As India commemorates its 75th anniversary of
Independence, Sadhguru, Founder-Isha Foundation, has urged policymakers and
citizens to raise awareness about soil health. According to the spiritual guru,
soil degradation is a problem that has gone under the radar for far too long
and must be addressed immediately.

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“This Independence Day is very special because it
marks the beginning of the 75th year of independent India. India has come a
long way since 1947; we have made great strides in terms of health, industry,
scientific achievements, and more importantly, in lifting millions of people
out of poverty,” Sadhguru said in a video message. 

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“But many challenges still face the nation,” he added
in reference to the pandemic. While the number of COVID-19 cases in the country
has decreased significantly since the devastating peak of the second wave
earlier this year, Sadhguru said that responsible and conscious action from
both the leadership and every citizen will be critical in overcoming the
pandemic.

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“I beseech all of you. India has already lost nearly
half a million people. And across the world, nearly five million people have
died. Let us put an end to this,” he said.

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Sadhguru has spoken extensively about soil degradation
in national and global forums. He highlighted the challenge once again in his
message. “The most important challenge we face right now is soil degradation…
We are heading to a place where our food and water scarcity are reaching a
dangerous point.…”

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“A good life comes not because of wealth, but because
of clean water, clean air and nutritious food. These things are severely
threatened by soil degradation; this is the most important aspect that we need
to address,” he said. 

Sadhguru appealed to all to “act as one Nation to beat
the pandemic and also to revive India’s soil.”

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Cauvery Calling, Isha’s multi-stakeholder project,
which is the largest farmer-driven ecological movement in the world is
currently working with farmers to reverse ecological and economic damage from
soil degradation. The objective of the project is to raise farmer awareness of
the ecologically beneficial and economically attractive tree-based farming
model.

The volunteer-led, on-the-ground initiative is
currently conducting a massive farmer outreach which will cover 1785 Gram
Panchayats in 57 talukas across Karnataka’s nine Cauvery basin districts, which
is home to 24 lakh farmers.