“All Living Beings are Sentient”
By Alok Joshi
On the significant occasion of World Environment Day, the historic Rajpur Road premises of Natraj Publishers—famously known as Dehradun’s ‘Green Bookshop’—became the epicentre of a profound ecological discourse. The venue hosted a press meet featuring internationally acclaimed environmentalist, thinker and pride of Dehradun, Dr Vandana Shiva, centred around her seminal book, “Earth Democracy: Justice, Sustainability, and Peace”.
Set against the backdrop of this year’s global UN Environment Programme theme, “Inspired by Nature. For Climate. For Our Future”, the discussion served as a powerful reminder of the deep, non-negotiable connection between human survival and planetary health.
In “Earth Democracy”, Dr Shiva traces her extensive personal journey and global struggles to bring international attention to the critical threats facing our planet. She details her relentless battles against genetic food engineering, the cultural theft of traditional knowledge through bio-piracy, and the aggressive privatisation of vital natural resources. Earth Democracy, in the contemporary context, reflects the values, world views and actions of diverse movements working for peace, justice and sustainability. Earth democracy is essentially the democracy of all life.
Addressing a gathering of journalists, environmentalists, and literary enthusiasts, Dr Shiva opened the discourse by challenging the prevailing corporate-driven global economy, which views nature merely as a resource to be exploited. “Earth Democracy is not a utopian concept; it is an ancient wisdom and a current ecological imperative,” Dr Shiva asserted, emphasising that true democracy cannot exist in isolation from the natural world. “Democracy is not just the ballot paper; true democracy is how we live and relate to all other beings,” she emphasised.
Elaborating on her philosophy, Dr Shiva noted that the principles of Earth Democracy are profoundly simple yet revolutionary. She stated that all living beings are sentient, possessing intrinsic worth and have a fundamental right to exist. Consequently, human beings have absolutely no right to destroy their habitats or strip away their happiness for short-term economic gains. “When we privatise water, patent seeds, and commodify the soil, we are not just destroying the environment—we are dismantling the very foundations of human rights and peace,” she added. If trees are cut, storms are an inevitable consequence, as we are witnessing. “Irrespective of results, protests against felling of trees should continue.” Even the Chipko movement village women were not aware how big their effort to save trees would eventually become in future.
The choice of venue added an extra layer of relevance to the event. Natraj Publishers, under the leadership of Upendra Arora, has spent decades pioneering environmental literature in the region and keeping ecological consciousness alive through printed media in an increasingly distracted digital age.
Responding to queries about local environmental challenges in Uttarakhand and the larger Himalayan ecosystem, Dr Shiva warned against unregulated, aggressive development. She noted that the Himalayas serve as the water towers of Asia, and any disruption to their ecological balance spells disaster for millions downstream. We must shift our metric of progress from Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to the well-being of the ecosystem. Nature does not negotiate, nor does it wait for political consensus. The climate signals are clear and we must act now.
The event concluded with an interactive session during which Dr Shiva engaged with the local press, emphasising that the transition to a sustainable future begins with local communities reclaiming control over their food, water and seeds.
As Dehradun grapples with its own urban transformation and ecological vulnerabilities, the press meet at Natraj Publishers provided much-needed intellectual and moral clarity beyond the commonplace media-orchestrated photo-optics. Dr Shiva’s address was not just an author’s reflection on her book, but a rallying cry for the valley and the world to shift from an economy of greed to a democracy of the Earth—one where humanity learns to live as a co-passenger on this planet, rather than its master driver.
(Alok Joshi is a Dehradun-based Management professional, Corporate Trainer, Interview coach, Image Consultant, Motivational Speaker, Author of three bestselling books and a freelance writer. He has a multi-cultural background and worked in top management positions in global companies across many countries including India, Sudan, Middle-East and China.)
