Conversation with Nature: Origins of Indian Environmentalism There is a book which historian Ramchandra Guha almost did not write. After starting research on it nearly two decades ago, life had other plans, and Sri Guha’s path turned towards other monumental works such as India after Gandhi and his famous biographies of Mahatma Gandhi, which have defined much of his career. However, thanks to his keen interest in environmental history, he picked up the thread – or rather, a pile of notes – and returned to the project.
The result is a compelling exploration of 10 early environmental thinkers – from poet Rabindranath Tagore to lesser-known scientist couple Albert and Gabrielle Howard and naturalist M. Krishnan – whose ideas have shaped India’s ecological landscape in the pre-climate change era.
In a conversation ahead of the launch of his book in Chennai, Mr Guha reflected on the diverse personalities featured in the book, who lived and wrote across a century of Indian history, and how their contributions have often bridged the gap between environmentalism and social justice. Bridged. He argues that their work provides a much-needed counterpoint to the dominant, Western-driven narrative of environmentalism, which prioritizes the protection of nature without considering the inequities and human conflicts associated with it.
With characteristic clarity and insight, Shri Guha discusses the enduring relevance of the ideas of these thinkers in the context of today’s environmental challenges, from climate change to the pressures of rapid urbanization. Edited excerpts:
Your book features 10 diverse thinkers. How did you choose this particular group, and what do you believe their different beliefs and perspectives say about the complexity of environmentalism in India?
Any work of history involves inclusion and intentional or accidental exclusion. During my research on the history of environmentalism in India over the past few decades, these 10 individuals came across me. Some are known for other things, such as labor, and come from different backgrounds. Others I already knew about because of my research on environmental questions. They are extremely diverse, spanning an entire century, from the 1880s to the 1990s. For example, naturalist Krishnan was the last person in the book to actually be a resident of Chennai and writing until the 1990s.
These individuals worked in different parts of India and in different scenarios. He wrote about forests, jungles, fields, water, soil and cities. Most of them, with the possible exceptions of Munshi and Krishnan, combined a concern for environmental sustainability with a deep concern for social justice. That’s why this book is titled conversation with natureNo speaking for nature,
In India, there are many people who want to protect the tiger or rhino but have no concern for the underprivileged members of their own species. These thinkers articulate what I call social ecology: To have a habitable planet, you cannot have deeply flawed social and political systems. However, we must also recognize the natural limits to how much we can grow and the limits to economic growth and industrialization.
Their diverse lives and perspectives as writers and thinkers are central. Unlike some other works, which focus strongly on individual biographies, my focus is more on his journeys, concerns, troubles, friendships, enmities and even his imprisonment. This is a brief biographical introduction to each thinker to provide context, but the emphasis is on their work, writings and thought.
Ultimately, I have tried to challenge the dominant narrative of the history of environmentalism, which often comes from the US and Europe, talking only about nature. It focuses only on protecting the wild without addressing human society and the inequalities of access to natural resources within it. The grim and visible fact is that the burden of environmental degradation falls heavily on the poor, be it air pollution in northern India’s cities, depletion of groundwater aquifers or soil pollution.
My thinkers are important because they connect us to the latest Indian tradition after Chipko, which is firmly rooted in social justice. I call it the environmentalism of the poor. What unites them is that all those thinkers and writers interpret a social ecology, not a pure ecology. This does not mean that protecting endangered species or reforested areas is unimportant; However, when it comes to human relationships with nature we must also consider asymmetries of power – economic, political and social.
As urbanization and industrialization progress, we see the encroachment of the urban industrial sector on rural areas, where communities increasingly lose control over their natural surroundings that have provided them with livelihoods for decades.
One last thing I want to emphasize is that this book argues for environmentalism both before and after climate change. These men wrote from the late 19th century onwards, and their ideas remain relevant into the third decade of the 21st century. Even if climate change did not exist, India would still face serious environmental challenges.
Through this book you have provided the intellectual genealogy of contemporary environmentalism in India. How do you think the ideas or historical perspectives of these 10 thinkers will influence current environmental movements?
The job of a historian is to educate, not to preach. My role is to shed light on the past for myself and possibly uncover connections to the present, but I do not advise or guide readers to act in any particular way. I provide ideas, analysis, and perspective, and then readers can apply them to their own lives, communities, and beyond.
Readers will find different thinkers fascinating. For example, those working in cities may find Patrick Geddes’s ideas particularly relevant. My goal is to build a bridge connecting the early history of environmentalism, which has been largely forgotten, to the present. Like any other work of history, how it is used or misused is beyond my control.
While researching and writing the book, was there anything about any particular individual that surprised you or changed your perspective on their contributions to environmentalism?
After working in this field for so long, it’s challenging to say what surprised me. I started this project in the late 80’s and early 90’s, so I already knew about many of these figures. I knew that Tagore had a deep aesthetic appreciation of nature, especially from his poems about trees and his letters from East Bengal. However, it was a revelation that his environmentalism was not merely aesthetic; It was educational, political and prophetic.
Along with others like Radhakamal Mukherjee and Patrick Geddes, I had to delve deeper into how their ideas included environmental and social components. Tagore and K. The scribes were perhaps included late in the book, but they are highly relevant.
In the introductory chapter, you mention that one of the limitations of the book is that it only features two women. However, our very first environmental movement, Chipko, was women-led. While it is undeniable that women did not have access or space to formal education at that time, do you think that even after five decades have passed, we still give more importance to traditional wisdom rather than grassroots knowledge?
No, first of all, Chipko was not female-led. Women played an important role but both men and women participated.
Yes, women played an important role in movements like Chipko. The period I am writing about is the first half of the 20th century, when women were not as visible or active. The operation of patriarchy was even more harsh and strict then than it is today. Although our society is still largely patriarchal, some barriers have diminished over time.
Given this context, it is inevitable that my book includes some women as well as some thinkers from marginalized backgrounds. For example, J.C. Kumarappa, who wrote about caste inequality, may have had his own privileges; Although he addressed the tribal community, he was not a tribal himself.
My hope for this book is that it will serve as a history of environmentalism before the climate change narrative. I believe that After Chipko is a valuable book to be written about the grassroots struggles from 1973 to approximately 2023. This work should include movements like Chipko and Narmada as well as civil society activism aimed at reviving landscapes, restoring water sources and preserving traditional varieties. Of crops. It should also include the contributions of thinkers, scientists, social scientists, journalists and institutions.
At the time these early thinkers were working, there was no formal social movement called environmentalism. He was a writer and thinker, not an activist in the traditional sense. It was not until the 1970s that we began to see a more integrated interpretation of thought and activism. Many of these figures came from affluent backgrounds and were educated at universities, while grassroots environmentalism has enriched Indian social and cultural life since Chipko and is far more diverse in composition.
I hope that my book will challenge someone, perhaps a young scholar, to produce a complementary work that explores a more diverse history and social structure than this book.
Given the Centre’s focus on industrial and infrastructural development, what challenges do you see facing environmentalism in India today?
The challenges are important. Historically, every party in Indian politics has been opposed to environmental sustainability and social justice concerns. The Modi regime may be the most anti-environment government we have ever seen, but Manmohan Singh’s government was almost as bad.
If you look at the violation of the Western Ghats and the Madhav Gadgil report, you will see widespread hostility towards it across various political parties. Those opposing the report include CPI-M in Kerala, DMK in Tamil Nadu, Congress in Karnataka and BJP in Goa, Maharashtra, Gujarat. This cuts across party lines because of the deep interconnections between the contractor lobby, builder lobby, infrastructure lobby, mining lobby and our political class.
Environmentalists are often wrongly described as anti-development, which is completely wrong. They advocate a more inclusive and responsible form of development taking into account natural constraints. These grassroots movements face many obstacles, but they must continue.
One argument that I have not made in this book, but that my respected colleague Gadgil has made, is that political decentralization can lead to sustainable development. For example, in Kerala, Gadgil has been among communities that do not oppose mining, but says, instead of handing over mining contracts to large corporations, villagers could form cooperatives to mine permanently, thereby ensuring May economic benefits and security be maintained in the community. their resources.
Keeping in mind the challenges posed by climate change and rapid urbanization, do you think a new wave of environmental thinkers is emerging?
It is too early to say for sure, but I would say that the youth have a much greater awareness of the climate crisis and environmental issues than my generation. This awareness can sometimes lead to frustration, but it can also translate into constructive and positive action. Young writers and environmentalists today are expressing insight and passion about environmental destruction and the challenges we face. Although the situation is disappointing, it is not hopeless.
published – November 05, 2024 01:41 PM IST
