- In 1909 in his book ‘Hind Swaraj’, Gandhiji cautioned Indians against unrestricted industrialism and materialism.
- He said – “The earth, the air, the land and the water are not an inheritance from our forefathers but on loan from our children.
- So we have to handover to them at least as it was handed over to us.
- Almost 100 years ago, Mahatma Gandhi criticized people for polluting the rivers and other water bodies and mills and factories for polluting the air with smoke and noise.
- He believed that India, with its large population and western model of development may exhaust the resources of mother earth.
- He said that earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s need but not every man’s greed.
- It is only possible to follow his advice if one can distinguish between their real needs and artificial wants.
- He believed that one must be the change that one wants to see in the world and hence he practiced what he preached.
