When we first began planning for the Moving Planet campaign in India, the issue of fossil fuels in the power/energy sector remained at the center of discussions. The power sector alone contributes 30% of our emissions and though it is important in our calculations, our thinking and planning was not holistic until we considered agriculture, which is the mainstay of over 60% of India's population.
The Naya Swaraj cycle yatra which was flagged off yesterday aims at learning the impacts of fossil fuels on our agriculture and urging the state Governments to move India's farming away from fossil fuels and into sustainable (organic) agriculture. The green revolution of the 60's worked wonders and changed the face of India through the introduction of pesticides and fertilizers to enhance crop yield, but little did we realize that half a century later we would be facing new challenges in the form of depleting fossil fuels, soil quality and the biggest of all which is climate change.
350.org has joined hands with Yes for peace and tens of local grassroots organizations like Magan Sangrahalaya Samiti, Vikas Sahiyog Prathishthan,Earth Care Designs, the National Service Scheme and many more in organizing this rally.
Around 20 cyclists began this rally along this route. They started from an Ashram in Sevagram where Mahatma Gandhi spent over a decade fighting for India's independence and teaching the world invaluble principles of sustainable development. With many more cyclist set to join, we expect the group to swell up to 100 as we reach key towns like Amaravati.
As the cyclists continue on their journey, we will make sure to update everybody on the experiences of the team. You can follow them at our 350 India regional site. Do send in your comments and support for this amazing yatra!