|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gandhi and the Environment MoST Indians identify the father of the nation as the man who led India’s freedom struggle. Mahatma Gandhi’s admirers swear by his philosophy of swadeshi, satyagraha, truth and above all remember him as an apostle of non-violence. But, Bapu as an "apostle of applied ecology"? Seriously, how many of us relate to the man who bequeathed us priceless freedom as an environmentalist?
Reminding readers of his famous words, "the earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs but not every man’s greed", it establishes how his views on greed and need have today become the corner stone of environment literature. While many more of Gandhi’s quotable quotes underline his pro-nature stance—the book even includes an appendix on Gandhi’s pearls of wisdom—it goes far beyond mere homilies. A serious attempt to understand the Gandhian thought and co-relating it to the environment, rather it provides threadbare analysis of his ideas and its inextricable link to environment and nature. Right from self-sufficient village model to his views on industrialisation, which, according to the great leader, was "not mass production but goods produced by masses". Interestingly, back then too, Gandhi was against Western industrialism and opposed to exploitation of natural resources for economic gains. He believed "industrialism is going to be a curse of mankind". In fact, his spinning wheel was itself a symbol of not just self-reliance but being in sync with nature. Expectedly, while talking about Gandhi, there is no escaping his core ideology and his path-breaking ideas. So, his observations about Harjians, about women whom he called upon to say "no to husbands when they approach them carnally" as an assertion of their rights are also included. However, be it Gandhi’s concern about women—the traditional conservators—contentment and sanitation all are also endorsements of an environmentalist point of view. Dividing the book into several chapters, Gandhi’s views reflecting upon sustainable development, ecological living and rural development are discussed and explained. In short, all of what Bapu stood for had an underlying thread of being in harmony with nature. Why his ashrams, according to the scholar N. Radhakrishnan, "were meaningful centres where Gandhi demonstrated with convincing success how each member of this community could live in harmony with nature". The book also reinforces that Gandhi did not espouse the "back to nature" theory only advocated respect for nature. Is it any wonder that today his belief in "welfare of poorest of the poor" is shaping the goals of the UNDP? And it was Gandhi’s linking of local action with global perspective that helped E. F. Schumacher come up with the phrase "Think globally, but act locally". How his wisdom has today become common sense reiterated at conferences and seminars too is dwelt upon. And deliberated upon with seriousness is what the writers call his environmental legacy manifested in myriad aspects of his beliefs and life. Besides detailing Gandhi’s futuristic views, it connects his ideas of simple living to other religious beliefs and to greats like Francis Bacon who said, "We cannot command Nature except by obeying her". Above all Gandhi’s relevance to the modern-day world, hard pressed on natural resources, is underscored time and again. The book, with a precise foreword by Dr R. K. Pachauri, is undeniably an erudite exercise. Pertinent to all those who care about the environment and want to know how it was a way of life for dear Bapu, a true Vedantist for whom the world was one large family. The book concludes on a slightly sermonising note quoting P. N. Haksar: "Instead of merely garlanding the portraits of Gandhi, Indians must translate his ideals into real life". However, there is no denying the import of the proffered advice. Among his many remarkable beliefs, Gandhi’s farsighted vision of environment, too, is too significant to be ignored.
|
||
|
|
||
Gandhi
and the Environment tells us
how Gandhi espoused environmental concerns much ahead of time and much
before the environment became a pressing problem as it is today.
Moreover, calling him a practising ecological yogi, the book hails him
as a profound environmentalist like Buddha and Ashoka. Not without
reason, though.