Jairam Ramesh: A Visionary Trouble Maker?

Jairam Ramesh was a very bright student and he has an illustrious career behind him and with him before becoming Minister in Indian government. He is an active advocate in economic reforms in India and he actually took part in making the reforms happen. He is now the Minister of State for Environment and Forests. Any way, he is an influential figure in Congress Party and is close to Sonia Gandhi. He is now calling for India to cut back on carbon emission regardless of what the western countries are doing.

Hindustan Times reported:

The MEF, comprising 16 nations and the 27-state European Union, met in London for informal talks aimed at breaking a long-standing stalemate in global climate change talks.

Talks are deadlocked over US insistence that China, India and other major developing countries undertake binding commitments to slash their greenhouse gas emissions - a product of industrialisation - that cause climate change.

Developing countries argue that climate change has been caused by rich nation-emissions and that the US must first undertake cuts.

So, the call for change in policy from Jairam Ramesh has already provoked strong criticism from opposition BJP. I am sure that he will face more criticism from other parties including his own Congress party. However, I think India needs visionary leaders like Jairam Ramesh who may be considered as trouble-makers by some.