'One-Sided Development' Killing Himalayas: RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat warns that one-sided development is causing instability in the Himalayas, citing the devastating Nepal disaster.
Addressing the RSS centenary Vijayadashami utsav at the Reshimbagh ground in Nagpur, Maharashtra, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat issued a stark warning regarding the environmental fragility of the Himalayan region. He pointed to the recent catastrophic events in Nepal as a grim reminder that current developmental trajectories are creating dangerous instability in nature.
The Cost of Imbalance: The Nepal Tragedy
Bhagwat highlighted the devastating impact of the "Himalayan Tsunami" that struck Nepal on August 26, triggered by a massive rock-and-ice avalanche. The scale of the disaster was immense, with more than 1,400 people losing their lives and over 6,000 still missing. The destruction left more than 70,000 people homeless and directly affected, prompting ongoing search and recovery operations.
While expressing grief over the loss of life, the RSS chief noted a critical disconnect between technological advancement and ecological safety. He argued that despite the progress of technological science, the recurring large-scale loss of human life indicates a failure in how development is approached.
A Call for Balanced Development
Bhagwat contended that the instability is not limited to one nation but is a regional crisis affecting all countries through which the Himalayas pass, including India, Tibet, Bhutan, and China. He asserted that "one-sided development efforts" are the root cause of this natural instability.
To combat this, he proposed a shift toward a comprehensive and balanced vision of development. According to Bhagwat, this new approach must prioritize:
- Ecological Stability: Ensuring that nature is not pushed to a breaking point.
- Human Welfare: Development that takes everyone along and is sustainable.
- Affordability: Creating systems that are not so costly that the people implementing them cannot survive.
"We will have to relearn the principles of how to carry out such development. When that comprehensive and balanced vision emerges, human beings learn to use resources in the right direction," Bhagwat stated.
The Sanatan Vision and a New Global Model
Beyond the environmental crisis, Mohan Bhagwat spoke about India's "Sanatan vision," describing it as a perspective that views the entire world as one integrated whole. He emphasized values of harmony, restraint, and universal brotherhood, referencing the ancestral belief in India as the "foremost culture of the world" (Sa Prathama Sanskriti Vishwara).
He urged India to lead by example, suggesting that the nation has a responsibility to offer the world a new model of comprehensive and integrated development based on this ethos. He argued that while India should strive to remain at the forefront of global progress, its primary goal should be to provide a sustainable path for others to follow.
Defining the 'Hindu Perspective'
Clarifying what he termed the "Hindu perspective," Bhagwat explained that it is not a rigid set of rules but rather a "religion of humanity and human culture." He noted that this perspective does not mandate:
- Specific forms of worship or devotion.
- Particular food habits or customs.
- Specific lifestyles, languages, or political affiliations.
Instead, he defined the core characteristics of this perspective as spirituality, humanity, and universal brotherhood, asserting that it is inclusive of everyone regardless of their regional or social differences.