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The theme of sustainable development hasevolved with the evolution of human civilization.The very beginning of human society and itsonward march is woven critically around thisconcept which has assumed significance for thesurvival of the modern civilizationand planet earth. Wheneverhuman civilization receded fromthe path of sustainabledevelopment the danger to itssurvival was ensured.

With the advent ofindustrial revolution in Europebegan the era of unsustainabledevelopment. The unleashing ofcreative energies of peopleduring that period led to thespectacular progress in the fieldof science and technology. Thetapping of energy from coal andthe application of new methods of production gaverise to unprecedented productivity.

While industrial revolution releasedhumans from the fetters of feudalism and bigotryit put new chains around them in the form ofmaterialism and materialistic appetite. The mindwhich became free from bondage of bigotry andexploitative feudal mode of production became

Mahatma Gandhiand

Sustainable Development

Satya Narayana Sahu

subservient to machinery and greed. Driven bythe credo of mass production the modern westerncivilization chose the path of violence subjugatingthe territories of the peoples of Asia, Africa andLatin America and appropriating their resources.

Conquest and exploitation of thehuman and material resourcesbeyond the boundaries of Europebecame the guiding aspect of thatcivilization. The policies andvalues associated with that pathled to the indiscriminateconsumption of energy andresources of the planet earth andgave birth to an imperial mindset.

By 1980s it was realizedthat such an approach woulddegrade the environment beyondrepair and cause unimaginableconsequences to the very

existence of the planet. An institutionalizedapproach in the form of The World Commissionon Environment and Development under theChairmanship of Harlem Brundtland was set upto find remedies to the problem. It produced areport in 1987 entitled “Our Common Future”which stressed on the ability of mankind to makedevelopment sustainable.

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It understood sustainable development interms of “the limits imposed by the present stateof technology and social organizations onenvironmental resources and by the ability of thebiosphere to absorb the effects of humanactivities.” A pertinent question exercises our mind.Why was the Commission established in 1983and not before? A provisional answer was thatby the beginning of the 1980s it was painfullyrealized that the western world was living beyondthe limits of the planet earth. “The Living Planet”a report of the World Wild Life Foundationreleased in 2006 clearly stated that in 1980s itwas realized that the ways of life followed by thewestern societies disturbed the subtle balance ofthe planet earth. The Human Development Report2007-08 on the theme Fighting Climate Change :Human Solidarity in a Divided World also criticallylooked at the modern development and wrote“Climate change calls into question theenlightenment principle that human progress willmake the future look better than the past.”

It is indeed tragic that it took so manycenturies to realize that the mode of life of thewestern people and their path of development wasunsustainable and therefore an attempt was madeto search for the ways and means to rectify thecourse. There is in fact a desperate search formethods to decarbonise the environment andreestablish the atmosphere prevailing beforeindustrial revolution.

It is in this context that one is struck bythe approach of Mahatma Gandhi who in the firstdecade of the twentieth century understood theunsustainability of the modern civilization basedon multiplication of wants and desires. Helaunched the first Satyagraha in 1906 which lastedfor eight years and ended in 1914. Based on truthand non-violence it stressed on simplicity of life,

unity of all religions and of the entire mankind.The Common Future which Europeansunderstood through Brundtland Commission in1987 was understood by Mahatma Gandhi in theend of 19th century itself. Through his book “TheHind Swaraj” he outlined the threat to commonfuture of humanity caused by relentless quest formore material goods and services. He describedthe civilization driven by endless multiplication ofwants as Satanic and defined civilization in termsof performance of duties, adherence to moralityand exercise of restraint. Any approach which putslimitations on passion and greed and which aimsat fulfilling the fundamental needs remain centralto the concept and practice of sustainabledevelopment. The Hind Swaraj became amanifesto of sustainable development. Eventhough it did not refer to nature or environment inany of its passages it exposed the predatoryinstincts of modern civilization and therebybecame an important publication criticallyscrutinizing the modern civilization which was atits zenith. It prophetically stated that modern urbanindustrial civilization contained in itself its ownseeds of destruction. Hind Swaraj was aremarkable outcome of the first Satyagraha.Therefore his first Satyagraha launched forrestoration of the democratic rights of Indiansbecame a Satyagraha against the exploitation ofthe modern western civilization. In a much broadersense it was a Satyagraha which had thechallenging and compassionate vision of savingthe planet earth.

It is of paramount importance to note thatsustainable development implying harmoniousexistence of mankind with nature and ecologypresupposed an approach based on equity andjustice and coexistence of all cultures andcivilizations. An unsustainable path of

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development centering around domination andconquest of other peoples and their naturalresources give rise to an imperial world viewwhich detects “fault lines” along nations andcultures and views the existence of different racesin antagonistic terms. Towards the end of thetwentieth century the celebrated AmericanScholar Samuel Huntington came out with thetheory of clash of civilizations. His hypothesis inits expanded form assumed that diversecivilizations in the world would clash substitutingthe wars among nations. The dangerous thesis isa byproduct of the modern civilization whichemerged after the industrial revolution and whichcontemptuously treated the civilizations andcultures of peoples of Asia, Africa and LatinAmerica. What Samuel Huntington wrote towardsthe end of the twentieth century was advocatedby General Smuts in the beginning of the samecentury. When Indians fought non-violently againstthe restrictions imposed on them for their entryinto Transvaal, he wrote to Mahatma Gandhi“South Africa is a representative westerncivilization while India is the centre of orientalculture. Thinkers of the present generation holdthat these two civilizations cannot go together. Ifnations representing these rival cultures meet evenin small groups, the result will only be anexplosion.”

The incompatibility of the oriental andwestern civilizations outlined by General Smutsunderlined the incompatibility of approaches ofthe two civilizations – the former stressing onsimplicity and restraint and the later on extravagantconsumption pattern. He in fact wrote in so manywords that people of the oriental culture with theirsimple habits and contended life have an outlookwhich run contrary to the outlook of peoplebelonging to western culture which taught them

to have and possess more and if necessary toshed blood for achieving that goal. What GeneralSmuts wrote to Gandhiji was nothing but a grossand unabashed manifestation of an extravagantlife style unmindful of its consequences on natureand other sections of humanity.

Mahatma Gandhi through his firstSatyagraha in South Africa and subsequentlyduring our freedom movement was engaged incriticizing the colonial modernity which wentbeyond the carrying capacity of the planet earthand exploited peoples and resources across theplanet. Therefore our freedom struggle under hisleadership was in a way the first ever struggle inhistory for sustainable development. There aremany statements of Mahatma Gandhi which canbe quoted to substantiate this point. Oneparticular statement he made in the context ofEuropeans is of abiding relevance for the wholemankind. He wrote in 1938:

“The incessant search for materialcomfort and their multiplication issuch an evil and I make bold tosay that the Europeansthemselves will have to remodeltheir outlook, if they are not toperish under the weight of thecomforts to which they arebecoming slaves.”In fact the Europeans are gradually

listening to the ringing words of Mahatma Gandhi.It is evident from the approach of some Britishcitizens who have taken measures to simplify lifeso as to reduce their dependence on energy andresources. They have established a zero-energy(fossil) development system which enables themto run a housing society in London. At the entranceof the Society there is a line written which readsas follows:

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“If everyone on the planetconsumed as much as the averageperson in the U.K. we wouldneed three planets to support us.”These words recapture thoughts of

Gandhiji who eight decades back wrote that ifIndia followed the western model of developmentshe would require more than one planet to achievethe progress they had attained.

The residents of the Housing Society inno way belong to the movements launched toprotect climate and environment. They pursuediverse professions and services and are a partof the vibrant middle class. What distinguishesthem is their remodeled outlook which eschewexcessive consumption and production and followin practice the methods of simple living.

They have resolved not to eat food whichcome from distant places. They are convincedthat when items are transported from longdistances a lot of energy is used for transporting,preserving and packing them. The growingconsciousness that dependence on food from faroff places would lead to excessive use of energywhich in turn would lead to emission of morecarbon dioxide and green house gases persuadesthem to use resources available within a fewkilometers.

The Nicolas Stern Committee Reportfrom the U.K. on Global Warming and GlobalEconomy also underlined the same point when itobserved that at the current rate of consumptionof resources and energy of the planet, mankindwould require more than one planet for survival.The Stern Committee Report therefore stressedon reduction of green house gas emissions byremodeling life style and by transiting from acarbon economy to a non-carbon economy.

What is being done in the ZED HousingSociety and what is being recommended by theNicolas Stern Committee Report was highlightedby Mahatma Gandhi during his first Satyagrahaand our freedom struggle. He wrote on numerousoccasions that failure on the part of human beingsto satisfy their material needs by using resourcesavailable with fifteen or twenty kilometers woulddisturb the economy of nature. His usage of thephrase “economy of nature” in 1911 brings outhis sensitivity and deeper understanding of humanaction vis-à-vis ecology.

In the Hind Swaraj he wrote against theannihilation of distance and time. While doing sohe did not refer to the danger of excessive energyconsumption. Yet with his remarkable intuitiveunderstanding of the danger of modern technologyon society and nature he advised mankind tosimplify life. His critique of modern civilization,his condemnation of attempts to annihilate distanceand his own life of simple and restrained livingconstituted refreshing attempts to establish a non-carbon and non-exploitative economy in theworld.

In earlier paras we had argued thatMahatma Gandhi through our freedom strugglewas going beyond the issue of independence andcritically evaluating the colonial modernity whichviolently appropriated the resources of the planetand caused untold misery to the peoples in Asia,Africa and Latin America. The imperial rule andmindset was a byproduct of unsustainabledevelopment which was based on exploitationand injustice. He wanted India to avoid that pathfor the sake of not only Indians but for the wholemankind. Today people in Europe, as mentionedabove, are realizing that their style and pattern oflife cannot be sustained by utilizing resourcesavailable in our own planet. Their life style is a

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continuation of the colonial mindset based on theirpresumption that nature and planet earth haslimitless resources and they have the right to usethem to the exclusion of the rights of others. Theworld view which excludes others and exploitstheir resources for the benefit of chosen few is adangerous and unsustainable world view. As earlyas 1894 Mahatma Gandhi had written that thepolicy of exclusion has become obsolete. Insubsequent decades he outlined the pain andmisery caused by such a world view andcautioned that if India followed thatapproach it would spell incalculable dangerto the whole mankind. His insights werereflected in a small passage on Industrialismwhich he authored in 1928. He wrote,

God forbid that India should evertake to industrialization after themanner of the west. Theeconomic imperialism of a singletiny island kingdom, England iskeeping today the world inchains. If the entire nation of 300million took to similar economicexploitation, it would strip theworld like bare locusts.The world of twenty-first century is

reaping the adverse consequences of theindustrialization process which was set in motionby the western nations after industrial revolution.It has become vulnerable to unimaginabledestruction due to a development process whichbrought severe pressure on natural resources andwhich is almost depleting the finite reservoir ofenergy derived from hydrocarbon. MahatmaGandhi’s early warning in the form of the abovestatement of 1928 sounds so contemporary for aworld confronting the unprecedented danger ofglobal warming and climate change.

As mentioned earlier Mahatma Gandhi’soutstanding leadership during India’s struggle forindependence was a leadership for a sustainableworld order. He spoke, wrote and put intopractice many ideas which brought out hisleadership qualities for the cause of sustainabledevelopment. We are familiar with his historicDandi March of 1930. The very reference to thatMarch stirs our mind in grasping hisunprecedented method of asserting the right of

common people over natural resources of whichsalt is the most basic and primary one. The Britishempire thrived in monopolizing resources anddepriving their legitimate owners access to them.Denial of access of common people to the basicresources is part of a strategy for unsustainabledevelopment. Mahatma Gandhi by breaking thesalt law and asserting the rights of ordinary peopleto make salt was empowering the commonpeople which is central to the issue of sustainabledevelopment.

After Dandi March was over, he outlinedits larger goal by stating that the aim of the Marchwent beyond the independence of India andencompassed in its scope the much broaderobjective of freeing the world from the monstrousgreed of materialism. It was a powerful statement

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which in combination with his criticism of the greedbased modern civilization made Mahatma Gandhione of the greatest exponents and practitionersof sustainable development. In fact Joseph Stiglitzin his latest book ‘Making Globalisation Work’wrote that in a globalised world the westernnations give precedence to material values overenvironmental values. Mahatma Gandhi was oncetold by a British correspondent that in amaterialistic world non-violence would not beeffective. In responding to that observationGandhiji wrote that when non-violence reignedsupreme materialism would take a back seat.Through Dandi March and indeed through hispath-breaking non-violent work beginning in SouthAfrica and culminating with his martyrdom hewanted non-violence to reign supreme. Creativelyinterpreting non-violence and non-violent massaction in its broadest sense he stressed, amongother things, on communal harmony, economicequality, eradication of untouchability, progressiveamelioration of the toiling people, socialenfranchisement of women, free and compulsoryprimary education and overhauling of the systemof higher education so as to meet the requirementsof the ordinary people instead of the middle class.It is striking to note that most of these issues formintegral part of Agenda-21 of the Rio Summitwhich gave a blueprint for sustainabledevelopment.

One of the defining features of moderncivilization is the annihilation of distance byexcessively using motorized transport.Proliferation of cars and airplanes to makecommunication easier for enhancing mobility andmaking the world smaller have choked peoplesacross the globe with air pollution and emissionof green house gases. Joseph Stizlitz in his book‘Making Globalisation Work’ has written that80% of the global warming is caused by

hydrocarbons and 20% is caused bydeforestation. Increasingly more and more peopleare possessing cars which are symbols of status,individuality and mobility. The threat posed bygrowing number of cars to environment is wellknown. Now it is being asked if planet earth cancope up with the toxic emissions from 4 billioncars possessed by peoples in America, China,India and Europe. The ability of people to havecars and provide fuel to them does not augur wellfor the climate. Combined with refrigerator andair-conditioning it will cause irreversible damageto the ozone layer and carrying capacity of theearth. Annihilation of distance coupled with pursuitof comfort will further contribute to unsustainabledevelopment.

The craze for car began in 1930s whenthe President of America Mr. Hoover outlined hisplan for two cars and two radio sets for eachAmerican family. Mahatma Gandhi was informedabout it by an American correspondent andrequested to outline his future vision of Indiansociety. He in his characteristic way replied that ifevery Indian family would possess a car therewould be so many of them resulting in lack ofspace to walk. Adding further he stated that in hisvision of Indian society possession of a car wouldnot be considered a meritorious thing.

Again during the Dandi March whensome people brought oranges in a motorizedtransport he disapproved of it and said, “The ruleshould avoid the car if you can walk.” There aremany European countries where congestion taxis imposed for cars to enter certain key areas tokeep them free from vehicular pollution. Thereare several other countries in Europe which areadopting a car less day. They have realized thedemerit of possessing too many cars. In otherwords the utterances of Mahatma Gandhi

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concerning cars are being realized with addedpoignancy.

Going beyond the terrestrial sphere wefind that the civil aviation sector is growing in anunprecedented scale and thriving by introducingcheaper fares for passengers. It is contributing tothe greater integration of different parts of thecountry and world. Annihilation of distancethrough airplanes is not an unmixed blessing. TheLondon Economist in its issue of 10th June, 2006carried a cover story under the caption “The DirtySky : Why Air Travel will be the Next Green BattleGround”. It observed “Put frankly, air travel makesa mockery of many peoples attempts to live agreen life. Somebody who wants to reduce his“carbon footprint” can bicycle to work, never buyaerosols and turn off his air conditioner - and stillblow away all this virtue on a couple of longflights.”

Writing in the Observer of 12th May,2006 Joanna Walters states “Can you still callyourself green at 30,000 feet? Frankly, no. Airtravel is choking our world faster than any otherform of transport”. Stating that “Air transport isthe fastest growing source of green house gasemission but so far sparked relatively little concernamong Governments and international bodies” shewrote “One return flight to, say, Miami, and youare responsible for more carbon dioxideproduction than a year’s motoring”.

These grave concerns expressed inforeign press starkly remind us about MahatmaGandhi’s reservations about annihilation ofdistance. In Hind Swaraj, he described railwaysa necessary evil. All other faster means ofcommunication can indeed constitute necessaryevil. The necessary evil stretched beyond a pointwill overwhelm mankind and the planet earth. Itis in this context that his wise counsel not tosubordinate human interest to machine assumesparamount significance.

While dealing with Mahatma Gandhi andSustainable Development one would inevitablydeal with the question of poverty which is theworst source of pollution. Fight for eradication ofpoverty by using appropriate technology and non-violent means is nothing but a fight for sustainabledevelopment. Mahatma Gandhi wrote in HindSwaraj not only to criticize modern civilization butalso to eradicate poverty in India. Smt. IndiraGandhi, former Prime Minister of India in herspeech in the first ever U.N. Conference onEnvironment organised in Stockholm in 1972declared that poverty is the worst source ofpollution. Mahatma Gandhi by addressing the issueof eradication of poverty in Hind Swaraj wasaddressing the core issue of sustainabledevelopment. Almost eight decades afterMahatma Gandhi did deal with the issue of povertyThe Brundtland Commission on “Our CommonFuture” wrote “A world in which poverty isendemic will always be prone to ecological andother catastrophes”.

Adoption of a comparatively simple lifestyle by the western people will be a major factorfor eradication of poverty. In fact the life style ofthe people of the advanced countries have gravelyendangered environment. They have given priorityto their own interests over the interests of nature.Prof. David H. Bennett in an insightful article “TheCinderella Syndrome : Ecologically SustainableDevelopment and Ecological Competence – ASecond Precautionary Tale” wrote that aboriginesin Australia during 40,000 to 80,000 years havedone much less damage to the continent than thenon-aborigines inhabitants in the last 200 years.He holds that the technological imperative of thenon-aborigine inhabitant contributed to thedamage of the ecology and exhorts them to learnthe lessons of restraint and ecological competencefrom the aborigines to adopt a sustainable way oflife. At the end he captures the spirit of MahatmaGandhi by writing “Dominant western cultures

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must learn to live simply so that others can simplylive.” It is this simple living which can go a longway in addressing the issue of poverty eradicationand promoting the cause of sustainabledevelopment.

The discussion of Mahatma Gandhi andSustainable Development would be incompletewithout referring to the burning issue of waterscarcity in the world. Twenty first century has beendescribed as the most water stressed century inthe world. Water scarcity across the world maycause conflicts among nations. If not controlledand dealt with in a fair and equitable manner thewater scarcity problem may give rise to anotherworld war reminiscent of other world wars overresources and other trading and commercialinterests. It is in this context that MahatmaGandhi’s ideas need to be recollected and putinto practice.

During our struggle for independence hereferred to the water famine occurring in theKathiawar region of Gujarat ruled by manyprinces. To address the issue of acute shortageof water he advised all the princely States to forma confederation and take long term measures forplanting trees in vast tracts of land. He opinedthat afforestation on a large scale constituted themost effective step to face the water crisis. Thetwenty-first century world need to follow hiswords with utmost seriousness. The British rulerswho treated forests as a source of revenue hardlyunderstood their relevance from the point of viewof ecology and sustainable development. Theirapproach was a byproduct of the exploitation ofnatural resources regardless of its consequencesfor the common people and environment.

Tuning himself with the common peoplewhom he called “the dumb millions” he alsosuggested in a prayer meeting in Delhi in 1947for harvesting rain water and using it for irrigationalpurposes to avoid famines and food shortages.

The M.S. Swaminathan Commission for Farmersin its report submitted to the Prime Minister in2006 recommended to harvest rain water foraddressing the problem of irrigation affecting ourfarmers.

Mahatma Gandhi was far ahead of histimes in grappling with challenges to planet eartharising out of a life style which multiplied wantsand desires and left no stone unturned to satisfythem. At a time when mankind is facing thedangerous prospects of getting annihilated due toaccelerating pace of global warming it is importantto rediscover Gandhiji’s ideas and put them intopractice. It is heartening that in many parts of theworld people are getting inspired by his idealsand taking appropriate action. It was bestreflected in the initiative taken in Germany toestablish Green Party and pursue policiesconsistent with nature and ecology. One of thefounders of Green Party Ms. Patra Kellyadmirably summed up the impact of MahatmaGandhi in forming the party when she wrote thefollowing:

In particular area of our work we havebeen greatly inspired by MahatmaGandhi. That is in our belief that a lifestyle and method of production whichrely on endless supply of raw materialsand which use those raw materialslavishly, also provide motive force forviolent appropriation of raw materialsfrom other countries. In contrast aresponsible use of raw materials as partof an ecologically oriented life style andeconomy reduces the risk that policiesof violence will pursue.

Such a vision provides the remedy tocreate a new civilization the foundation of whichis based on discipline, restraint and morality. It isheartening to note that the recent literature beingbrought out in the western world is eloquently

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following the vision of Mahatma Gandhi. A book“Surviving the Century : Facing Climate Chaos”edited by Professor Herbert Girardet and broughtout by the World Future Council stresses onmeasures suggested by Mahatma Gandhi in thebeginning of the twentieth century. The bookargues for an approach which would speak forthe earth community. It suggests that such anapproach can be devised if we become non-violent, respect nature, follow the path ofsustainable development and ensure justice to thepoor. All those aspects remained central toMahatma Gandhi’s life and work. There is slowbut sure realization that by following Gandhiji’sideals we can survive the century. The line ofargument which attempts to speak for the earthcommunity essentially recaptures the immortal andeloquent words of Mahatma Gandhi that earthhas enough for fulfilling everybody’s need but notanybody’s greed. These words constitute the sum

and substance of sustainable development. Thereis no alternative to such a world view. The TimeMagazine in its 29th April 2007 issue came outwith 51 Global Warming Survival Guides. The51st Guide earnestly suggests to share more,consume less and simplify life. In other words theTime Magazine, one of the mouth pieces of thewestern world, is turning to Mahatma Gandhi tosave the world from the danger of extinctioncaused by global warming. It is a measure ofMahatma Gandhi’s enduring and deepersignificance in the context of attempts to protectthe planet earth. It is therefore indispensable torediscover his writings and comprehend them tofurther the cause of sustainable development.

Satya Narayana Sahu, Joint Secretary, Rajya SabhaSecretariat.

Workshop on Right to InformationInformation and Public Relations Department is the nodal Department to implement Odisha

Right to Information Act-2005. A citizen desirous of any information may apply for information inForm-A to the PIO withrequired fee in shape ofT.C/ Cash as specifiedin the schedule.

DI & PRO,Bhubaneswar hasorganized workshop atBalipatana, Balianta,Jatani and BhubaneswarBlocks to sensitize PRImembers by experts. Asdirected by Collector,Khurda, Shri NiranjanSahu, IAS, DI & PRO,Bhubaneswar Shri B.P.Das has organized the seminar/workshop successfully.