Ravi Nitesh
ravinitesh@gmail.com
Nov 27, 2017; Rising Kashmir
http://risingkashmir.com/news/indira-gandhi-the-environmentalist
http://epaper.risingkashmir.com/EPaper.aspx?GG5fSrQUMgOBPZIpOwwO_ppA_ep_ep
At a time when our regions are filled with pollutants, Delhi to Lahore, cities are filled with smog, valleys and hills are witnessing severe climate change results and agencies are planning more and more measures of adaptation and mitigation, there seems serious need to look within our own hearts if as a person, as an individual, we are committed towards environment.
There is a need to introspect our own approach towards collective good and sustainable development and as politicians are also human beings, but with more power and opportunities to do changes, to bring reforms, it is expected from them to look beyond immediate needs.
Here is a story, about former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who had developed a vision for future in the field of environment, though it is less known, less popular, as it usually happens with environmental issues.
Priyadarshani was the name given to her by ‘Gurudev’ RabindraNathTagore. She is known and remembered as Iron Lady and India’s only woman prime minister. When she started her political journey, she was considered as ‘weak’ and even termed as ‘GoongiGudiya’ but with the time, she proved her Iron will through historical incidents like first nuclear test, Bangladesh liberation and went to an extent of imposing emergency. Instead of analyzing rights and wrongs among her various decisions, what is important here is to see her public image that remained on her side by bringing sweeping victory in the elections through her wave of popularity.
Many things have been written and said on all such things about her, but as we know, there is always something remains. An attempt has been made very recently to explore less known angle of her association with environment’.
A book on Indira Gandhi, written by former minister Jairam Ramesh with title ‘Indira Gandhi : A Life in Nature’ brings many interesting facts on surface. Interestingly, despite the fact that both, Jairam Ramesh and Indira Gandhi are known as politicians, but after reading few pages of this book, one recalls an iceberg about which various things are hidden beneath the sea.
Writer claims that such a personality of environmentalist was never discovered or written about her ever by any of her biographer and this is what writer took with much interest when during his own work in the ministry he came across such facts and documents and then tried to explore more letters and documents with these particular subjects.
Book reveals how Indira Gandhi was much sensitive towards environment and writer guess that it is because of her growing where most of her childhood vacations were intentionally spent on hills like Mussorriee, Muree, Kashmir, Panchgani and other places.
Family environment was of such level that once grandmother of Indira told to Indira’s grandfather that why he doesn’t buy a house on hills when every year Indira goes on hills. Grandfather replied, that if there will be a house, Indira will go at single place every year, while not having this actually led her experience different places.
Childhood years of Indira spent on hills not primarily for enjoying vacations, instead to take care of her ailing mother and provide her a calm and healthy environment through living with nature.
Writer also explores how her father Jawaharlal Nehru also helped her in growing attachment with environment through gifting books like ‘The life of Bee’ by Nobel winner writer Maurice Maeterlinck.
In her growing years, she stayed in Shantiniketan in 1934 where GurudevRabindraNath Tagore suggested her to do gardening in Shantiniketan as very few students of Gurudev were interested in that. Indira started it and adopted it as her nature that later remained in her habit till her death.
During one of her stay in Kashmir, she wrote to Nehru in 1942: “Truly, if there is a heaven, it is this. There is nothing in Switzerland to compare these flower filled slopes, the sweet scented breezes. May be there are other things besides running water that pour over the soul the anodyne of forgetfulness and peace”.
Even while being in jail, at Naini, Allahabd during 1942-43 it is said that she developed interest in bird watching. Few of her letters from jail were quoted by writer and one among these is the letter she written to Nehru from jail, where writer wonders how British allowed it to go (As usually all letters used to be checked by British) but later writer himself answers ‘Perhaps they just smiled at Indira’s characterization and let them pass’. Text of letter is about a neem tree that was very long and was standing firm:
“It looked so strong that one would have thought it would last forever. It roots all eaten away by white ants and it was rotten by the core. There was majesty in its every branch even as it lay prostrate, but almost immediately, it was chopped up for firewood and removed. Only a stump now remains. Remember-The potent bear whose hug was feared by all, is now a rug.”
As Indira became adult and later became Prime Minister of India, probably it was her childhood learning that made her many references of environment in her political speeches and initiatives despite the fact that those were not fruitful for any immediate political gains.
Air Pollution Act and Water Pollution Act came in her own regime. She single handedly pushed laws like Protection of Wildlife and Conservation of Forests.
Apart from bring a politician, she had a very large network of people across world in conservation community and she exchanged letters with them.
She spoke in UN Conference on Human Environment in Stockholm in 1972 and became only head of Government who did so. She took initiative of Project Tiger and also for protection of crocodiles, lion, deer and other endangered species.
As a person who started her childhood years learning from nature, worked for it; she, when died, naval band played ‘flowers of the forest’during funeral procession and when cremated, she remained in environment because according to her wish, her ashes were spread on Himalayas.
by:
Ravi Nitesh
Twitter@ravinitesh
