Indian civilization advocates Sanyam, Santulan and Swadeshi

The environment has always been a vital part of our lives. The question here is, have we always been conscious of this fact, or have we been in a state of nescience? Even a microscopic human action can poison the entire planet. 

Bharat’s civilizational wisdom, in its own philosophical term, had long grasped this truth that life rests upon and is sustained by a delicate Santulan – ecological balance – linking the individual, society and nature. Nature was viewed as a living order, rather than a stock of resources, sustained by restraint and reciprocity. And the Indus-Sarsawati Valley civilisation trot out the most compelling archaeological evidence of early ecological balance. 

Principles like Sanyam (restraint), which involves the tradition of “vrats and upavas” give time to the land and the body to recover; these steps are small but vital. The principle of Sanyam is not just limited to food practices; it’s a way of life. 

Another paramount feature is Swadeshi, which includes self-reliance. The traditional Bhartiya villages were built around the idea of self-reliance. Each village was self-sufficient, and in case anything was needed, was traded from the nearby villages. Due to this, there was less exploitation of resources, less transportation and more transparency and accountability. The knowledge of natural dyes, indigenous plant-based colors was used exclusively in traditional Indian textiles. There was extensive use of bamboo in building homes, chairs, and beds. The kitchen was another pharmacy, as the local plants and trees like neem and turmeric acted as medicine as well as supplements. 

As time progresses, we need to be aware of the environment and to have a consciousness towards the environment. This includes a sense of responsibility and knowledge about environment at the early stage of education. 

We have to think and plan beyond the present model of development, which is overcast with a paradox. A paradox of comfort, mobility and prosperity alongside excessive energy use, fuel consumption, pollution and ecological destruction. The world has never had more material wealth, but the very ground of its existence is crumbling underneath. What is visible is the increase in the GDP, the per capita income of every individual, and the shining high skyscrapers. But what is invisible is that the negligence of ecological stability will be paid by future generations, and an increase in mental disorders in wealthy nations, and how market forces have taken over the culture and community values and traditions. For example, the rise of fast fashion has normalized the frequent replacement of clothing, fostering a culture of excessive consumption while weakening traditional values of thrift, sustainability, and responsible use of resources. 

We need to understand that all economic prosperity rest on ecological stability. The central idea should be the ‘post-growth’ which can replace the goal of increasing GDP with the goal of improving human wellbeing within planetary boundaries. Embracing a post-growth paradigm means prioritizing human wellbeing and ecological sustainability over traditional economic metrics, paving the way for a future where prosperity is measured not by GDP, but by the quality of life and the health of our planet and its inhabitants. Also, the extreme and rare heat, brought about by a so-called “heat dome” that is encasing the whole world, is a sign of concern and needs immediate attention. We need to shift from maximum consumption, to maximum flourishing of humans, of communities, of the living Earth itself. Thus, the current model of development requires fundamental reorientation, thus making the environment constitutive of policy making rather than just a post-plan corrective. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi describes climate change as today’s biggest crisis and promotes a model where “Planet and People First” drives development. His core philosophy focuses on sustainable lifestyles, equitable climate finance, and aggressive green energy expansion. The Prime Minister has always advocated for promoting local products, saying that more and more items Made in India should be bought and others must also be encouraged to do so. He underlined the need to make local to global. 

Recently Prime Minister made an appeal encouraging citizens to adopt restraint, self-reliance, and responsible consumption. It reflects a growing trend in modern governance where governments increasingly depend on behavioral messaging during crises. These appeals are welcomed as practical nationalism capable of strengthening India’s economic resilience and reducing dependence on external systems and others viewed them as realistic responses to a fragile global economy. 

We need to have balance between state responsibility and citizen responsibility. During this entire journey of making India self-reliant we need to acknowledge India’s rich diversity and traditions. We need to reflect back on these diverse traditions for the answer, we need. We need to be a responsible citizen and act as a citizen of not just a particular state or country, but a global citizen because our actions matter. We need to challenge the dominant paradigm of development by rooting progress within cultural, spiritual, and ecological ethos of Indian Society. It is time to reflect on the practice of consumerism and think beyond it, and prefer decentralisation in different aspect of governance and public policy, with the vision of restrained consumption that resonate with global environmental imperatives. 

(Prof. Vandana Mishra is Member UGC and teaches at JNU and Dr. Swadesh Singh teaches Political Science at Satyawati College of Delhi University, Delhi)

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