‘Show same commitment to our ecology as Great Nicobar’

Bengaluru: A group of environmentalists, activists, writers, journalists and public figures from Karnataka has written an open letter to Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, urging him to adopt a consistent stand on environmental issues and show the same commitment to Karnataka’s ecology as Great Nicobar.

The letter, has been sent by actor and activist Chetan Ahimsa on behalf of ‘Team Ahimsa’ and has been endorsed by 30 signatories, including environmentalists, tribal leaders, conservationists, journalists, lawyers and film personalities. At the outset, the signatories acknowledged LoP Gandhi’s opposition to the Union government’s Great Nicobar Island Project (GNIP), saying they respected his stand against ecological destruction and environmental risks posed by the project.

They said speaking up for fragile ecosystems and indigenous communities was an important responsibility for any public leader.

The letter urged LoP Gandhi to show the same urgency and commitment towards protecting Karnataka’s forests, rivers and wildlife that he has demonstrated in opposing the Great Nicobar Island Project, asserting that leadership is measured by the willingness to confront difficult issues within one’s own party.

“If the ecological destruction in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands deserves national outrage, then the same moral standard should apply everywhere including in states governed by your own party.

“That is why your silence on Karnataka’s environmental crisis is so difficult to understand,” the letter stated. The signatories alleged that despite being in power for over three years, the government in Karnataka has continued to support projects that threaten forests, rivers, biodiversity and local communities.