As we celebrate 150th Birth Anniversary of Gandhi today, I am convinced that Gandhi is back, sooner than later. He had always lived here as a philosophy, as a thought, but now he is back in real life, in practice. Let’s see some examples.
The fashion crazy world, for example, has already started recognising importance of sustainable fashion. Fashion, the second polluting industry after oil, has woken up to the call of not damaging environment and therefore increased use of natural fabric. Khadi and hand loom will be the show stopper very soon. The glamorous world, realising value of simplicity and adopting to nature friendly practice, is an example of having Gandhi back to life.
Similarly, even in banking and finance, one of the focus areas is Environmental, Sustainable and Green (ESG) financing. Availability of financing in this sector will create better platform for industries and products having ESG compliance. In the industry where profit had been the sole motive, adoption of ESG is certainly commendable.
On the other hand, the automobile industry is also in the great rush to go green. Electric vehicles, better efficiency of combustion engines and determination to follow environmental standards are in vogue. Good for everyone. Promotions and appeals to use public transport is also in the same line. Had Gandhi been here today, or had we understood him properly, this movement would have started much earlier. But late is better than never.
Gandhi had cautioned us against over industrialisation and propagated simple life. World has taken full cycle and now returned to understand value of living life which is in align with nature and climate. More and more countries have started following strict terms of Environmental Clearances and made sure that not only process but also the products are sustainable.
What else can be the best tribute to Gandhi and his environmental cause than a country of more than 1.3 billion people, India, putting an end on single-use plastic. It will reduce roughly 15% of world’s single-use plastic, if we put it in the proportion of population.
We can see many such evidences around us proving that Gandhi is back to life.