The Kerala Paristhithi Aikyavedi, an umbrella organisation of different environmental groups, has urged voters to take a strict stand against those who showed a callous attitude towards the protection of environment and compromised on important issues, including the protection of drinking water, paddy fields, and ecologically sensitive areas, in the Lok Sabha election on Thursday.
In a release issued here signed by many environmentalists — including Sugathakumari, M.K. Prasad, V.S. Vjayan, Thayat Balan, and T. Sobeendran — the forum exhorted voters to exercise their franchise in favour of candidates and parties who were sensitive towards environmental issues and were capable of taking affirmative action to protect the earth and its ecosystem, only which would sustain human beings on earth.
Observing that escalating heat, heavy drought, massive reclamation of paddy fields, forest fire, and large-scale deforestation were some of the serious issues faced by the contemporary society, the Aikyavedi members said that none of these issues were seriously discussed or taken up by most of the mainstream political parties during the campaign.
The voters should carefully choose their candidate based on their commitment to protect the nature through different measures, including by enforcing an organic farming policy and steps to protect rivers. “Votes should be given only to those who have a concept of sustainable development with nature at its centre,” they said.
