Move beyond 'tokenism': Akhilesh calls for deeper commitment to environmental preservation

Lucknow, Jun 5 (PTI) On World Environment Day, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday urged people to move beyond tokenism and embrace a sincere, action-oriented approach to environmental conservation, calling the environment "our first family" and a "shared heritage." In a long Hindi message posted on X, Yadav addressed his followers as "environmental kin," and said, "Protecting the environment is our natural duty." The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister stressed that environmental protection should not remain confined to bookish commitments or symbolic gestures, but must translate into real action aimed at preserving the tangible and intangible aspects of nature.

He spoke of two kinds of environments -- one external, visible around us, and another internal, composed of feelings, sensitivity, and tolerance.

"This inner environment," he said, "is what teaches us to live with others, to embrace diversity, and to expand the horizons of our thinking. It is the foundation of our humanity." He added that only when this internal environment, rooted in compassion and love, is protected, can the external environment truly be preserved.

Yadav, Lok Sabha MP from Kannauj, described environmental responsibility as a collective one, not belonging to any single individual or generation.

"It is not an issue to be weighed on the scale of immediate profit or loss, but a meaningful investment for the future of the planet." Yadav concluded with a call to action: "Let us join hands for the protection and promotion of the environment, foster harmony through inclusion, and leave behind a better world for future generations." Observed every year on June 5, World Environment Day was established by the United Nations in 1972 to raise global awareness about environmental issues. PTI KIS DV DV