Skip to main content

Towards sustainable livelihood: Dialogue on swaraj path as India’s answer to climate change

By Bharat Dogra 
As climate change intensifies and the inadequacy of the west-driven climate response becomes clearer by the day, it is helpful for the entire effort if countries of the global south can come up with their own alternative responses which are more firmly aligned to their needs as well as special strengths.
In particular it is important for countries of the global south to evolve creative responses that are in tune with their need for strengthening communities as well as their sustainable livelihoods (instead of getting trapped in big business driven false solutions that can be disruptive for communities and their livelihood base).
In this context a recent national dialogue organized in Delhi has raised hopes regarding some interesting and significant possibilities which if followed carefully and in the right spirit can help in evolving a climate response from India that is not only more in keeping with our needs and strengths (particularly in the context of rural areas) but in addition can evoke the interest of many other communities not just in the global south but perhaps also in the north.
This dialogue took place from January 7 to 9 at India Habitat Centre, Delhi, and was formally titled ‘Swaraj Samvad (Dialogue on Swaraj)—Integrating Traditional Knowledge to Enhance Resilience to Climate Change’. This dialogue was organized by Climate Rise Alliance and Vaagdhara, with participation from all over the country.
It is interesting that the dialogue made an effort to create a wider framework within which many aspects of climate response (mitigation as well as adaptation aspects) including agro-ecology, strengthening of rural communities, protection of biodiversity and seeds and traditional knowledge relating to health and nutrition etc. can be included in integrated ways. This framework is based on the concept of swaraj and related thinking, and so this concept needs to be explained in some detail, particularly as despite its Indian origin it is useful and interesting for rural communities in other countries as well. 
The word swaraj is used rightly in dialogues like this to mean greater self-reliance for rural communities to use their capabilities in better ways for sustainable livelihoods and climate response in tune with local conditions in decentralized ways. However some information on historical context is also needed. 
The word swaraj goes back to the freedom movement of India with its literal meaning of self-rule. Although this word was being widely used even before the advent of Mahatma Gandhi in the freedom movement, he imparted a much wider meaning to this concept which is more relevant to the present times.
Mahatma Gandhi thought not just about freedom from British rule but also a lot about how the Indian self-rule after freedom will be able to meet in much better ways the real needs and aspirations of people. To prepare for this, he involved millions and millions of people in a range of constructive activities which are partly based on reviving traditional wisdom and good practices but also partially based on resisting the very harmful burden of some traditional thinking such as that relating to social discrimination. The overall result of what he sought to achieve would be unity based on equality and dignity for all including particularly the women and weaker sections. An attempt would be made for people to be free of all intoxicants such as liquor and related problems to the extent possible. Such communities, Mahatma Gandhi believed, are best suited to take up self-rule in the sense of trying to be as self-reliant as possible in highly creative ways, recognizing the dignity of physical work as well as skills of farmers, workers and artisans, in tune with local conditions for highly decentralized and sustainable progress, emphasizing peace, social harmony, meeting needs of all, protective attitude towards environment and all forms of life. The related concept of khadi helps to advance this thinking by exploring and advancing industrial activity more as cottage and small-scale efforts to meet various daily needs, to the extent possible and practical, and avoiding the kind of excessive mechanization that destroys livelihoods. 
This swaraj is seen as essentially a very creative task of peaceful cooperation among many people, but if this is stopped or hindered in unjust ways, then this must be resisted and opposed in non-violent ways.
Various aspects of swaraj were highlighted in the recently organized dialogue in Delhi. These included conceptualizing swaraj in terms of agro-ecology, seeds, water, health, energy, governance and other important contexts. There were several inspiring narratives of very useful work taken up in many villages in tune with the swaraj approach. Senior civil society leaders and grassroots activists provided many valuable insights which can be very helpful in taking this forward.
However the effort probably fell short of providing a holistic vision of swaraj and it also appeared that segmented projects devoid of a holistic understanding cannot go very far on their own. However the very fact that nearly 500 delegates from all parts of the country expressed their commitment broadly to the swaraj approach is a very encouraging sign, particularly in the context of relating the swaraj approach to climate response. 
This dialogue was perhaps the first such national-level effort to look at climate response in terms of the swaraj approach. This makes it a very significant initiative.
In the post-independence years many activists and scholars have sought to take forward the swaraj concept in numerous ways, as seen in several social movements and a lot of very creative, constructive work. The efforts of linking swaraj to climate solutions must be seen as a significant step forward in this direction and this opens up many more creative possibilities. The concept of swaraj provides many more possibilities of reducing the burden of fossil fuels in village as well as for strengthening climate adaptation, with its emphasis on sustainable livelihoods and strengthening of rural communities. 
The possibilities opened up by this dialogue must be carried forward carefully and in the right spirit.
---
The writer is Honorary Convener, Campaign to Save Earth Now. His recent books include "Protecting Earth for Children", "Planet in Peril", #Man over Machine" and "A Day in 2071"

Comments

TRENDING

Defeat of martial law: Has the decisive moment for change come in South Korea?

By Steven Lee  Late at night on December 3, soldiers stormed into South Korea’s National Assembly in armored vehicles and combat helicopters. Assembly staff desperately blocked their assault with fire extinguishers and barricades. South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol had just declared martial law to “ eliminate ‘anti-state’ forces .”

70,000 migrants, sold on Canadian dream, face uncertain future: Canada reinvents the xenophobic wheel

By Saurav Sarkar*  Bikram Singh is running out of time on his post-study work visa in Canada. Singh is one of about 70,000 migrants who were sold on the Canadian dream of eventually making the country their home but now face an uncertain future with their work permits set to expire by December 2024. They came from places like India, China, and the Philippines, and sold their land and belongings in their home countries, took out loans, or made other enormous commitments to get themselves to Canada.

EVMs: Govt must prove beyond reasonable doubt it's upholding mandate for free, fair polls

By Jerald D’souza  With the growth of India’s population, concerns about electoral fraud associated with ballot papers, also began to escalate. In 1989, the People’s Representation Act was amended to enable EVMs to prevent electoral fraud. In 1998, EVMs made their debut during legislative assembly elections and for the first time for general elections in 2004. However, criticisms against the EVMs and questions about their integrity have been raised by political parties, civil society and the general population. On 2 February 2024, there was a noteworthy demonstration of dissent where numerous individuals, including Ambedkarite advocates, legal professionals, and other members of civil society  convened at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar demanding the prohibition of EVMs. In 2024, the Supreme court had slapped down a petition to return to paper ballots on the basis that machines give “absolutely accurate results” unless human bias maligns them. The court stated that it was open to testi...

This Indian British Marxist blamed USSR's collapse in 1991 on Khrushchev's 'revisionism'

By Harsh Thakor*  Harpal Singh Brar, British Indian Marxist scholar and communist leader, has passed away in Chandigarh. He was 85. He was a lifelong supporter of socialism, Marxism, and the working class. He will be remembered among British Communists.

A groundbreaking non-violent approach: Maharishi’s invincible defense technology

By MajGen (R) Kulwant Singh, Col (R) SP Bakshi, Col (R) Jitendra Jung Karki, LtCol (R) Gunter Chassé & Dr David Leffler*  In today’s turbulent world, achieving lasting peace and ensuring national security are more urgent than ever. Traditional defense methods focus on advanced weapons, military strategies, and tactics, but a groundbreaking approach offers a new non-violent and holistic solution: Maharishi’s Invincible Defense Technology (IDT). 

Chalapathi's death in encounter suggests Maoists' inability to establish broader mass support

By Harsh Thakor* The Maoist movement experienced a significant loss during the Ramagudem encounter on January 21, with the death of Chalapathi (Pratap), a Central Committee member of the CPI (Maoist). His death, along with 15 others, marks a major setback for the movement. Reports suggest that his location was revealed to security forces through a selfie with his wife.

Why do we mostly resist and refrain from communicating on sanitation topic?

By Nikhil Kumar, Mansee Bal Bhargava* According to UN SDG Progress report (2022), at the present moment no targets for SDG 6 are expected to be met by 2030. In 2022, 2.2 billion people had no access to safe drinking water and 3.5 million lacked safe sanitation. Approximately 50% of the world’s population was reported to have been under resourced in enough water for part of the year and a quarter of that population was living under “extremely high” water stress. Add to it, droughts have affected over 1.4 billion people between 2002 and 2021.

CCG raises concerns over Indian State of Forest Report 2023 in open letter to environment minister

By A Representative  The Constitutional Conduct Group (CCG), a collective of former civil servants, has expressed serious concerns over the Indian State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2023 in an open letter to the Union Minister for Environment, Forests & Climate Change. The group has criticized the report's delayed release, flawed methodology, and misleading claims regarding the state of India's forests.

Govt of India asked to work for release of 217 Indian fishermen detained in Pakistan since 2021

By A Representative  Members of the fishing communities from Gujarat and Diu, Union Territory, held a press conference in Ahmedabad, urging the Union Government to take proactive measures to secure the release of Indian fishermen currently detained in Pakistan. Presently, 217 Indian fishermen, mostly from Gujarat and Diu, are held in Pakistan’s Malir Jail. Of these, 53 have been incarcerated since 2021 and 130 since 2022.

Operation Kagar represents Indian state's intensified attempt to extinguish Maoism: Resistance continues

By Harsh Thakor Operation Kagar represents the Indian state's intensified attempt to extinguish Maoism, which claims to embody the struggles and aspirations of Adivasis. Criminalized by the state, the Maoists have been portrayed as a threat, with Operation Kagar deploying strategies that jeopardize their activities. This operation weaves together economic, cultural, and political motives, allegedly with drone attacks on Adivasi homes.