I rest my case....... maybe not....

One of my professors always advises us not to give prime importance to the placement salary while opting for a job. He says "Money will follow you when you learn not to follow it".... All my life I've been on a lookout competitions where I might get some fame, fortune (?) and that elusive certificate or a citation..... Strangely, most of my merits have come in the last year of my college life... I present here, the transcript of my speech at a debate held the previous week. My first ever debate.


The topic was "Should industrialization and growth be promoted at the cost of Environment?"
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“My Name is Krishnamurthi Kumar. I am a student of Faculty of Management Studies. And I will be speaking AGAINST the motion.


Breaking News: Yesterday (18th October, 2007), I was watching the news, actively for a change, and came to know that we have our first set of refugees. Not from a terrorist attack or an earthquake, but from climate change. Yes, the people of Sagar Island in West Bengal have lost their homes because the waters of the Bay of Bengal decided to pay them a visit.


Before I contribute to this debate, I must admit two things. I am a student of management so I must admit that an industrialized nation or a developed economy is going to help me much more, at least financially. Why I say this is so that all of you may understand that I know the gravity of the words I speak. The other thing I would like to admit is that I, myself, have never planted a tree.


But we are not here to discuss what we did or did not do. The topic here is not that whether “Should we have promoted industrialization and growth at the cost of environment?” The topic of discussion today is “Should Industrialization and growth be promoted at the cost of environment?” So from the way I look at it, there is a future element embedded in this topic.


While we are talking about future, lets start with the past, India has come a long way from being an agrarian economy, one which depends on the soil, to the first instance of being called the next developed economy, one which depends on what is actually built on that soil. But somewhere down the line, we forgot the matrix on which this whole development was taking place. As the building grew higher and higher, we forgot the foundation on which this building stands.


But to say that we forgot to conserve the environment wont be entirely true. We must remember that saving the environment and all its constituents was always a part of our culture. I am sure anyone who has read the history books would remember the “Chipko Movement”. So what went wrong? I say, Apathy. But to understand how that happened we must look at things in context.


30-40 years back, when India started its process of industrialization, it faced a very unique problem. It lacked the process, the patent and the technical knowledge but had lots of natural resources. So it compensated its absence of technology with the excess of resources. But can we give this same excuse today? No! Today if one wants, one can go that extra mile in order to do something for the environment. It could be something as simple as switching to CFL tubes instead of light bulbs or turning up the temperature of the AC to the ambient temperature of 24°C instead of that cosy 19°C. Even small acts like these can go a long way in conserving the environment.


That was about the past and the present, now let’s take a look at the future. Nature gives us two options. Either we take Preventive measures or nature will take Corrective measures. Now its up to us to decide whether we want rampant growth or sustained development.


Those in the audience who still believe that Industrialization should be promoted at ANY cost; I offer you my best wishes. Try explaining this to those villagers who lost their homes in Sagar Island. Thank you!”
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P.S: For the record, I WON THE FIRST PRIZE!!!!