Technology cannot replace human values, labour and empathy: MP minister
The state's Panchayat and Rural Development Minister was addressing the 'Fifth Edition of the India Rural Colloquy 2025' organised by Transform Rural India (TRI) at Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM) here.
'While technology is essential to improve our lives, it cannot replace human values, labour, and empathy. There is a need to shift focus towards the preservation of invaluable ecological and cultural assets," Patel said.
Reflecting on current planning approaches, the minister noted the saturation of materialistic thinking in governance and stressed the need to shift focus toward the preservation of invaluable ecological and cultural assets such as forests, wildlife, and rivers, whose destruction is a result of collective human neglect.
He cited the Narmada Parikrama path as a living symbol of traditional wisdom and river reverence.
Highlighting how 92 river origins have been mapped in Madhya Pradesh, he observed that while tribal communities continue to protect and worship these sacred sources during festivals like Shivratri, the educated class remains largely disconnected from this responsibility.
'We consume, pollute, and forget where our rivers are born. This detachment must end. We must accept past shortcomings and ask ourselves do we include those learnings in future planning?" he said.
Patel also launched the Gram Panchayat Helpdesk initiative, inaugurated by Reshma Ninama from Alsiya, Petlawad block, a grassroots leader fostering change at the village level.
'A fulfilling and secure life is not rooted merely in material wealth, but in the mindful and equitable use of natural resources. Despite being the land of river origins, Madhya Pradesh faces serious water scarcity during summers, a reality that calls for deeper ecological accountability," he said.
The MP chapter of the Colloquy, hosted in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM), Bhopal also saw the presence of Padma Shri Janak Palta, who shared her journey of establishing the Barli Development Institute for Rural Women.
With no staff and limited resources, she said she and her husband created a self-sufficient green campus brick by brick, which now trains girls in literacy, health, leadership, renewable energy, photography, and enterprise using native languages.
The India Rural Colloquy, the flagship event of Transform Rural India (TRI), celebrates its fifth anniversary this year. PTI MAS BNM
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August 01, 2025, 21:15 IST
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