 "India Greens Party")
The India Greens Party (iGP), the country’s only “green” party, on Saturday released its manifesto for the general election which focuses on the environment, agriculture, social justice, and gender diversity.
Founded in 2017 in Pauri Uttarakhand by former journalist-turned-environmentalist Suresh Nautiyal, the iGP has fielded three candidates for the general election. From Mumbai North West, it has put up Sarika Dabral, a housewife/social worker. Harpreet Kaur, a retailer, is contesting from Sangrur in Punjab. Writer and book publisher Bihari Lal Jalandhari is contesting from South Delhi.
At a time when issues of climate change and environment protection are largely invisible as election campaign issues, the iGP is hoping to change the conversation. The party is part of Global Greens – an association of global green political parties, green movements and associations. On its website, it claims support from Australia Greens – a confederation of green state and territory political parties in Australia. A green political party is based on the principles of green politics, such as environmentalism and social justice.
The 77-page manifesto titled ‘Charter of Hope’ was unveiled at the Press Club in New Delhi. It has nine themes – water resources and agriculture, urban issues and health, energy and natural resources, protected areas, forest and wildlife, ecological and environment governance, judicial reforms for environment protection, climate change, and special ecological zones and rights of nature.
“iGP vehemently opposes river linking projects and the privatisation of water resources,” said its manifesto, which opposes policies that promote genetically modified (GM) seeds and food, and advocates mandatory labelling of GM crops.
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“We prioritise the development of crop patterns based on local needs and microclimatic conditions, empowering local communities to make informed decisions about agricultural practices,” it said.
The party has also opposed the privatisation of natural resources, including water sources and urban recreational areas, and instead bats for community-based management and equitable access. It also talks about decentralisation of energy and resource management.
The party pitches for ‘Carbon Footprint Accountability’ on individuals and businesses. The iGP wants environmental rating of candidates, local electricity generation and strict rules for forest areas, and respectful laws for the indigenous population. Its manifesto also calls for women empowerment programmes, rights for the LGBTQI+ community, zero-tolerance approach to domestic violence. The party is also against concretisation around forest areas such as Aarey near Mumbai.
The party is seeking public funds for its candidates to fight elections. “We are here to change politics, not climate. For sure, the India Greens Party is a party with a pledge! We are sure that Green is the future, and the future is Green! We request you to vote for the Green candidates! Also, we request you to financially support the candidates and the party,” Nautiyal wrote on Friday in a Facebook post, that was accompanied by bank account details of its three candidates.
