India will move ahead taking fusion of progress, environment forward: Lekhi

India will move ahead taking the fusion of progress, environment and culture forward, Union minister Meenakshi Lekhi said on Monday.

Speaking on the sidelines of an event organised here by the Balipara Foundation of Assam and Conservation International, the minister of state for external affairs said there can be no culture without nature.

"Protecting nature is our culture and that is what one needs to understand. India will move ahead taking the fusion of progress, environment and culture forward," she said.

Lekhi said responsible consumption has to be linked to consumption patterns.

"Simply talking about it will not help. It is also about responsible living, responsible consumption patterns, and that is where we will link it to life and sustain the environment and we will be able to fortify our actions," she said.

The Great People's Forest of the Eastern Himalayas, one of the most significant conservation efforts in the history of South Asia, was launched at the event.

The Great People's Forest is a partnership between the Balipara Foundation of Assam and Conservation International, and will involve communities across Bangladesh, the northeast of India, Nepal and Bhutan working to protect and restore forests for the benefit of local livelihoods and the planet.

Saurav Malhotra, CEO, Balipara Foundation, said, "We have worked for the last 10 years in the Balipara Foundation with people who have lost their land, their livelihoods due to the effects of climate change and deforestation. People in the region know what needs to be done and they have decided to act. The Great People's Forest is their story.