This interview is a part of the World Environment Day 2020 Interview Series. We welcome views from environmentalists, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders on present environmental challenges and request their innovative ideas to find sustainable solutions to solve them.
Name: Gitikka Ganju Dhar
Organization: Ministry of Talk – Made in India
Designation: Founder
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| Gitikka Ganju Dhar |
ST: According to you what is the biggest environmental threat in the world at present?
Gitikka: The Man Virus!! Citizens of the world look ready to change their ways and protect and sustain the environment. It is the governments of stakeholder nations and global leaders who need to be able to come together, collaborate, and do what it takes to reverse the damage. World politics and polarity is the wall that stands between us and the future of our nurturing environment. The environment is where we all meet, where all have a mutual interest, it is the one thing we all share. And it is this natural sharing that has resulted in non-action. Having said that, pollution of the oceans and deforestation, in my opinion, are the biggest threats to our environment. Nature is a miracle we depend on. There is no Planet B. This realization needs to grip everyone.
ST: What do you think a common person can do to help the environment?
Gitikka: Express. Execute. Express your views in print, online, and in the physical world. In your own life and community, implement those best practices. Even if it saves a drop in the ocean, do it. Every drop is going to make a difference. Common people have to lead the world’s most decisive revolutions. The power to change the world rests with the common people. It is the people of the world who will save the environment, too.
ST: What message do you have to the present and future generations?
Gitikka: The answer lies in this poem by Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
बाधाएं आती हैं आएं
घिरें प्रलय की घोर घटाएं,
पांवों के नीचे अंगारे,
सिर पर बरसें यदि ज्वालाएं,
निज हाथों से हंसते-हंसते,
आग लगाकर जलना होगा।
कदम मिलाकर चलना होगा।
It is not easy to come together, over personal goals, interests and alignments. The world will have a find a way. I am quite sure that the new generation will find a way. Also, because, as a species, we have no time left to squander.
ST: What is the significance of ‘World Environment Day’ at the present time?
Gitikka: World Environment Day (WED) is celebrated on the 5th of June every year, and is the United Nation’s principal vehicle for encouraging awareness and action for the protection of our environment. The campaign began in the year 1974. Its significance is so great that it can be re-titled as World Day!! The COVID pandemic, cyclones, storms, earthquakes, floods, volcanic eruptions or locust infestations, what are we missing, zombie invasion? All of this is the environment talking to us. We better heed now.
The leaders of the world better heed now. Even within the Indian experiential industry, we need to adopt sustainable event practices which is not going t be possible without our end clients agreeing to endure the extra cost. An event can’t be cost-effective, sustainable, and still decent. Surely something has got to give? Our industry generates a colossal amount of waste every day. Based on the waste measurement data collected from 12 events, it was determined that an event generates an average of 1 pound of waste per attendee per meal. Meals are typically the biggest generators of waste at events. Then of course the use of wood, vinyl, plastic, and other non–recyclable event raw materials. I can go on and on. Least to say, this day has a goliath significance in our lives.
(Gitikka has achieved a rapid-rate adaptation towards being an online, virtual event host and moderator, over the past few weeks. She has already hosted several leading conclaves, webinars and chat shows with leading global and domestic domain experts, public figures, government officials and celebrities. She has been named amongst the ten most influential women in the Indian events industry in a book published by EEMA – The Decade of Transformation. She is also an actor and will soon be seen on the big screen in a major motion picture. She was named a Nation Builder by India Today magazine. She leads the content creating studio, Ministry of Talk, that creates content in terms of scripts, event design, profiles, websites, social media content, books, lyrics, campaigns, slogans and more. Hers is the name common to some of the biggest and most acclaimed live projects so far, The Fit India Movement Launch, IIFA Press Conference, Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas, Vibrant Gujarat, Khelo India Youth Games, CREDAI Youth Con, Global Aviation Summit, Talentrack Awards, The Sufi Route and Hotelier India Awards, is hers! She has also hosted several flagship projects such as Magnetic Maharashtra Convergence Global Investors Summit, ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit, Founding Conference of International Solar Alliance, US India Business Council Ideas Summit, India International Energy Forum and India International Science Fair. The Hon’ble Prime Minister of India has graced a significant number of the above-mentioned events.)
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