From the Directors of Jeeva Bhavana
There is a haunting silence spreading across our nation—a silence that echoes complicity, exhaustion, or worse, indifference. As parts of India burn and bleed—Manipur, Hasdeo, Kashmir, Ladakh—most of us carry on scrolling, shopping, planning our next getaway. We ask, with deep anguish: Are we, as a society, slipping into a kind of moral brain-death?
Every day, violence rages; individuals, communities, animals, forests, rivers, mountains, entire ecosystems and the very spirit of India are under assault. Yet, where is the collective voice of dissent? Where is the public outrage over bulldozed homes, silenced communities, and destroyed ecosystems?
What Is “Development” If It Destroys Life?
We’ve been fed a dangerous illusion that “development” means more roads, more hydroelectric projects, more mining, more consumer goods. But let’s be clear—development without conscience is destruction. Blasting through mountains, clearing ancient forests, diverting and polluting rivers and displacing indigenous peoples is not progress. It’s plunder.
The forests of Hasdeo, the delicate ecosystem of Ladakh, the suffering in Manipur—these are not isolated issues. These are symptoms of a deeper illness: our addiction to consumption and comfort at the cost of justice and sustainability.
We have been made to believe that if destruction is out of sight, it’s not our concern. But the cries of the people—and the voiceless animals—are real. Their lands, their livelihoods, and their lives are being shattered while we use what has been plundered from these places as consumers or enjoy their “scenic beauty” as tourists.
Today, It’s Them. Tomorrow, It Will Be Us.
Let us not be so naïve as to believe this violence won’t reach us. History teaches us that when we normalise injustice “over there,” it inevitably comes knocking on our own doors. If we do not speak out, if we do not resist, we too will one day face the bulldozers—whether physical or metaphorical.
So, What Can You Do?
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed. But action starts with awareness—and small, but very powerful choices.
1. Cut Off the Financial Lifeline to Violence
The corporations and political entities enabling this destruction thrive on our money. Every time we purchase from brands that exploit people, land and animals, we fund the violence we claim to oppose.
Become a conscious consumer. Ask questions. Do your research. Choose ethical, sustainable, local alternatives. Every rupee you spend is a vote—cast it wisely.
2. Use Your Voice, Your Platform, Your Power
Silence is complicity. Speak up—in your homes, your social circles, your social media. Support grassroots movements. Write to your representatives. Demand accountability. Show solidarity.
3. Stand With the Defenders of the Earth
From the Adivasi protectors of Hasdeo to the peace-seeking people of Manipur—these are the real heroes of our time. Let us amplify their voices instead of erasing them under the false narrative of “development.”
The Future Is Still in Our Hands
Don’t believe anyone who tells you that you are powerless, that your individual voice doesn’t count. The world we are building today is the one our children will inherit tomorrow. Do we want them to grow up in a land stripped bare of beauty, justice, and life?
Let us rise as conscious citizens of this country—not for a political agenda, not out of fear—but from a place of deep love for life, justice, and this Earth.
At Jeeva Bhavana, we believe non-violence must extend to all beings—human and non-human alike. The Earth is not ours to exploit, but a living entity to cherish and to protect.
India is not just a land. It is life. Will we protect it, or allow it to be destroyed in the name of false progress?
The choice is ours.
—
With urgency and hope,
The Directors of Jeeva Bhavana