Shimla:
A stirring call for environmental responsibility and national renewal echoed from the Himalayas as Major General Atul Kaushik (SM, VSM) urged citizens to rise above political divisions and unite to protect India’s fragile mountain ecosystems under the banner #CollectiveRenewal.
In a strongly worded public appeal titled “Rise for Change: Time for Renewal – Nation First”, the former chairperson of the Himachal Pradesh Private Education Institutions Regulatory Commission warned that the worsening condition of the Himalayas is no longer a regional concern but a national emergency.
“When mountains are wounded, forests vanish and rivers are polluted, silence becomes complicity,” Kaushik said, cautioning that governance failures, misplaced priorities and deepening social divisions are eroding the country’s ecological and social foundations.
Referring to Himachal Pradesh as both a warning sign and a moral compass, he stressed that the Himalayas are not merely geography but India’s lifeline—supporting water security, climate balance, livelihoods and cultural heritage across the subcontinent. Ignoring fragile mountain ecosystems for short-term political or economic gains, he said, would invite irreversible consequences for generations to come.
Kaushik’s call goes beyond environmental protection. He urged citizens to question injustice, reject apathy and resist politics that “places power above people and truth below noise."
Emphasising unity over division, he appealed to people to rise above barriers of party, caste and ideology, rebuild trust in society and restore balance with nature.
“This is not a call for tomorrow,” the appeal states. “It is a call for now.”
Environmental voices say the message resonates at a time when Himalayan states are grappling with landslides, forest degradation, shrinking water sources and climate-driven disasters, while local communities bear the heaviest costs.
How to Join the Movement
Citizens, youth groups, environmental organisations and community collectives are being invited to actively participate in the #CollectiveRenewal movement.
Those wishing to join can: Engage online by sharing views, local concerns and grassroots initiatives using
#CollectiveRenewal | #HimalayaForFuture | #HimalayanAwakening
Connect directly for dialogue and collaboration at
📞 7051531262
Mobilise locally through clean-up drives, awareness walks, community discussions and citizen-led actions focused on mountain ecology, sustainable development and social cohesion.
Calling it a people’s awakening rather than a protest, Kaushik said the movement is rooted in responsibility, not politics. “The mountains remind us of unity and balance,” he said, urging citizens to let the Himalayas awaken the nation.
As #CollectiveRenewal gains momentum, the call from the mountains seeks to transform concern into action—marking what Kaushik describes as a decisive moment of responsibility and renewal for India.
