Forests Are Our Lungs, We Are Their Trustees, Not Consumers: VP Dhankhar

GG News Bureau
Sirsi, 5th May: Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar, addressing students and faculty at the College of Forestry in Sirsi, Karnataka, on Monday, called for urgent ecological consciousness, describing climate change as a “cliff-hanging crisis” and emphasising that “forests are our lungs.” Stressing their role in regulating climate, buffering natural disasters, and supporting marginalised communities, the Vice-President said, “If a country’s forests are in good shape, its people will enjoy good health.”

Speaking at a special programme on the “Role of Forestry in Nation Building,” Shri Dhankhar highlighted India’s ancient commitment to sustainability. “This land is a confluence of spirituality and sustainability. Our Vedic culture has preached sustainable living for thousands of years. We cannot engage in reckless exploitation of resources,” he remarked.

Warning that the environmental crisis affects not just humans but all life on Earth, the Vice-President asserted, “We are the trustees of Mother Earth—not consumers. We have to pass this treasure on to future generations.”

Calling on students to be inquisitive and embrace interdisciplinary learning, Shri Dhankhar said that no institution can function in isolation today. “Medical, engineering, management, environmental and forest education must all intersect,” he noted. He encouraged young minds to explore the immense potential of forest science and its contributions to sustainable development.

Praising the biodiversity-rich Western Ghats region, the Vice-President said Sirsi offers a living classroom beyond four walls. “The classroom here is not confined—it breathes and brims with life,” he said, lauding the College of Forestry for its unique natural setting.

The event was attended by Karnataka Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot, Legislative Council Speaker Basavaraj Horatti, Uttara Kannada District Minister Mankal S. Vaidya, MP Shri Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri, and Vice Chancellor of University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, Dr. P.L. Patil.