The way ahead...

Unidirectional Economic Development can never bring good days to human society if it is not based on the framework of ecologically sustainable development. The social and environmental issues are always going to spoil the dreams of 'perfect world' and 'perfect economy' if 'development' remains synonymous to 'economic growth'. As a nation, we need to concentrate more on providing for the basic necessities of everyone, including humans and non-humans and not on satisfying 'wants' of the modern economy and people who are blindly passionate about it. Economic growth, capitalism or socialist, none of the theories has ever brought sustainable happiness to any human societies. We have had a history, where we sustained ourselves with the local natural resources we had, for about 5000 years. The times when the economy was 'need based', the disturbance to natural processes was of a smaller scale, mainly because of a 'need - based' economy, and absence of energy intensive technocratic approach towards resource use. Local produce - local consumption and a backing of cultural control over exploitation of natural resource helped to shape the sustainable living. This all is in great contrast to the present day conventional economic systems that are based on maximum exploitation and limitless consumption. Analysis of the present natural, environmental, social, economical systems, the future shaping forces and future trends pose a challenge in front of the nation. With the growing population and ever increasing greed created by market economy will exponentially increase the stress on the natural systems of our landscapes; and hence on the 'natural resource and support systems'. With the new government coming to power, we have another chance to redirect the ship. We should recognise the need of this hour as a responsibility of not only the new Government but each and every individual.

'Unwanted'

'Does a fragment of a rock ever feel it is unwanted in this world?' This question came to my mind when I was engrossed in some personal thoughts. Well, when 'I' say this, it means it is a question a human has encountered while looking at the world and the fragment of the rock from the eyes of a human. Many a times we take too many things for granted. Like for instance attaching human emotions to natural objects. The natural world is still a mystery for humans. Is it emotionless or does it express emotions in languages unknown to humans? People have researched about if all the mothers really share some 'emotions' about their calves or is it just a programmed behaviour generated for the sole purpose of survival and well being of the calf. Do elephants morn over their dead fellow companions?

'Feelings' and 'Emotions'. Do the living beings and the non-living have their own 'emotional worlds'? The science says it is all the game of chemical reactions. And what we may call as 'programmed behaviour' is nothing but a series of chemical reactions as are the human 'emotions and feelings' that do the similar function... (?) ...looking after the well being of the particular human being? Rather it is more directed towards the well being of the community. However, we often see that in case of humans, the bearing and display of the emotions for certain individuals does not necessarily play a huge role in well being of the community. In case of other living beings, on a greater canvas, looking at the big picture, it does contribute to well being of the community. This takes me again to the same question. Are humans part of Nature?

In case of all the living and non living earthlings, all the behaviours, interactions, happenings and 'living' is a part of the huge cycles of natural processes functioning with a single aim of continuation of the exchange of matter and energy, to reduce the entropy. The individuals and their individual experiences, be it living beings or rock fragments, do not really matter much in the 'Drama of the Planet'. This appears to be very close to the experiences, feelings, emotions and 'living' of humans in the human world. The only difference is, the human world, even in the big picture, does not make much sense in moving in any particular direction with a single aim. The activities do suggest it encourages destruction of the natural systems and natural processes, may it not be the aim of it.

And to think about the rock fragment, I believe (although again being a human), it may not feel 'unwanted' in the world. It must know, it is only a matter of 'time'.... be it Geological time...