The young environmental groups leading Indiaâs new climate activism
15 March 2021
Young environmentalists participate in a climate strike to protest against government inaction on climate change, as part of global demonstrations in the âFridays for Futureâ movement, in Delhi on 20 September 2019.
K Asif / India Today Group / Getty Images
Young environmentalists participate in a climate strike to protest against government inaction on climate change, as part of global demonstrations in the âFridays for Futureâ movement, in Delhi on 20 September 2019.
K Asif / India Today Group / Getty Images
On 19 January, Nityanand Jayaraman, a Chennai-based writer and researcher, announced a week-long call to action against the Adani Group by over 25 environmental youth organisations across the world, on a website called Adani Watch. Jayaramanâs post was titled, âYouth Action to Stop Adani â 27 January to 2 February,â and stated that âYAStA is a call to action by youth groups from around the world to Stop Adani from subverting democracies, suppressing community voices, harassing its critics.â Four days later, the Adani Group posted an âopen letterâ on its official Facebook page, claiming it had been âtargeted through false propaganda.â While it was unclear whether the conglomerate had posted in anticipation of YAStA or provoked by something else, it is indisputable that Indiaâs young environmental groups have left an indelible mark on the nature of climate activism in the country.