Daijiworld Media Network - Nagpur

Nagpur, Nov 12: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday said the world is increasingly looking towards India for solutions, adding that the country can draw upon its traditional knowledge and experience to offer a new model of development.

He was speaking after inaugurating a veterinary and agriculture college established by the Datta Meghe Foundation in Nagpur.

Bhagwat said biodiversity, ecology, animal health and environmental conservation are essential for human well-being. He stressed the need for a lifestyle that considers the well-being of all living beings rather than focusing only on oneself.

“Our vision of life should be such that it is not merely about my life, but about everyone's life,” he said, referring to the concept of ‘One Health’.

He noted that while the term and its modern understanding have gained prominence over the past 20 to 30 years, the underlying idea has existed in India for centuries through its traditional lifestyle and customs.

Bhagwat said human health is closely linked to the health of the environment and animals. When animal health deteriorates, it can affect productivity and lead to diseases spreading from animals to humans, a process known as zoonosis.

He said India's traditions and festivals reflect respect for nature and animals. Citing Govatsa Dwadashi and Govardhan Puja, he said these celebrations highlight the importance attached to cows and natural resources. He also noted that the usefulness of cow dung is increasingly being recognised around the world.

Bhagwat said India's outlook has always been holistic, shaped by centuries of experience and a way of life developed by its ancestors. The world, he added, is gradually recognising the significance of this approach.

He further said that the earlier global view of humans as masters and owners of nature is giving way to an understanding that humans are part of the natural world and are dependent on nature and one another.