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.