India needs to safeguard its natural resources

India is among the fastest growing economies in the world today. It is now paying much more attention to environment than earlier. While before 1980, almost 150,000 hectares of forest land was being diverted to non-forestry activities every year, it is heartening to note that this rate of diversion has been reduced to 15,500 hectares per annum after 1980.

In terms of forest cover, India has shown an increasing trend in comparison to the global trend of decreasing forest cover during the last decades. As per the India State of Forest Report, 2017, India is ranked 10th in the world with 24.4 per cent of land under forest and tree cover. It is heartening that India is placed eighth in the list of top 10 nations reporting the greatest annual net gain in forest area. There has been an increase of 8,021 sqkm in the total forest and tree cover during 2015-17.

You will have a great opportunity as IFS officers try and to reach the ideal of increasing the forest areas to one third of the total land area as was envisaged way back in the National Forest Policy 1952. You all are aware that we are making rapid strides to enhance our human development ranking in the global scale. This requires accelerated developmental activities. However, these developmental activities need to have in built safety nets to safe guard our natural resources that support millions of poor people. In the present context, as IFS officers, you play the role of a magistrate in regulating the developmental works for safeguarding the ecological security of the country.

The unique aspect of our civilisation is that Indian culture has, since time immemorial, glorified nature and emphasised the coexistence of man, animal and plant life. This natural association of man, animal, and plant life is manifested in our religious texts, in our rich literatures and ancient philosophies.

Some of the greatest religions of the world that sprang from this soil had preached non-violence, taking even animals into the ambit of this doctrine. Such sublime ingredients of our culture have made the Indian civilisation a repository of universal values and timeless ideals.

The symbiotic association of man and forest deeply embedded in the religious and the socio-cultural mindset of our countrymen and emphasised since time immemorial, is getting disturbed in recent times due to increasing demand of natural resources. The Indian culture has traditionally revered trees as holy symbols of divinity. It was considered as a sin to cut trees like Peepal which is called ‘ Ficus Religiosa’. Infact, Lord Krishna identifies himself as the Ashwatha, or the peepal tree among all the trees.

In this context, I would like to recall what our father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi, had said, to constantly remind ourselves that destroying forests is destroying ourselves. He had said: “What we are doing to the forests of the world is but a mirror reflection of what we are doing to ourselves and to one another.” Therefore, it is now recognised worldwide that the fundamental principle of forest management should be based on conservation and sustainable utilisation of natural resources.

That’s where, you, the youngest generation of forest officers passing out today, have a unique opportunity and responsibility of meeting the forest needs of the people on the one hand and improve the forest cover on the other.

Environment protection and Economic development must go together. Tree plantation and environment protection should become mass movement. I have been told that scientific forest management in India is more than a century old. We have come a long way in changing the management strategies from keeping people away from the forests for protection purposes to managing the forest with cooperation of people in the form of Joint Forest Management.

Therefore, as a Forester, your management approach should be as a development facilitator and a growth enabler without compromising the national interest and the welfare of the people especially the tribal groups who depend on forests for their livelihood.

Overgrazing, shifting cultivation and fires have resulted in elimination of many species. We need to work with local communities to rehabilitate the degenerated forests and encourage farmers to adopt ecologically sustainable practices. This is not an easy job and best brains and hearts are needed to make this fine balance. I am confident that your two years of professional training, knowledge, and skills you imbibed in your field exposures would come handy to meet the challenging task.

Man-animal conflict is increasing in our country and it is a cause of concern for poor people living in the vicinity of forests. You should try to devise innovative solutions to overcome this conflict to reduce life and property of people as well as animals.

I know that forest service is a very challenging service and you have to work in difficult terrains and face life-threatening situations in the forests every day from wild animals and vicious forces and unscrupulous smugglers who try to plunder the forest products.

You are an army of green soldiers committed to maintain our rich natural heritage to secure our collective future. I am genuinely impressed by your grit and passion to choose this difficult and coveted profession, despite knowing the hardships associated with it.

You have a difficult task ahead of you, a very challenging, delicate balancing act. You have to foster development, not impede it. At the same time, you have to ensure that the natural resources and bio-diversity are protected. You will have tough decisions to make as you will have to think of people and the planet as a unified eco-system. You will also be able to hone your skills in adroitly reconciling the economic needs of people with the preservation and improvement of environment.

In India, we say – “Dharmo Rakshati Rakshitaha” (If you protect Dharma, then Dharma will protect you). Similarly with the forest and tree cover, there is an adage which says “Vruksho Rakshati Rakshithaha” (If you protect trees, they will protect you).

Edited excerpts from a speech by Vice President, M Venkaiah Naidu, at the Convocation 2018 of Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy, in Dehradun, Uttarakhand on April 25.