Golden Jubilee Celebrations held at Hilton’s School
Garhwal Post Bureau
DEHRADUN, 20 Dec: Renowned environmentalist and ecologist Vandana Shiva on Saturday called for an education rooted in love for the earth, compassion for humanity and respect for diversity, asserting that sustainability was not merely about growth but about “quality and depth”. She was addressing the Golden Jubilee celebrations of Hilton’s School in Dehradun as the chief guest.
Commending the students for what she described as an evening of “delight”, Shiva said the performances reflected cultural memory, harmony and friendship. Referring to the popular song ‘Yeh dosti hum nahin bhoolenge’, she remarked that it deserved to become a global peace anthem at a time when the world was witnessing division and conflict. She added that this should be the peace song, reminding everyone that all can be friends.
Drawing from her own journey that began with the Chipko movement of the 1970s, Shiva underlined that her true education in ecology came not from formal institutions but from what she called the ‘university of biodiversity’. She noted that women, often without formal schooling, had taught the world the most profound ecological lesson, that everything in nature is interconnected, from trees and streams to soil and humus.
Warning of increasing natural disasters, she attributed them to a breakdown of ecological balance and unsustainable development. She urged the students not to fear uncertainty but to see it as a space for possibility and creativity. Praising Hilton’s philosophy, she said education should cultivate the best potential of every child on the child’s own terms, and not merely focus on routine scholarship.
Emphasising the importance of biodiversity, Vandana Shiva said diversity in nature and society defined India itself. Stressing that diversity was intrinsic to India’s identity, she said the erosion of biodiversity would also weaken social and cultural foundations. Drawing on her research with farming communities, she noted that greater biological diversity resulted in higher nutrition, more pollinators and increased agricultural productivity. She also expressed concern over riverbed mining and unplanned development in the Doon Valley, warning that these practices threatened water systems and ecological stability. Citing research from her work with farming communities, she pointed out that greater biodiversity led to higher nutrition, more pollinators and increased productivity. She criticised reckless mining of riverbeds and unchecked development in the Doon Valley, linking these to water scarcity and recent disasters.
She also proposed the creation of a Garden of Hope and Healing on the school campus and said that she would provide seeds and support to the project. She emphasised that the future depended on caring for nature and society together, so that today’s students could grow into leaders of a more compassionate and sustainable world.
