Before environmentalism became a movement, it was simply the recognition that human life is inseparable from the world that sustains it. The river that flows, forest that shelters, air we breathe, they are the foundations upon which all civilisations endure.
Student activism, two words some say, have no business being together. Yet the history of environmentalism suggests otherwise. In India, student environmental activism did not emerge in a vacuum. It belongs to a lineage that stretches from the Chipko movement to the Narmada Bachao Andolan, and countless local struggles over development, ecology and welfare.
"Everyone has a place in the environmental movement. One doesn't need to be a scientist or an activist to make a difference," says Ananya, an MSc student in Bengaluru who has spent years contributing to environmental campaigns. "Not everyone will march, protest, or conduct research, but everyone can contribute. The environmental movement belongs to anyone who recognises that the environments we inhabit ultimately shape the lives we lead."
This stands true, especially in the context that the generation today inherits a turbulent world. Never before has humanity known so much about the environmental consequences of its actions, and never before has it altered the planet so profoundly. The generation entering adulthood today will live through the consequences of decisions they did not make.
Ruchith, a 21-year-old student activist from Telangana who has been involved in environmental causes since the age of 14, says, "For me, environmentalism cannot be separated from social justice. Environmental issues cannot remain optional because they are not separate from people's lives. Climate change affects health, livelihoods, education, and the future people are working towards."
The observation is not a new one. Across India, environmental struggles have long existed at the intersection of equity and ecology. “We are not talking about the environment only because it is beautiful or sacred. We are talking about it, also because people's lives depend on it. Access to clean air, water, nutritious food, and even protection from extreme weather remains deeply unequal – environmental injustice is a reality,” he added.
But before there is conservation, activism, or policy, there must first be a connection to the natural world. Ishan Shanavas, a wildlife educator, founder of EcoInspire, and incoming master's student, believes environmentalism begins with curiosity and wonder. "People often speak about the environment in terms of crises and statistics, but what first drew me to it was appreciation. Even as we go about our lives, countless other forms of life are living lives of their own. The moment you begin paying attention to the natural world, it becomes impossible not to be fascinated by it," he says.
Every generation inherits the earth from those who came before, and holds it for those who come after. What this generation does with that trust, will matter long after World Environment Day has passed.
