Vice President of India, Jagdeep Dhankhar, addressed the valedictory session of the National Conference on Environment 2025, emphasizing India’s rich history of sustainable living. He noted that India has been living in harmony with the environment for centuries, with every banyan tree considered a temple and every river a goddess. This perspective highlights the long-standing cultural and spiritual connections Indians have with nature.
During his speech, Dhankhar also emphasized the importance of an institution like the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in protecting the environment. He mused that if such an organization had existed earlier, the Bhopal gas tragedy in 1984 might have been prevented. He stressed that environmental negligence led to the tragedy and lamented that India has yet to learn from the episode.
Additionally, Dhankhar described the significance of the NGT, suggesting that the ‘N’ in its abbreviation stands for ‘nurturing’, the ‘G’ for ‘green’, and the ‘T’ for ‘tomorrow’, representing a vision that integrates law, science, and ethics to ensure a harmonious relationship between humans and the environment. He urged developed countries to explore global solutions to environmental issues, acknowledging that the planet is shared by all living beings and that humans have a moral obligation to protect and preserve the environment alongside other species.
In summary, Vice President Dhankhar highlighted India’s centuries-old commitment to environmental stewardship, emphasized the importance of the NGT in protecting the environment, and urged global cooperation to address pressing environmental issues. His message stresses the need for an institution like the NGT to integrate law, science, and ethics to promote a harmonious relationship between humans and the environment, and for humans to acknowledge their moral obligations to protect and preserve the environment for future generations.