Sustainable Development Goals As Seen From the Spectacles of Mahatma Gandhi

            C-27, Raksha Kunj,

            Paschim Vihar,

New Delhi-110063

Tel.. : 25255303

Sustainable Development Goals As Seen From the Spectacles of Mahatma Gandhi

            l Bharat Dogra

            The formulation and prioritization of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has been a significant step in the direction of bringing out welfare goals of humanity in the form of more specific, time-bound and quantitative targets. This sets clearly identifiable goals in relation to which the progress of various countries towards better welfare, sustainability and environmental protection can be evaluated. A significant part of the development discourse is how in terms of SDGs.

            It is well-known that progress in one area is related to another area. The inter-dependence of various SDGs is also clear. However there needs to be more concern about wider trends within which the SDGs will have to be realized within the time-frame set for them. This also happens to be a time when a survival crisis is getting accentuated in terms of the very life-nurturing conditions of our planet being threatened very seriously. This survival crisis has at least two components. One is in the form of several environmental threats led by climate change which have acquired the dimensions of a survival crisis. Secondly there is the risk from the accumulation of various weapons of mass destruction (including the AI or robot weapons still in a relatively early stage).

            This threat becomes even more ominous given the fact that the possibility of actual use of weapons of mass destruction have increased in recent times due to a complex of factors.

            If the situation in some important contexts is so ominous as to amount to a survival crisis, can we really obtain the most ambitious development goals and welfare objectives in the middle of such a situation? The SDGs have been formulated in terms which, if achieved, will amount to the most significant development achievement ever in human history at the world level. Can such a significant achievement be made in sustainable terms at a time when dark clouds of a survival crisis are gathering and growing.

            This is an important question which should not be pushed aside but should be faced. There should be no attempt to present exaggerated pictures of achievements, a trend which has already caught up in several places, with higher than actual achievements reported and accepted readily from bottom to top. There should also be no attempt to hide the fact that even real achievements can be threatened in the near future by survival crisis related factors.

            A realistic study and appreciation of the emerging situation would tell us that the prospects of steady, sustainable, durable, real progress in human welfare (and its various indicators) do not appear to be bright just now. The prospects of protection and welfare of other forms of life (other than humanity) appear to be even more dim and dismal.

            In this situation to improve the prospects of SDGs being realised, we need a much wider people's campaign for peace, justice, equality and environment protection. It is only when these value-systems become much stronger in our society and the linkages between these and SDGs are well appreciated that a firm base for  real progress can be established. To achieve this, our troubled world needs to learn from various inspiring persons whose work and ideas have contributed to strengthening much to these values.

            In this context the ideas and work of Mahatma Gandhi, as well as the various social movements who have continued to walk on this path with sincerity and honesty, are of particular importance. SDGs which involve meeting the basic needs of all people on a sustainable basis cannot be achieved in most societies without achieving more equality and justice in terms of access to basic resources. The struggles for justice and equality must be peaceful and transparent and must involve community mobilisation to achieve stable and wider results. Various struggled co-ordinated and inspired by Gandhiji provide the biggest example of this in recent history. These struggles for justice were accompanied by various constructive activities many of which are very relevant in the context of SDGs as well.

            For example, the constructive program for  hygiene involved a lot of people may sincerely in this. The constructive program for checking alcohol consumption led to the emergence of successful grassroots action on this issue in many places. The efforts for social equality touched the conscience of the society. In the Gandhian constructive programmes  aspects of sustainable, livelihoods based on local resources were emphasised. The ideal of largely self-reliant rural communities which Gandhiji emphasised (his concepts of gram swaraj and khadi are linked to this) can ensure that many SDG goals can be met in self-reliant ways with the minimum environmental burden. Community action is integral to such a way of working and world help greatly in realization of SDGs.

            SDGs cannot be realised and the survival crisis cannot be averted in a violent world. Meeting these challenges requires assured conditions of peace where good governance with community support is possible. Gandhian thinking which emphasises peace and non-violence in all aspects of life and in resolving all conflicts is very relevant in this context.

            Important SDGs objectives in the context of environment protection cannot be achieved if consumerism trends continue to prevail. The balance of environment objectives with 'fulfilling basic needs of all' objectives cannot be achieved unless needs gets priority over greed. Gandhian thinking with its emphasis on voluntary acceptance of frugality and simplicity as a way of life, and giving creative outlets to this frugality to make it interesting, is very relevant for our times. If a frugal way of life has voluntary and willing acceptance of many more people, then this can make an important contribution to environment protection objectives. Gandhian thinking can make an important contribution to this. Examples of Gandhian community life and 'ashram' life are relevant in this context.

l l l