“The understanding of violence should not be limited to just guns and daggers. Environmental challenges lead to the slow death of the elderly, the birds, and the animals. So, why do we not define pollution to be a form of violence?” asked Sonam Wangchuk, environmentalist from Ladakh, who is also popular as the inspiration for the movie 3 Idiots, at a protest in Freedom Park on Sunday.
At the event which was held as a peaceful solidarity event for Ladakh as well as local aspirations for a green, sustainable Bengaluru, he said: “Our laws are outdated. We talk about right to life, but we do not include slow poisoning with air pollution as a factor. We need to redefine our laws and education to groom our young people on how to live better.”
The protest also focused on the implementation of the 74th Constitutional Amendment Act which provides constitutional status to urban local bodies. Advocating for a decentralised form of government, Mr. Wangchuk said: “People who live in their own regions should have more control over their land.”
