development have come under criticism. For example, Jairam Ramesh - a member of the Indian National Congress - criticized Modi’s promises to protect the environment while Modi dismantled many of India’s environmental protection laws. Jairam further accuses Modi and his business “cronies” of plans to establish oil plantations in India’s Northeast after cutting down trees.
One of the main limits of India’s climate change solutions is the necessity to develop economically. Many Indians view the “climate change agenda” with suspicion, perceiving it as a conspiracy to prevent the economic development of India. Additionally, the top priority for voters isn’t necessarily climate change. Debadityo Sinha, a resident fellow at the Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy in Dehli stressed that
"Environmental concerns will gain prominence in elections only after we address fundamental human needs. Food, water and health take precedence. The majority of the population, busy earning a livelihood, tends to overlook environmental issues until these directly impact their daily lives.”
These sentiments are not unique to India since the immediate concern for most people is economic well-being. Additionally, while various parties have climate change in their election manifestos, it doesn’t always result in implementation.
Perhaps most importantly, the Indian government insists that developed countries such as the U.S. and the European countries must take responsibility also. The insistence that the West should have responsibility is not limited to the BJP. When Manmohan Singh was Prime Minister of India from 2004-2014, in 2009, he argued that while India must find solutions to climate change, he noted that India is a “newcomer” in using fossil fuels, while developed countries have contributed the most to carbon dioxide emissions historically.
These perceptions of both parties illustrate a fundamental perspective within India and the broader Global South, arguing that climate change is a problem primarily caused by the West. Hence, it is perceived as out of touch when American politicians such as Nikki Haley say:
However, at the end of the day, the climate crisis impacts everybody, and as India’s slogan for the 2023 G20 summit acutely puts it, it is one earth, one family, one future.
