Leaders don't believe climate change is real: Manipur activist

Eight-year-old climate activist Licypriya Kangujam, said that she rejected offer because nobody paid heed to any of her demands over years. Speaking to PTI, Kangujam said that politicians never take issue of climate change seriously.

"Over years y haven't listened to any of my demands despite protesting continuously in front of Parliament and many or places across country with thousands of children and youths," she lamented.

She recalled, in June last year, seven MPs of Rajya Sabha after her protest in front of Parliament House, moved a Calling Attention Motion on issue, but minister of Environment and Climate Change Prakash Javekar said that India would not bow down to international pressure on climate change. minister's response was not up to her expectations, she said.

Kangujam is known as Indian 'Greta', after being compared to award-winning Swedish teenage environment activist Greta Thunberg, for her passion towards fight against climate change. Ever since her foray into climate activism, Kangujam, who was conferred Rising Star by Washington DC-based Earth Day Network last year, me her demands clear -- that government should enact a climate law to regulate carbon emissions and or greenhouse gases.

Such a law will bring in transparency, she said. She also demanded that climate change should be me a compulsory subject in schools because she believes that it will help in fight against climate change from grassroots level.

"It will also help in educating our leers as y would learn about issue from ir children and grandchildren," she said, ding that leers just cannot believe that science and climate change is real.

Planting of at least three trees by a student to pass ir exam will le to plantation of at least 3.5 billion trees a year as "we have 350 million students" asserted Licypriya who believed it will make country green in five years. She is certain that policies would "help fight climate change and also to change system of world." #SheInspiresUs is a social media campaign dedicated to women "whose life and work will help ignite motivation in millions".