A court in India ruled that the Ganges and Yamuna rivers and their related ecosystems have “the status of a legal person, with all corresponding rights, duties and liabilities... in order to preserve and conserve them”. Mari Margil writes about what it means for a river to have the rights of a person.
Several geographically-distant but related events signalled a dramatic mind shift in humanity’s troubled relationship with nature last month. First, the New Zealand parliament passed the Te Awa Tupua Act, giving the Whanganui River and ecosystem a legal standing in its own right, guaranteeing its “health and well-being”.
Shortly after, a court in India ruled that the Ganges and Yamuna rivers and their related ecosystems have “the status of a legal person, with all corresponding rights, duties and liabilities ... in order to preserve and conserve them”.
The history of the rivers makes these proclamations remarkable. The Ganges has long been considered sacred and millions of people depend on it for sustenance, yet it has been polluted, mined, diverted and degraded to a shocking extent. The Whanganui has witnessed a century-old struggle between the indigenous Iwi people and the New Zealand government over its treatment. Notably, the Iwi consider themselves and the Whanganui as an indivisible whole, expressed in the common saying: “I am the river, and the river is me.”
Rivers are the arteries of the earth, and lifelines for humanity and millions of other animals and plants. It’s no wonder they have been venerated, considered as ancestors or mothers, and held up as sacred symbols. But we have also desecrated them in every conceivable way. Can giving them the legal rights of a human help resolve this awful contradiction?
Perhaps, if we are able to think beyond the material limits of how we relate to nature, we can encourage political and economic measures to create a deeper and more ethical relationship.
Denne historien er fra April - September 2017-utgaven av Eternal Bhoomi.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra April - September 2017-utgaven av Eternal Bhoomi.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
The Sharing Economy: Capitalism's Last Stand?
Is the sharing economy the first part of a New Economic Paradigm or is it capitalism’s latest trick to survive at all costs? Arthur De Grave shares his views.
Embrace Nature by Climbing Trees
When was the last time you climbed a tree? Or have you ever climbed any tree in your life? Meet Verhaen Khanna, a young Delhi resident who connects people with the environment by teaching them how to climb trees, hug them, plant them and a lot.
Is There Life Before Death?
Living primarily in the future could make us psychologically “extinct” long before climate catastrophe does so biologically. It’s time to ask ourselves whether there is life before death, says Carolyn Baker.
Walking Is A Metaphor, As Well As An Act!
Satish Kumar walked over 4000 miles from India to UK and the US in the early 1960s. He still loves walking and says that thanks to walking he lacks no energy, enthusiasm or passion...
The Refugee Crisis
The world community will be facing an ever-increasing stream of refugees. Is it a sign of a Planet in trouble? asks David Korten, the famous author of “When Coporations Rule the World”.
The Growing Importance Of Eco - Feminism
The central tenet of Eco - Feminism is that social and environmental issues are not seperate and it is therefore best to view them collectively. Jessica Schmonsky writes about Eco-feminism - which she believes is a new term for ancient wisdom.
Women Tales From Tehri - Garhwal
Meenal Tatpati wrote this article because she was riveted by the fact that all the villages she travelled to in Uttarakhand had one particular thing in common. There were no men! There were only women of all ages, as they worked at home and on farms, tended cattle and looked after the family.
Piplantri Story
A powerful story of transformation of a village brought about by a systemic approach and a committed community.
Women: The Unsung Heroes Of The Environment
As we waver on the cusp of various global crises, the services women provide to environmental protection become more indispensable every day. Bianca Jagger traces the deep connections women have had with the Earth from time immemorial.
In Search Of A New Ethic To Live By
“Though a new term, it is embedded in ancient wisdom. Archeological evidence suggested that there were many ancient societies where women were not considered subordinate to men; where Earth was treated with respect and reverence and not as an object to exploite and dominate. ”
