Climate change, tree plantation can't be left with govt alone: BJP's Chuba

"If you have heard the saying where science ends there begins religion, the new era global mantra should be where all selfish motives -- personal, social, economic and political ends, we should mark the beginning of refreshed commitment for environment and issues related to climate change," says M. Chuba Ao, the BJP's national vice president.

"I have been travelling to Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Delhi during the last few weeks and I could find that everyone is talking about the need to grow more trees and also that the human race should depend more and more on renewable energy. This thinking process is on the right track," Chuba told IANS.

"The so-called 'climate change' is in debate at all levels -- in middle class households, among political karyakartas of our party, among rich and poor and even in hotels among waiters and other staff. But these should not remain confined to mere debates and rhetoric," he said.

"Tree plantation should not be linked to drawing media publicity or a photograph on Facebook. Things are getting serious by the day... Our central government is immensely sensitive to these issues," says Chuba, who hails from Nagaland, and pointed out that, "even the occasion of World Environment Day was generally linked in Nagaland to generating funds from the Central government".

"People also look for photo opportunities. In Nagaland, including Dimapur and especially the outskirts, there is no dearth of land to grow trees. But the common people's tendency has been to leave it to the government departments. This has not helped us.

"As a very ordinary Ao Naga and as a BJP karyakarta, I understand that some trees are easy to grow; and perhaps it is easier to do so merely by throwing the seeds on a patch of land. Take fruits such as litchi, jackfruit and mango. Kilos of these fruits are used by every household during the season and so what can we think on this line. Simply -- throw the seeds on a patch of land and in course of time trees will come up in those places. It may sound like an oversimplification of such a huge problem but let us start like that," he said.

To a question, the BJP leader replied: "Solar energy reduces dependence on nonrenewable resources and decreases reliance on foreign sources of oil and gas. In some advanced states like BJP-ruled Gujarat, steps have been rightly taken for manufacturing of lithium-ion cells. Gujarat will become the first state in the country to initiate the production of lithium-ion cells.

"This move helps to promote clean energy technologies and foster the growth of the electric vehicle sector in India."

He applauded the works of the Sikkim government on organic farming and said "the Centre also supports renewable power generation through special incentives for the northeastern region and Sikkim and a capital grant of Rs 22.5 million per MW is available for small hydro projects".

"States like Sikkim have also created 'power policies to facilitate capital investments' to promote renewable energy."

To another question, he said: "Goo governance is the essence of BJP's functioning style. Look at our Gujarat government headed by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel. "

The state government has started providing Digital Health Cards for students. This is a revolutionary strategy and free health check-ups are provided with diagnosing of problems such as anemia, malnutrition, skin diseases and even learning disabilities.

On the political front, Chuba Ao flayed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's "repeated anti-India utterances during his overseas trips".

The BJP leader claimed that "recently it has come to light that some organisations and individuals Rahul Gandhi associates himself with during foreign visits have questionable credentials".

In this context, he also referred to the 2008 "undisclosed MoU" between the Congress and the Chinese leadership and went onto say that "my concern today is whether some political elements in India are already working at the behest of some forces which are friendly to the China-Pakistan axis".

(Nirendra Dev is a New Delhi-based journalist. He is also author of the books 'The Talking Guns: North East India', and 'Modi to Moditva: An Uncensored Truth'. Views expressed are personal)

--IANS

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