India has a long standing and successful track record of protecting its tigers: PM

Minister for Agriculture & Forests, Royal Government of Bhutan and Chairman, Global Tiger Forum,

Distinguished Ministers from Tiger Range Countries,

Shri Prakash Javadekar, our Minister for Environment, Forest & Climate Change,

Other dignitaries on the dais, delegates from Tiger Range Countries, Ladies and Gentlemen!

I am pleased to welcome you all. The tiger has brought all of us together here. This is an important meeting to discuss the conservation of one of the important endangered species. Your very presence is a testimony to the importance your country attaches to this “umbrella” among species.

As we all know, the tiger is an apex consumer in the ecological pyramid and food chain. It requires a large amount of prey, supported by good forests. Therefore, by protecting the tiger, we protect the entire ecosystem and the ecological services, which are equally crucial for the well-being of human beings.

In fact, the benefits from tiger conservation are enormous but intangible. We cannot quantify this in economic terms. Putting a price tag on nature is difficult. Since Mother Nature has bestowed them for its own conservation, it becomes our bounden duty to conserve them. In India, the tiger is much more than just a wild animal. In our mythology, the mother Goddess, who is the embodiment of Mother Nature, is depicted sitting on a tiger. In fact, most of our Gods and Goddesses are associated with some animal, tree or river. In fact sometimes these animals are put on the same pedestal as Gods and Goddesses. No wonder the Tiger is also our national animal. I am sure, other Tiger Range Countries would have some cultural legacy associated with tigers.

Friends! Species belonging to the animal kingdom, usually do not act to their disadvantage. However, human beings are an exception. Our compulsions and cravings, our needs and greed, have led to shrinkage of natural habitat and destruction of ecosystems. Here, I recall the famous words of Gautam Buddha who said: “the forest is a peculiar organism of unlimited kindness. It affords protection to all beings, offering shade even to the axe-man who destroys it.”

I appreciate the good efforts made by the Tiger Range Countries in conserving tigers. I compliment you all for this great ongoing effort. I also appreciate the efforts through “Global Tiger Initiative” and the Council.

I must mention the great effort made by Mr. Vladimir Putin in convening the tiger summit in 2010. The Global Tiger Recovery Programme was an important outcome of these efforts.

I also appreciate the initiatives of Mr. Dorji, the Chairman of the Global Tiger Forum.

However, from what I have been told it appears that tiger habitats have reduced drastically across Tiger Range Countries. The situation has been aggravated further by the ongoing trafficking in body parts and derivatives of this magnificent animal. In India too, we have been facing the challenge of poaching and disruption in their ecosystems.

The positive side for us in India is that majority of the population respects trees, animals, forests, rivers and other elements of nature like the sun and the moon. We consider the earth as our mother. Our scriptures encourage us to treat the entire universe as one. वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम and लोकः समस्ताः सुखिनो भवन्तु is our philosophy. We pray for peace and prosperity of everyone - including the ecosystem: ॐ द्यौः शांति, रंतरिक्ष शांति, पृथवी शांति, राप: शांति, रोषधयः शांति, वनस्पतयः शांति |

Friends! Forests are inseparable from wild animals. Both are mutually complementary. Destruction of one leads to destruction of the other. This is an important cause of climate change which is now affecting us adversely in many ways. This is a global phenomenon which all of us are grappling with. As a solution, we have committed to work towards country specific mitigation strategies.

In my view, for the Tiger Range Countries, a viable tiger population undoubtedly symbolises a mitigation strategy for climate change. This will create a huge carbon sink in the form of tiger bearing forests. Thus, conservation of tiger will go a long way in ensuring a good future for ourselves and our coming generations.

India has a long standing and successful track record of protecting its tigers. We launched “Project Tiger” in 1973. Its coverage has increased considerably from the initial 9 tiger reserves to 49 at present. Tiger conservation is a collective responsibility of the Government of India and States. I also compliment our State governments for their efforts. But the efforts of Government cannot succeed unless they are supported by the people. Our cultural legacy which encourages compassion and co-existence has played an important role in the success of Project Tiger. Due to such collective efforts, there has been a rise of thirty per cent in the number of tigers. It has gone up from 1706 in 2010 to 2226 in 2014.

Our National Tiger Conservation Authority has taken many landmark initiatives. Use of modern technology, including intelligent, infrared and thermal cameras on a 24x7 basis is being promoted for surveillance against poaching in sensitive tiger reserves. Several protocols for smart patrolling and tiger monitoring have been evolved. Radio telemetry is also being promoted to monitor tigers. A national repository of tiger camera trap photo database is also being created. To do all this, we have, this year, doubled our allocation for tiger conservation. We have increased it from Rupees 185 crores to Rupees 380 crores; which is 3.8 billion Rupees. 

I strongly believe that tiger conservation, or conservation of nature, is not a drag on development. Both can happen in a mutually complementary manner. All we need is to re-orient our strategy by factoring in the concerns of the tiger in sectors where tiger conservation is not the goal. This is a difficult task but can be achieved. Our genius lies in “smartly” integrating the tiger and wildlife safeguards in various infrastructures at the landscape level. This essentially takes us to the much needed “smart green infrastructure”, while adopting a landscape approach. The landscape approach would also help us to involve business groups through corporate social responsibility for various initiatives towards tiger conservation. In the Indian context, we intend to achieve this through the Tiger Conservation Plans.

Considering the ecosystem value of tiger conservation areas, we need to consider them as “natural capital.” Our institutions have done an economic valuation of a few tiger reserves. This study has highlighted the fact that besides conserving the tiger, these reserves also provide a range of economic, social, cultural and spiritual benefits. These are known as ecosystem services. Thus, we need to define conservation as a means to achieve development, rather than considering it to be anti-growth. This calls for factoring in the value of the ecosystem in the economic arithmetic of development and growth.

Friends! I am confident that we can achieve a framework to foster proactive engagement of industry for conservation. The natural capital denoting the stock of natural ecosystems should be treated at par with capital goods. Our economy needs to be viewed as a subset of a larger economy of natural resources and ecosystem services which sustain us.

As a country having more than seventy per cent of the global tiger population, India is committed to complement the initiatives of other Tiger Range Countries. We have bilateral arrangements with China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh. We hope to continue our efforts to address issues of mutual concern for the tiger.

A major threat to the tiger is the demand for its body parts and derivatives. The forest and its wild denizens are an open treasury which cannot be locked up. It is painful to learn about trafficking of body parts and derivatives of tigers and other big cats. We need to collaborate at the highest levels of Government to address this serious issue.

India along with several Tiger Range Countries is a founder member of the Global Tiger Forum, which is headquartered in New Delhi. This is the only inter-governmental organisation of its kind. It is now working closely with the Global Tiger Initiative Council. As a host country, I assure you of our fullest support. We will also be happy to support capacity building of wildlife personnel at the Wildlife Institute of India.

The Tiger Range Countries are signatories to other international conventions to address international trade on endangered species. In this regard, I want to give you another good news. We are moving towards formally adopting the statute of South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network.

At the end, I would like to emphasise that conservation of tigers is not a choice. It is an imperative. I would also like to emphasise that regional co-operation is essential for combating wildlife crime. In this conference, let us resolve to work together to protect the tiger and its space. India is committed to engage with all Tiger Range Countries for this purpose.

I appreciate your presence and wish this conference all success!

Thank You!

Prime Minister’s Address during the International Conference on Rule of Law for supporting 2030 Development Agenda

Hon. Chief Justice of India,
Other Dignitaries on the dais,
Judicial minds from India and abroad
Invitees, Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen!

I am delighted to address the International Workshop on Rule of Law and Sustainable Development. I welcome our friends from abroad and thank them for their active participation.

This workshop is being organized soon after two important international agreements which happened during 2015. One is the Paris Agreement on climate change. The other is the Agreement on Sustainable Development Goals. Therefore, this conference provides a timely and useful opportunity to discuss the way forward. This is important not only in the national context but also in the global context. I hope you will keep in mind the welfare of mankind and the concerns of the international community in your deliberations.

The role of rules and laws in achieving sustainable development goals is going to be very important in the days to come. However, rules should be such that they facilitate the achievement of these goals. Unfortunately, some times, the concern for environment is defined narrowly. We all have to realize that if there is conflict, no one’s purpose will be served. I hope that you will show us the way to build and ensure climate justice across the globe based on legal as well as social frameworks.

Last year, in September, I attended the meeting of the UN General Assembly where the Sustainable Development Goals for 2030 were adopted. These goals reflect our evolving understanding of the social, economic and environmental linkages that define our lives.

This was followed by the COP-21 where we contributed significantly in shaping the narrative. Our commitments at COP-21 underline the Indian ethos which aims at changing human lifestyle along with changes in the manner in which we engage in economic activity. The problems of environment are largely the effect of our consumptive lifestyles. If we want to make a meaningful impact, we all need to look within; before we read the books of law.

Friends!

I have always felt that anything which is not sustainable cannot be called development. In our culture, development means ‘बहुजन हिताय, बहुजन सुखाय’, ‘सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनो’ and “लोकाः समस्ताः सुखिनो भवन्तु’. This cannot happen unless the development process is inclusive and sustainable. Anything which compromises on the ability of future generations to meet their requirements cannot be called development. We in India have always believed in sustainability. For us, the law of nature holds great value. If we all observe it, then many man-made laws will not be required. Only the practice of सह जीवन and सह अस्तित्व will be enough to help us. In modern terminology, there is a word called stakeholder. A path becomes sustainable, if all stakeholders are benefitted. However, I must add a word of caution here. The stake should be natural. It should be inherent. It cannot be stretched to include those who may be working with ulterior motives. Nature is pure. Hence, only pure intentions can keep it intact.

We, in India, have a strong tradition of living in harmony with nature. We worship nature. We worship the sun, the moon, rivers, land, trees, animals, rain, air and fire. These elements of Nature have been given the stature of Gods in our culture. Moreover, in Indian mythology, most of the Gods and Goddesses are associated with an animal and a tree. Thus, respect for Nature is an integral part of our culture, and has been passed across generations. Protection of environment comes naturally to us. This strong tradition has been a guiding principle for all of us.

There is a well-known Sanskrit saying:

ॐ सर्वेशां स्वस्तिर्भवतु । सर्वेशां शान्तिर्भवतु ।
सर्वेशां पुर्णंभवतु । सर्वेशां मङ्गलंभवतु ।।

Which means:

We always pray for welfare, peace, fulfillment and sustainability of all; at all places and for all times.

This is our commitment; not of today but since time immemorial. If we remember this, follow this and act accordingly, India could provide leadership in sustainable development. For example, the practice of Yoga is aimed at balancing contentment and worldly desires, to lead to a path of moderation and sustainable lifestyle. When I talk of yoga, it is not just its physical dimension. Yoga is very comprehensive. The ideas of YAM, NIYAM, PRATYAHAR teach us discipline, austerity and control.

Much before the debate on sustainable development began, Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of our Nation, had said that we should act as ‘trustees’ and use natural resources wisely. It is our moral responsibility to ensure that we leave a healthy planet for future generations.

 Friends! I am sure all of us agree that poverty is the biggest challenge for environment. Therefore, eradication of poverty is one of the fundamental goals of my government. Guided by our core values, we are working towards achieving this goal with sincerity. We want to ensure a conducive environment for 1.25 billion Indians to develop, and prosper. We are encouraging education, skill development, digital connectivity and entrepreneurship to provide an enabling ecosystem for our youth to blossom. We aim to do all this in a sustainable manner.

We realize that fulfilling the demand for energy is vital to the achievement of our development goals. This is why, one of the first challenges that we took up was generation of 175 Giga watts of renewable energy. We are well on our way to achieving this objective.

We have also taken up the Swacch Bharat and Clean Ganga Initiatives. I am happy to note that millions of people across the country have joined the cleanliness drive. I take this opportunity to invite the participants to explore as to how we can strengthen this collective endeavour. I am glad to learn that this workshop will also discuss issues related to pollution and waste management. These are issues that need to be addressed proactively. I look forward to your recommendations towards strengthening such initiatives.

Friends!

The problems we face in India today are not unique. Other civilizations have also faced similar problems and were able to overcome them. I believe that through our collective efforts we will succeed as well. While doing so, we must ensure that we avoid contradictions between our need to develop and develop sustainably. Our culture teaches us Union between the व्यक्ति and समस्ती. If we become one with the universal order, there are no conflicts of interest.

Therefore, my Government is treating the challenge of adapting to climate change as an opportunity rather than a problem. We need to adopt the philosophy of योग: कर्मसु कौशलम्. We must do things in a way that causes minimum damage to the environment. This is कौशल or mastery. This is what I mean when I talk of zero defect and zero effect manufacturing. I have written some of my thoughts on this theme in my book, Convenient Action: continuity for change.

 

Friends! The rule of law dictates that no one can be punished for another’s misdeed. We need to recognize that there are many people who are least responsible for the problem of climate change. They are also the people who still wait for access to modern amenities. They face the adverse impact of climate change more than anyone else. This includes cyclones, droughts, floods, heat waves, and rising sea levels. The poor, vulnerable and marginalized groups have fewer resources to cope with climate disasters. Unfortunately, their present and future generations are also burdened by laws and agreements on environment. That is why I talk about Climate Justice. Moreover, the rules, laws, practices and principles of one country cannot be applied to another uniformly. Every country has its own challenges and its own ways of dealing with them. If we apply the same set of rules for all countries and for all people; it will not work.

Sustainable development is our responsibility. I am confident that we can achieve it, collectively. I am also confident that we can find ways for development which are in harmony with nature. We can find them along the road travelled by our forefathers. I hope the deliberations during this workshop will help in developing a shared understanding of these imperatives.

I wish this conference a grand success.

Thank you. 

Ref: http://www.narendramodi.in/category/speeches