INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY OF ETHICS CONDEMNS SENSELESS COLONIZATION OF NATURE BY MAN VIZ A VIZ THE WAYANAD TRAGEDY

Recently, India witnessed its worst ecological disaster at Wayanad which led to the killings of more than 300 people and destruction of property and livestock. It is not the first of its kind, not decidedly the last. Mankind does not learn from disasters.

Wayanad is just a sample. In the North, Rampur near Shimla, and the Parbati river near Kulu, - carry millions of tons of molten mountain stuff into the living populations, submerging homes, and the livestock, and vegetation too.

Across the globe, touch any country. Exploitation of natural resources, particularly, of the earth is going on unabated. The corporates think that mountains who do not speak, nor they cry, are the best place to house their ambitions, and cut them hollow, and dig tunnels across them. Man is populating those reaches where only animals, birds lived. I think it is time to declare the mountainous regions as reserved areas, so that no construction activity can take place.

The International Academy of Ethics believes that the erosion of the ecological cover must be stopped. These warning signals need to be taken seriously, so that in future no such tragedies take place. There are always human causes of such tragedies. Man has to become wiser and learn from this disasters. Control your lust for wealth, and leave the mountains as a sacred place from exploitation for ulterior gains.

Dr. Maja Herman Sekulic                                   Dr. Jernail S. Anand    

Vice-President, IAE                                             President, IAE                        

Notes:

Dr. Molly Joseph, Chief Coordinator, of International Academy of Ethics, while sounding a warning bell writes:

A clearcut warning of these weakening Earth Plates was, predicted presented in a Report given to Government by one Investigating Committee Madhav Gadgil Committee, much earlier.

No seriousness was given to that, since it would affect the money pumping from the Multinationals to the coffers of

" powers that be," they evasively closed their eyes at the devastation of our ecology by erasing hills to build up resorts, filling up paddy fields for corporate complexes. The naive natives were also misguided into thinking that to implement the commission solutions, they needed to give up their lands and homes.

2. While talking of similar stories in Serbia, Dr. Victor Radun Teon, an environmentalist from Serbia underlines an issue of great ecological and ethical concern:

Here in Serbia there is currently a huge national rising against the Rio Tinto corporation (and other corporations) and the project of exploitation of lithium and other mineral resources in Serbia. This project was proven to be extremely devastating for Serbian people and biodiversity since it will cause enormous and immeasurable damage to the population and biodiversity of Serbia. There are many experts that wrote and expressed their revolt against this Rio Tinto projects as well as other projects of mining and exploitation of Serbian resources. Therefore, the people rose up and protests are being organized all over the country. Thanks to the corrupt government that cooperates with corporations, Serbia has been turned into a colony and there is a real danger that a large part of the fertile land will turn into a desert and a poisoned and devastated area. A huge area of Serbia was already endangered especially in Western Serbia (Jadar river valley), but also in many other areas throughout Serbia.

3. Eva Petropolou Lainou from Greece says: The same is going on to Congo dem in Africa Where children are killed Or captures as slaves. Parents are killed. Children are taken as workers in mine fields. Unfortunately,the man is destroying our earth .. Corruption everywhere.

4. Cijo Chenellil Joseph’s views too are alarming:

Unless and until, the ordinary people of Kerala and the Western Ghats initiate firm and strict actions against such elements through sustainable and persistent agitations, nothing would change. Now, what is needed is the rehabilitation of these people at any cost. I do believe that the policy makers don't adulterate such humanitarian ventures through their hypocritical attitude. Kerala is sinking because another ticking water bomb is hanging over our head in the name of Mullaperiyar Dam. The collapse of that dam can pave the way for a tragedy, the world has never seen in terms of the scale of people who would be affected by it. Such issues, the people of Kerala must take up urgently, if not the existence of this State will be in total jeopardy.