Conserving Biodiversity – Celebrating Life!

Conserving Biodiversity – Celebrating Life!

J. Prasant Palakkappillil

(The Teenager Today May 2023 pp. 18-19)

On the Origin of Species

The reflection on the universe leads us to its amazing variety and harmony. There have been any number of efforts to find the truth of the how of its origin, and we have been with the Big Bang Theory now for almost a century, which, at the best, is an effort at explanation and not an established fact.  But this miracle had always surprised humans, perhaps, from time immemorial.  We have versions with metaphysical roots like the Hiranyagarbha (Golden Womb) theory of Rigveda 10:121 and Purusha Suktam of Rigveda 10:90 or Golden Egg theory in several cultures. I am more familiar with the Judeo-Christian tradition (Torah & Bible) creation narrative which offers a very interesting story of the origin and diversification of the universe in the creation narrative. All these mythological narratives have one thing in common - the presence or power of the Ultimate in the beings on earth, implying the need to approach the phenomenon of creation and its miraculous and stupendous diversity and balance with a sense of 'awe' and 'respect', and not a mere taken-for-grantedness.  This should not or need not prevent one from exploring and experimenting, but cautions the humans, that they are not the authors of this amazingly enthralling melange of differences, but one part of it, perhaps, with unimaginable latent power and potential. 

The Biblical narrative brings in two characters in this connection - 1) Adam - who is designated to name the diverse creatures the arch-designer sets, before Adam himself is brought into being. The narrative, apparently, tries to establish the proven role of humans as stewards responsible for the upkeep of this diversity, with the command to 'till and keep'.  2) Noah - (Nuh according to Quran) who is given the charge to conserve species which would otherwise have disappeared in the cataclysmic flood, the consequence of the loss of the delicate harmony of the universe, through the unmindful, haughty indulgence and consumption of the goods of the universe by a dissipated humanity.  

The human(?) avarice that tends to set-off the fine balance of the universe is indicated in the imaginative myth of the churning of the milky ocean for the 'evergreen life nectar' (amrut), where the different categories of human species, unite forgetting their species diversity of black, white or brown (devas, asuras...), but end up flushing out the highly venomous stores of kalakut which has the potential to destroy the beautiful universe.  It is a daring Lord Shiva (shiv means the auspicious, or the one who ensures harmony or peace), who risks one's life to swallow the poisonous  output of the avaricious churning at the risk of self-destruction.  (That his consort Parvati's timely intervention to stop the vicious potion from going below his throat, saves him and the universe, in the process lending him the deserving saviour status but leaving his neck blue - Neelkanth - with solidified poisonous content -  all these and the rest form another conservation narrative from the myths).

As the planet faces unforeseen cataclysmic events especially in the form of cyclones, typhoons, tornados, blizzards, torrential floods, unprecedented snow, heat waves, increasing melting of the polar glaciers, and resultant threat to the planet and its diverse dwellers, we are faced with five-fold challenges:

1. The planet and its dwellers, including the humans, require the biodiversity to live peacefully on it.  

2. The diversity is to be understood, assessed, appreciated and protected for the benefit of the present generation and the posterity. 

3. While the humans do have great power to mould and manipulate the diverse beings on the planet, after the point of balance is lost, no human technology or effort can withhold the disasters that entail, which would affect the humans as well; increasingly, without distinction. 

4. The humans have the great potential to protect and recreate, thus be truly co-creators and saviours with the Creator, to re-establish the harmony, by restoring the biodiversity. 

5. In the context of the all-pervasive and almost unretractable human interface with every aspect of planetary diversity, the great human responsibility to cautiously and discreetly attend to the diversity of the species and systems, in promoting as well as regulating them, reviewing every step taken in this realm. 

The Destructive War Paths of the Modern-Industrial Age on Natural Common Heritage

The period of 1930s to 70s saw green revolution to increase productivity and thus ensure food security for all.  It implied intensive chemical inputs, for rapid and increased food production, which indeed seemed to produce the desired results. Productivity increased.  'Grow More Food', was a genuine slogan, which thought of producing food only for the humans, and didn't realise the significance of other species for the same. 

As early as 1945, J.C. Kumarappa reflected on issues of progress in his work, Economy of Permanence: A Quest for a Social Order Based on Non-violence. It reflects on the ethical balance with which humans have to tread the path of economic progress.

But by 1962, Rachel Carson observed the threat to the diversity of life, by human efforts to make their life safe and comfortable, especially on account of the application of pesticides in weed and pest control, and cautioned the world (United States) regarding the same. The threat to any link in the eco-system or food-chain can be disastrous to all, dawned on the human thinking horizon.  

By the early seventies several leading scientists (Club of Rome) sensed the alarming direction in which human progress was directed, and they came out with an emphatic declaration: Limits to Growth.  What humans thought to be progress was leading to the destruction of the planet which had only 'finite resources', which had boundaries. 

In 1973, Schumacher brought out his collection of essays challenging the dominant paradigm of human development with the revolutionary title 'Small is Beautiful: Study of Economics as if People Mattered'. He called for technologies that did not destroy the harmony of nature. 

In 1975 Masanobu Fukuoka, a rebel agri-scientist came with his counter (green) revolution which proved systematically, that a bio-diversity rich farm, where natural control takes place can be equally or better productive than the chemicalised, modern, western farming.  He emphasized the tapping of the complexity of the organisms that shape an eco-system and recognized farming as both an aesthetic and spiritual engagement aimed at the "cultivation and refinement of human nature".  

International Biodiversity Day

This trend of counter progress thought led to the convention on Biological Diversity being ratified on May 22, 1992.  In this connection, a day has been observed since 1993 to celebrate and protect biological diversity and from 2010, the year dedicated to biodiversity, May 22nd was chosen as International Day for Biodiversity.

“Biodiversity is the variation among living organisms from different sources including terrestrial, marine and desert ecosystems, and the ecological complexes of which they are a part.” 

The array of themes discussed every year for the UN led observance is indicative of the significance of bio-diversity: Forest biodiversity (2000, 2011); biodiversity and poverty alleviation (2003), biodiversity and food, water and health for all (2004, 2019), biodiversity as life insurance for all (2005), biodiversity of drylands (2006), biodiversity and climate change (2007), biodiversity and agriculture (2008), invasive and alien species (2009),  biodiversity for development and poverty reduction (2010), marine biodiversity (2012), water and biodiversity (2013), island biodiversity (2014), mainstreaming biodiversity (2015), biodiversity and sustainable tourism (2017), nature based solution (2020), a shared future for all (2022).

In very simple terms, the celebration is the extension of the divine commandment - thou shalt not kill! Thou shalt not destroy bio-diversity!

On 8, October 2021, the UN Human Rights Council adopted a resolution recognizing that the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment is a human right. This decision is a major step forward, but still limited by its inevitable anthropocentrism. Although not legally binding, its near-unanimous adoption shows consensus on the formulation, content, and importance of this human right.  

Bio-diversity, from that angle is a key to safe and healthy environment, and also serves as an indicator of the health of the environment.  Now there are litigations by citizens or citizen groups against France and Switzerland, for violating their rights in this regard by the state. 

Education for Biodiversity

What we call modern education has uncritically promoted universalism and monoculture, starting with uniformity in dressing, and increasing insistence on aesthetics of mathematical symmetry, being artificially transferred to human environs - gardens, trees etc.  Thus, our beauty concepts relied on symmetrical arrangements, straight growth - leading to replacement of local species with exotic species, including an array of palms and easily manoeuvrable sturdy ornamental plant species.  Not setting aside the beauty and value of symmetry, education should help one relish the beauty of the wild, of the natural growth of species, and coexistence that the forests teach. 

In terms of biodiversity, we come across a) the diversity of species within a given area, b) genetic diversity within a given species, say, e.g., the different rice species and c) the diversity of eco-systems, which imply the unique collections of living and non-living organisms in interaction with each other, broadly terrestrial (forest, grasslands, tundra and desert) and aquatic (fresh water and marine).  There could be several sub-division under each of these. 

Biodiversity Praxis

Teaching and learning to observe and appreciate the biodiversity around is the first step. 

Biodiversity Registers can be great learning opportunities.  Each school kid could develop one's own register, starting with the biological species one comes across, especially what is around one's homestead. 

Campus biodiversity register is a serious guided activity undertaken annually, hopefully, in an incremental manner.  It can have various components like a conventional herbarium, a digital collection of the floral and faunal species on the campus or visiting campus, a periodical group activity of bird, insect and butterfly watch, a butterfly garden, a vermicomposting unit for bio-waste management etc, and documentation of the same. The annual assessment should help all concerned to be alert to the depletion or enrichment of the biodiversity of the campus.  This can also serve as an alert regarding the appearance of invasive species and the possible natural or artificial remedial action to be taken. 

Community bio-diversity register is to be a campus social responsibility act for a local community for high school students.  As far as India is concerned, this is to be accomplished, preferably, on the basis of a division or ward or a local self-government (Panchayat, Municipality or Corporation), where annually, the exercise of the assessment of floral and faunal biodiversity,  in terms of both quality and quantity, is undertaken in collaboration with the local community, and gaps identified for appropriate action. 

The pioneering work done by certain voluntary initiatives, like that of Delhi based Navadanya, led by renowned conservationist Dr Vandana Shiva, is worth emulating at the local level for conservation of species, especially food grains.  The trend is catching up. 

Care, Conserve, Co-exist

May 22nd - International Biodiversity Day is a reminder of our great heritage, the diversity rich planet earth, but more a caution of the dangerous depletion of the same, with thousands of species disappearing annually on account of human interference.  It is also a challenge to conserve the eco-systems, also from the angle of ensuring safety, lest the species that can harm other life forms (especially human), get released from their specific eco-systems and spread across the planet. Finally, it is an invitation for co-existence with fellow beings, to take care of them, as a fellow species with more refined and powerful endowments, and relish the beauty and richness of this diversity. 

As the unknown poet sings: 

The worm that wriggles like a worm

The river that flows like a river

And me that wanders like me

Don't we make an amazing world? 

 

 

 

<https://www.gulf-times.com/article/658479/international/europe-rights-court-hears-climate-cases-against-govts> March 30, 2023

<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodiversity> March 31, 2023

<https://byjus.com/biology/biodiversity/> March 31, 2023

< https://www.earthday.org/fact-sheet-global-species-decline/> April 1, 2023

Notes:

Bio-diversity & Water Rights: Vicious cycle of interaction of the water crisis, global warming and the loss of biodiversity and natural capital is making the climate change scenario precarious. (Mazucato, Okonjo-lweala, Rochstrom and Shanmugaratnam. Confronting the global water crisis in earnest). 

"No country can rely on its own territory for more than half the rainfall it receives.  Everyone's fresh water ultimately comes from precipitation, which depends on the presence of stable ocreans, intact forests, and healthy ecosystems in other countries and regions."

Recongnizing safe water for domestic use as a human right.

Biodiversity and natural carbon sinks: Wetland erosion and loss of soil moisture causes the risk of turning the planet's great carbon stores into new sources of greenhouse-gas emissions, with devastating consequences for climate. 

Rethinking urban green spaces: https://www.rte.ie/news/environment/2023/0522/1384571-trinity-wildflower-biodiversity/

The Miracle Teacher Effect - Experience of a Seasoned Civil Servant

https://emalayalee.com/vartha/288994

The first secretary of Indian Embassy, Qatar is a senior Indian official on a diplomatic mission, Mr. S. Dhanraj Xavier from Tiruchirappalli, a civil service officer of Tamil Nadu cadre on deputation to the central service.  

Now the first officer, dealing with community affairs, visas and passports at the embassy, he possesses critical and what could be termed, unconventional views on career development and success.  

It is not generally the top scorers who, in later life, are found to be successful people.  (It doesn’t mean that top scorers are not successful in their lives - my view!)  When it comes to public sphere, it is not the top scorers, but those who were often thought to be mediocre, or back benchers, that have done well, and have been seen to be really embodiments of success. The conclusion is based on an analysis of successful people in various domains, perhaps, academics (higher order or research based), science-technology and medicine barring.  And, when compared to the so-called successful people in these latter domains, the people in business, arts and politics appear more influential and well known. 

He cites his own case - For tenth grade, he had to be satisfied with just about first division marks.  He sensed the struggle his father took, to get him an admission to science stream in the pre-university programme, without success; and was fired to not let such occasions arise again in life. And, with the evident deficiency in English, without anyone's prompting he adopts the modern-strength-based approach on oneself - effectively inspired by an imaginative teacher, who awakens a space beyond horizon to achieve in Tamil. He ends up as topper in Tamil, which is repeated in the B. Com period as well.  That is the power of a teacher.  It led him to face the civil service challenge with Tamil Literature as one of his chosen subjects, alongside Geography. 

That is the point he makes for a teacher who goes beyond curriculum - able to touch the lives.  Prof. Antony Luisraj who taught accountancy would have taught accountancy per se just about a third of his sessions (and aptly taught, perhaps sufficed for clearing the paper with a respectable score), but the larger chunk of his sessions went in moulding life, making the student engage with life and people.  After B. Com, the courses taught have generally lost their value. But the engagement with life his sessions offered are still carried on. 

He draws lessons from what one his friends, an accomplished business man,  does - he feels that he has done well without having to bother too much about his studies.  So, what he wants from his son is not to be a great academic and someone who is bent of obtaining A's or A+ es.  Rather, he would tell his son to learn in such a way as to make money work for him, rather than he works for money.  

My rejoinder was that he had the luxury to afford that advice; whereas, a typical middle-class person, that option is too big a luxury; not to worry about having good scores, can easily be a doom for those middle class youngsters whose horizon of choices, especially in a country like India, remains still very narrow!  Perhaps, it will be education itself that could set this right - where all occupations provide adequate resources for a dignified living.   Our culture(s) still has to grow to reach there. 

All the same, students getting to know, and interact with, such accomplished people could open their vistas and vision of success and accomplishment in life.  This could be also part of education.  

As a seasoned bureaucrat, he feels that for an Indian bureaucrat, a stint with the central ministry can be a great value addition. He finds, elements of degeneration or a weakening strain across professions which he attributes to (economic) progress - with the younger generation being totally deprived of deprivations and consequent capacities for coping. (Perhaps, what used to happen in the 20th century homes should now take place in the school.  But would the proud privileged parents of 21st century with their over-indulgent solicitude let that happen - unless it is some Krishnamurti school?)

I am looking forward to having him on the campus - to challenge the miracle or transformation potential - within both the student and the teacher! 

Proud to be a Silent Indian

No congress party man

No Rahul Gandhi fan

Aam Indian Bharatwasi

Naam Hindustaani

Proud to be an Indian

Love to make in India

But now it's break in India

If minds in open speak in India

I pity Uncle Sam - with his deadly guns

Where daily bread comes with daily kills 

I pity Russians - with Socialism of Putin vintage

Where one finds some always more (or less) equal

I pity Nicaragua, or Peru, or Iran or Afghan

Where might is right and women are just a wreck 

An' despite us the big Bro on the border; so too our puny brothers 

Going crazy, with faulty democracy

Proud of Aarsh Bharat, Ahimsa Bharat

Discovering that 'we had it all for eons'!*

Proud to be the Big Brother**

Wallow in egotist  eloquence 

Now in shame, nay, dread I tread

The holy land of satya ahimsa

As we hail a sarkar that writs: 

na brooyat satyam apriyam! 

Gone with winds are the dicta

Satyam vada, Dharma cara

The wheel of Dharma in disrepair

With the chariot wheel now on the move! 

Omerta! is the new rule

Yes, Silence is now golden for you!

If not, in the least common denominator of calculations,

It's the price of life!

Silence to save your skin; 

As our great big brave new state**

The Dharmarashtram+ for all

Runs on the single wheel (leg)  of violence! 

Kalikaalam++? 

*NEP 2020

**Queer mix of Orwell (1984) & Huxley (Brave New World)

+The text of norms

++The last of the cyclic ages, when the holy cow precariously maintains the balance in spite of being maimed, having just one leg. 

Deepa who goes about Lighting (& Lightening) Lives Around

As Deepa Jayesh leaves the company of kindergarten teachers of Rajagiri, there is much tears wept - excepting couple of them standing stoically, all the rest have tears.  The tissue box is kept ready for making the torrents of eyes and nose in check. 

Deepa Jayesh from Thrippunithura, settled in Chennai is the wife of our (Sacred Heart) alumnus Jayesh.  Jayesh is long gone from Qatar on account of health reasons, but Deepa is actively on our closely knit alumni circle, participating in its meetings, being the animator by compering, introducing games etc. We all treat her as our alumna or more than that. 

She has to go back, at least for the time being, leaving her job as Kinder Garten teacher and II KG coordinator, as her daughter appearing for the baord examination requires her support with no one else  around available for her at this crucial juncture. 

Head of KG section, Kajal narrates something to substantiate Deepa's outgoing nature.  Deepa is in the hospital.  In the waiting area, someone is there appearing a little lost, or drained of energy.  Deepa reaches out, initiates conversation, helps her to unburden, and then speaks about her role - she is the trained counsellor of the hospital.  The friendship has only thickened, and she is on regular diet of Deepa's counsels.  Now she feels emotional as Deepa is departing from Qatar, and Deepa has to fortify her reminding that she is a professional counsellor. 

You go shopping with Deepa, the vendors of various items, the taxi drivers they are all greeting Deepa Ma'am.

Deepa is ever a learner - she is suffering from learning new things! She has to keep on learning. It can be Psychology, Child Psychology, NEP, dance, yoga... She has to keep on learning, and she is willing to do that. In her path of self-discovery, she feels it is important that one is honest; however, to her white lies can be accommodated - they mean no harm, and are a practical way of putting people at ease, while having one's freedom.  Apparently, she is now training her friends in building up this skill. 

You travel with Deepa - best thing is that you are comforted by a lively chirping company; at the worst end - it could be that you will not be let to sleep! Renu frets about her first travel with a lay over of a few hours.  Deepa is company and she doesn't even realise there is lay over.  Moreover, by the time they had ot part ways at Abu Dhabi, Deepa has created new common friends for both, and ensured that Renu is having company on the next leg of travel. 

As Head of the department, Kajal finds her an able coordinator, and the school has to struggle to find an apt replacement.  Christina can't repress her sobs when she recalls how she could have her son be made comfortable with reading and writing under Deepa's continued instruction - a 180 degree transformation.  But still they have their fights - which do not last. So favours do not limit freedom to differ, and even fight. 

What Radhika finds best about her is that in spite of her being much senior to her, she has not hesitation in coming to her juniors to ask for clarification, to learn something new.  The Vice Principal feels that her seniority has never come in the way of her beeing the bubbling presence that she is.  

Deepa is also stoic with her Yoga trained person - no tears.  After all we are all connected. Hema also doesn't cry as she has a gut feeling that Deepa is going to come back. 

In the small place of Rajagiri, Deepa has lighted a lamp befitting her name. People have felt 'lighter' thanks to her presence, and 'enlightened' as well. The meeting has turned into an informal conversation irrespective of someone standing there to make a 'speech'.  There are continued interventions and a line of people wanting to share something.  But I have to go.  

May the Lord be the light of your path, Adieu Deepa!  

Rajagiri will miss you, but will hope you will be back again, and perhaps in new avatars with your continuosly added up qualifications! 

Forest is a Poem & Happiness is a Sparrow - Holidays of March

On world forestry day, I recalled Simon and Garfunkel song of the 70's:

I'd rather be a forest than a street, Yes, I would, if I could, I surely would.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6d3yVq1Xtw

Yes, I too would.  Though, I do love streets, especially, the streets as they used to be in the 70s in our Kerala - Indian suburbs and rural 'cities' - as the Malayalees of high ranges would name them - Kadukka city, Kamaakshi city, Kuruvila city, Nirmala City, Palappilla city, NR city ....

I don't mind being the streets of Europe - cobbled, traffic less, clean, pedestrian friendly, giving a good-feel of a bygone era, inviting with very many local delicacies intricately displayed in the company of those crystal goblets to be filled with the aromatic extracts of grapes! The usual delicatessen of those streets, however, would definitely be anti-forest in effect, as they come about thanks to destruction of large tracts of forests, with meat 'cultivated' on vast tracts of land, which, otherwise would have been forests, or could have been agro-forests. So, I am pulled by the attraction of meat, and the reality of destruction that does not meet the eye of one who sits in the comfort of that street. In such cases, ignorance is bliss!

Coming back to Kamaakshi and Kadukka cities, which for us plains people of Kochi would have been Junctions in those days, and of Alappuzha, would have been 'Padmaakshi kavala' or so, where people could come, get their provisions, have a typical tea (light, slightly sweet, with some milk added and beaten to foam @ a metre! To people like me, who got used to the sweet, strong, milky tea of UP, insipid!), get all the information of the locality, exchange pleasantries, and go back locally connected; in some cases, inebriated...but all these, again, a man's domain, and very little to do with women. 

When it comes to forest from the streets, it could be anyone's - especially for the forest dwellers, devoid of those urban cities or those rural 'cities' and their paved or unpaved streets - forest was for men and women.  Breathing well, happy for food that is obtained, not necessarily on time, as per a schedule of eating, but still healthy, and sustaining oneself within those limited means, growing strong, having very limited expectations to be disappointed or fall into despair, or depression.  The wildness that lets fit ones survive through natural selection, while still not depriving beings of the merits and values of coexistence!  That is forest!  And without any claim, sequestering carbon emitted everywhere, and keeping those venomous spirits under check with the verdant happy foliage covering the stress it bore without ever claiming that or without ever knowing that. 

I feel happy for the sparrow which came to (lime) light some two decades back.  In Malayalam, they were called 'angadi kuruvikal'.  Though not much of a bird enthusiast in those school days, I did notice these birds; but when they came into the news with their gradual disappearance, I recalled that we used to see them in the streets of Ernakulam Angadi (market), and not much in our neighbourhoods. They used to feed on grains that escaped the grain stores through the tiny cracks of their jute sacks.  It was reported that they began to disappear as the grains had something that was detrimental to their reproduction - perhaps, pesticides.  Was that another silent spring?  But the decrease was obvious, so thus began the observance of Sparrow Day.  And now I like that it is just preceding the Forest Day.  

Happy for the sparrows, for the streets, for the forests and for me, we have also another 'holiday' now falling on 20th of March, where people are reminded that they are, all said and done, called to be happy!  Now since most of the days they are just out in the street, and away from the soothing natural forests, in the concrete forests, with tons of carbon emitted every second, and with no forests to absorb it, they fall prey to pessimism and depression very easily - so on the whole, human story appears sad!?  Hence, they are invited with the sparrows to be happy, in spite of the odds.  Now sparrows seem to be coming back. Is happiness coming back? Is happiness like the sparrow - in spite of the fall of one, life continuing unabated - as the boy bird hunter turned the arch ornithologist Salim Ali would observe in his master-piece 'Fall of the Sparrow' (1986)?

Don't really know. The new measurements of the manipulative humans devoid of and away from the forests and condemned to be in the self-created destructive concrete forests, have managed to measure 'happiness' and rank happiness, and proclaim Finland the happiest place as per their norms. But willy-nilly, they also agree, happiness can also be beyond these fantastic measurements, and thus Bhutan without any scope for measurements, can also be considered a happy (the happiest) place! 

Now today, as we celebrate forests with possibilities for sparrows and humans, tigers and hares (by the way, yesterday, in Keralam, in Seethathodu, Pathalil Somarajan was confused as to be happy or sad, delighted or terrified.  A tiger was literally caught napping in the porch of his house.  His normal (not neo-normal) instinct let a cry out; and perhaps, the tiger was in no mood for confrontation, quickly cleared the scene. He feels it to be a second birth!), huge rose wood, and flexy willow to co-exist, the desire to be a forest for a city-single-room-dweller like me, is one romantic feel; whereas for a farmer, who ekes out a living with a forest-friendly government breathing threats of eviction all around, and with big cats and stray dogs finding greater acceptance with the governments these very Somarajans have elected, and with uncertainty regarding the bona fides of these beautiful fellow planeters, desire now is to be a street than a forest! Can they be blamed? So, at least some exchange could be thought of between the city foresters and the real foresters, at least for a change! 

But still couldn't agree with someone more, if they have said, 'forest is a poem', and hence we could celebrate the forest day as poetry day as well.  Forest to me is indeed a poetry.  It is there to read and relish, but can one be in the poetry? I wonder!  Still my desire today is to make our streets as foresty as possible, and more than that, to leave at least a patch of the planet thriving, verdant and forested for the posterity.  I look forward to that. And I salute the few who can be the heroes of the story of the 'man who planted trees' (Jean Giono 1953) - It could be Jadev Payeng of Assam, or Kallen Pokkudan of Malabar, or Abdul Kareem of Kasaragod, or Wangari Maathai of Kenya or it could still be me, who is passionately after trees.  

But I cannot resist thinking why Simon and Garfunkel wanted to be a 'sparrow than a snail'.  Naturally, I feel the same way.  What about the poor snail? Will the sparrow have a face-to-face interview with the snail? Less likely.  With African snails now wreaking havoc with the forest (green) stubs in the blue-green Kochi, I have less sympathy for the snails, and I would indeed be a sparrow than a snail.  In spite of my desire to be 'ahimsic', I was part of the special squad dedicated daily evenings for the systematic annihilation of these enemies of Indian Kerala forests, acknowledging brutal killings of thousands of them, and even of having waged chemical warfare (salt solution) on them.  No regrets! They were indeed voracious eaters, and incorrigible multipliers. And indeed, I was the 'hammer' that sometimes hit them as if they were the nail. 

Thanks to Simon and Garfunkel, (in late 1970s, having borrowed the music of the Peruvian composer - Daniel Alomia Robles 1913 - copy right controversies notwithstanding, filled the music with these sweetly challenging English lyrics) who sum it up with an earthy touch - I would rather feel the earth beneath my, Yes, I would, if I only could, I surely would... Yes, indeed! The earth below our feet is quickly slipping away, and we ought to convert our streets to forests to ensure that there is earth below our feet. Now is the hour! 

Tail end: But with our students, today, in the desert school campus, we added to our patch of forest 1) Mulberry (Morus alba) 2) Lemon (Citrus limon) 3) Shoe Flower (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) and 4) Miswak (Salvadora persica) - Tooth brush tree. 

 

Sanjeev to remain 'Sajeev' in the Systems and the Extended Rajagiri Family

When, on March 16th 2023, the last working day, I made a special announcement about the departure of the Principal, children, teachers and the parents waiting to pick up the children were in for a shock.  But when they came to know why he was winding this up, they felt inspired - that someone is setting aside one's career priorities to better serve one's family, one's aging mother. 

The school head boy was reported sharing with his father: I feel bad for my juniors who choose Economics; they will be missing the classes of the Principal. 

The members of the parents' council feel that a major contribution of Sanjeevkumar has been the efforts to keep the parents' council a reality - a platform where parents and teachers could interact in a friendly manner. 

They felt that from afar he was the Principal, but, if you only approached him, you would find what an-easy-to-get-along-guy he was. His unexpectedly vibrant presence on the parent-teacher football match and his adroitness at guiding the team to victory, made him a principal with a difference to the parent community.  The few occasions created during the course of the first post-lockdown year for the parents and teachers to come together beyond the discussion of the students' academic performance, made the school more into a family. 

They observe that he was a principal who could make things happen without making noise about it.  Parents recalled that children commented on how inspiringly and passionately the principal addressed them.  A III grader reported when they were noisy principal would just come, ask them some questions, gently tell something to their teacher, by which time they would have quietened, and then go back with a smile for them. 

Principal's response was that we were blessed to have a very disciplined student body, and a very erudite parent group. His only caution was that parental feed back while always welcome was to be tempered and made in a tone that would make it easy to accept - aiming more at improving the systems than giving vent to one's emotions. 

The Social Studies department claims him to have been their part.  In the initial phase he did attend department meetings couple of times, but could not continue with the practice later on.  What they all felt was his democratic approach.  He had something to speak about each of them as a parting message. The HoD Ms Vidya found him a vision-giving leader, when ordinary leaders gave target! (I tend to be a target setting task master?) 

There is a senior grade student with her parents, who want to bid the Principal good bye, as they came to know of his departure.  They feel glad for the progress the school has attained under his leadership and for the their ward's development as a student. They want to present a keep-sake; but Principal is insistent that their concern and love are what matters, and not any gift. 

With the teachers of the preliminary section his appeal was to make learning fun by increased activity based component and the task of teacher being that of 'learning with their students'.  I endorsed the appeal with a request to make it more measurable - set a target percentage for activity based lessons for the year. 

The Little Kingdom (Kinder Garten) stewards expressed their inspiration from the various interactions with the principal - his public addresses, as well as his response to their programmes. Principal felt that their practice of group learning titled 'edu-log' should continue. As usual, he had something special to share about each one of them. 

Regarding Mr. Sanjeevkumar SL, here is my 'encomium': 

I came to know Mr. Sanjeevkumar as the Principal of Rajagiri Public School, Doha, Qatar.  I have found in him, a rare academic leader who has absorbed the modern philosophy and spirit of education, especially as CBSE conceives it - education as a happy, friendly, collective learning experience. 

In one sentence, I would say, the very name encompasses the school – S – Serve, L – Learn; and Sanjeev from Sanjeevani – the panacea for fullness of life, in other words, Excellence. 

He led the transition of Rajagiri Public School, Doha from its status of a middle school to a full-fledged school offering K-12 grades during his tenure of four years from 2019 to 2023.

He was instrumental in bringing in various systems and policies for a school, which make it eligible for accreditation by Qatar … and affiliation by CBSE, New Delhi. One such key policy was on communication.  He encouraged using the formal and informal channels for strengthening communication and almost succeeded in making it a practice that all emails are responded within 24 hours. And the mail that came to him, he managed to attend to all of them. 

Primarily,  a passionate teacher of Economics, he brings in critical perspectives of Developmental Economics.

He is an eloquent speaker with wit and wisdom laced beautifully in his addresses.  He has also been an accomplished trainer of teachers in the CBSE circles. As expected of any good teacher, he maintains interest in several matters including literature and theatre, sports and games, writing and socialising...

As an educator, he believes in schools as happy places for students.  As an administrator he is  receptive to ideas, encourages team work, believes in autonomy, the principle of subsidiarity and minimal interference.  It is both his strength and at times, his weakness: He entrusts people with tasks with necessary guidance and leaves them free to operate. and trusts that they will accomplish it. 

A critical thinker on development politics, besides his interest in literature, he has also contributed several articles to popular magazines and newspapers, both in English and Malayalam. He is fired by the passions the poets share, and feels his addresses are incomplete without a line or two from his favourite Malayalam poets or evergreen mystics or philosophers like Khalil Gibran or Rumi or Dewey.. 

I deem it a privilege to have worked with him as Academic Director of the school and that we could get along over the year, without stepping on each other's toes, and perhaps taking small steps for further development of the  school by giving and receiving ideas.  I am glad, and am grateful to him for having put my pet theme of the global agenda of sustainable development goals (SDGs) for our action framework this year onwards - as we take on Goals No. 2 - No Hunger, and No. 13 - Climate Action this year.  In his fond remembrance, we kept apart one of the saplings to be planted on forest day. And after the farewell function, he planted the Miswak, the natural desert grown tooth brush!! I hope it will grow!

In his response at the formal farewell, he shared warm sentiments regarding the unique concern the management shows towards the staff, which he too had experienced.  He also mentioned our travel together, and shrouding in his typical positivity, he shared his experience of my impatience - which I take more as a compliment, as I know I am impatient to get things done, and I also feel that my days are getting counted - and I have miles to go, and whoever I am with, as well (people or projects).

I feel he has made the school a welcoming and happy place, created a space for the parents and school to meet and share beyond the formal system. I hope the legacy sustains and gains in strength. 

I feel it is befitting to end this with a poetic parting words, I borrow from Murugan Kattakkada: 

Ormikkuvaan njaan ninakkenthu nalkanam Ormikkanam enna vaakku maathram

Ennenkilum veentum evite vacchenkilum kandu muttaam enna vaakku maathram. 

May we hold each other with good will in our memory! May our paths cross and may we recognize each other as we travel towards our destiny! 

I end with the good wishes from the Vedic Text:

Pashyema sharada: shatam

Jeevema sharada: shatam

Budhyema sharada: shatam

Rohema sharada: shatam

Pooshema sharada: shatam

Bhavema sharada: shatam

Bhooyema sharada: shatam

Bhooyasi: sharada: shatam|| (AV, Cant. 19:67)

May you see a hundred years! May you live a hundred years! May your intellect remain alert for a hundred years! ....May you remain uncorrupted and holy for a hundred years! May all these remain beyond hundred years! 

P.S. The formal farewell was a very positively emotionally charged occassion - went much beyond my expectation.  When I was consulted I observed so many programmes could not have been included; but finally - all came to be good; participation, creativity, positive sentiments - all found their way on the stage. Some directly in reference to the Principal, some other apparently a reference to his tastes - the dance by Dance department and parting mudras by compere Kajal Moosa accompanying the impressive rendition of the lines of 'kaattupoovu' of Vinod Poovakkod, were eloquent, pleasing and even emotionally charging. The other compere Mr. Ben Antony referred to his 'stoicism' as the outstanding leadership trait he exhibited. The videos presented by the Hindi department, the Al Arabic-Mallu song, the Tamil seythikal, the mentalist show by science department, the short speeches by the HoDs - it was a melange of the cultrual diversity of the campus! Had it been Mammootty - the programme evidenced sense, sensitivity and sensibility! 

Principal responded very warmly, positively - he shook hands with everyone, the guys were privileged to have a hug! His compulsive habit of adding a poem could not avoided.  But this time, it was one by Ayyappapanicker - Raatrikal Pakalukal (I had thought it was his own - an indicator of my poor literacy of literature - Malayalam or any other!).  I didn't follow it fully, but definitely, there was poetry in that, and a lot of rhyme! I thought, with such long ceremony, now nobody would be for the tree! But Mr. Ajit stood guard on that, and principal and his wife Ms Sandhya (relieved today from DPS) also joined in making his memory on the campus green with a Miswak (Salvadora persica) sapling. I hope before long Rajagirians will be using it substituting for their tooth brush! 

Women's Day Salutations!

Salutations to the Feminine Wing of our Faculty Team on International Women's Day!

I admire you for the natural way in which you do the highly demanding multi-tasking - of being a career woman, being a parent, being a home maker and manager.  Thank you for that. 

You are not the 'brutal' majority here, but the angelic and floral majority! Continue to make our karmakshetra more homely and caring by your rejuvenated presence in the new year. 

Wish you all the best in the new academic year! May God our Mother and Father bless you all!

My  salutaitons on women's day also attached for your reading (if time permits): 

https://prasantamcmi.blogspot.com/2023/03/sakti-sampatti-sadbuddhi-women-power-of.html

Academic Director

Ittiyavirah +101 - A Sadhu (valid) Testimony to Jesus-Way and STEM Integration

Ittiyavirah +101 - A Sadhu (valid) Testimony to Jesus-Way and STEM Integration

Website Link: https://www.indiancurrents.org/article-sadhu-ittiyavirah-a-testimony-to-jesus-way-j-prasant-palakkappillil-1599.php

As I read the news of his gentle departure at the ripe age of 101, I recall Sadhu Ittiyavirah with love and reverence. He is a modern day Tathagathan - who 'just went thus by', light as a breeze - trying his bit to make the world a better place. I would consider him one of the old timer STEM persons, who perhaps didn't ever come across the acronym. By the time, STEM became popular, his faculties had lost their old-time sharpness to grasp anything new. 

Otherwise, from the days I had begun to interact with him as a fresher in Social Work education at Rajagiri College of Social Sciences, where he used to bless us with his presence annually, introducing his new books to the college library and receiving gratefully, whatever we deemed fit to give, I had seen him as a sharp-witted, keen to grasp kind person. I tried to make his arrival on the campus, often unannounced, occasions for interaction with the budding social work trainees, and he would engage them for some time with his smile, and his heuristic method, and with its definite link with science (read, nature). 

Most of his short lessons in his 100 odd books are all based on the basic science he learnt from his PDC or B Sc classes at SH College. (I am not sure, what was that he had studied at SH). But he had this unique trait of taking a phenomenon of nature, and then linking it to life and life beyond the physical! An amazing way towards problem-centred, life-oriented, enquiry based, experimental learning for life. It had science, math, rudiments of engineering and technology and above all, link to life! I would call him STEM Sadhu, who was full of STEAM (+A for arts) and had he been recognized and supported properly, could have upscaled it all into STREAM (+R for research)! His own house and the land around it were also fields of experiments for him. And he went about, with his disarming smile, doing good in his own way, harming no one and spreading goodness. 

The last time I met him, after almost a gap of 6 or 7 years, was in 2020, at his home near Kothamangalam. I went to greet him as the head of his alma mater. Though he knew me rather well, by then, nearing 100, he was not able to place me. When one is not able to do that, in spite of all his goodness, we feel the disconnect. But I did spend quite some time at his place, listening to him, a bit disoriented, but still with a passion and enthusiasm, sparkle in the eyes and smile on his lips. Had pictures taken with him. 

I first heard about him from some casual reference made by my mother who spoke about Sadhu Ittiyavirah.  The name itself was a strange one! But I got to see him, and converse with him several times, almost two decades later, after my having been ordained a minister in the catholic church.  He was a radical who took to Jesus-way radically, feeling that the Jesuit (the conventional Catholic religious life) was not radical enough. That was a daring step, and perhaps, he gave himself the monicker 'sadhu'. Sadhu would mean 'right' or 'valid', but derivatively, in Malayalam, it meant as a noun 'someone who was poor or good or harmless', or as an adjective 'poor' or 'harmless'. He lived as a 'sadhu' with God alone as his asset, and the rest 'asadhu' (invalid). But he is said to have finally given himself to the counsel of the very many of his 'beneficiaries' in the Church, to adopt the conventional family life, though at a very late stage (as per conventional age-norms) in his life.  

After I shared my notes on him among the friends' circle, many who were senior to me by 10 or more years, responded how he was a household name in the school circles across the Christian belt of Keralam.  He would appear in his coarse khadi dhoti and jubba (kurta), with a cloth bag slung on his shoulder, and would narrate stories, sing songs and teach the youngsters lessons for life.  When I began seeing him, he had shifted to pants for his lowers, and I didn't observe them to be coarse cotton, but khadi kurta still held the sway. 

I deem myself blessed for having had the 'satsang' of this great soul, who literally took to Jesus' way of growing great by being small, who conquered hearts with his smile, and who persevered till the last to have lasted over a century! He was somone who dared to walk it alone, and didn't bother about the consequences. May your frail frame hold no fear of death and decay dear elder brother, dear fellow traveller and pilgrim - continue to walk with us in the communion of saints that we too may find the joy of learning and discovering the connect - with the phenomena - life - text - context and beyond! 

P.S. Though my own holiness is not growing, my company of saintly people is swelling - Mother Teresa, Rani Maria, Sadhu Ittiyavirah, my great grand-uncle, Ven. Varghese Payyappilly, my young student Ajna... Hope that will merge with the countless witnesses above, whose company, I hope to enjoy irrespective of its coordinates! 

 

Judy Heumann - A Human Par Excellence

As the world celebrated women and womanhood on March 8, 2023, it also registers the dignified departure of a very rare woman on the 6th of March 2023 - a human, humane, superhuman Judy Heumann. The name is pronounced human itself, and she proved by her life, how to be fully human and fully alive, in spite of the reality of physical disabilities she faced.  Yes, she bore them humanly. Her memoir,  of which she is a co-author is rightly named 'Being Heumann'.  Its version for young adults is termed 'Rolling Warrior'.

Now it is very common in the educational circles to speak about inclusive education.  In India, there are rights for persons with disabilities, euphemistically referred to as differently abled and divyangjan, giving the reality a religio-spiritual aura. Well, if the euphemisms boost their morale and fetch them their dues better, fine. Otherwise, let it be the reality of limitations, and the possibilities of one's abilities despite the disabilities. 

But this disability rights bandwagon, in India or elsewhere, owes a great deal to this daring and amazing woman. She was born on December 18, 1947 in Philadelphia to German Jewish parents, who had fled Nazi persecution.  She was brought up in New York.  At age 2, a severe attack of polio took away her mobility, and had to be on an 'iron lung' for months to keep her alive.  With a culture mileu that had accepted that 'kids with disability were a social and economic hardship', he initial education had to be homeschooling by her own mother.  But with the survivor's instincts inherited from her parents, she graduated from high school, went on to complete her bachelor's from Long Island University, and Master's degree in Public Health from University of California, Berkeley. 

In the 70s, she waged a legal war against New York board of education, leading to her becoming the first teacher on a wheelchari in the United States.  The non-violent struggle under her leadership in a federal building in Sanfrancisco led to the historical enactment of Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.  She played a crucial role in getting the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities ratified in May 2008. Her vision and merit didn't go unrecognized by the US government.  She was made the assistant secretary of the US Office for Special Education and Disability Services in 1993, and she held that office till 2001.

Maria Town, president of American Association of People with Disabilities, herself a palsy affected person,  narrates how Judy was instrumental in making people accept the reality, come to terms with it, and do well in spite of it. Her efforts were in the direction of making things better for the people affected by disabilities.  To her credit are: the Berkeley Center for Independent Living, the Independent Living Movement and the World Institute on Disability.  She served on the boards of several related organizations including the American Association of People with Disabilities, the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, Humanity and Inclusion and the United States International Council on Disability, her website says.

Immigrant German, Jewish, disabled, woman - all these could have been disabilities for her times.  She not only overcame them, but became a trailblazer for millions who bear the mark of disabilities, to assure them their rights in this world which is equally theirs! 

My special salute is to this great woman, Mother of Disability Rights Movement, not a mere survivor, but real winner, overcoming several odds in her life, and demostrated powerfully, that another way is possible.

Sakti, Sampatti, Sadbuddhi - New Goddesses of Indian Women Power in Bollywood

On this women's day, I would like to write this note of salutation to women based on some Bollywood movies I watched in the recent past and which I found different from the typical plots, daring and equally entertaining. I also observe with surprise and gladness that the art and craft of Bollywood appears to be changing. The sparkling stars of Bollywood - who in the modern times have gone beyond their typical glamorous and conventional roles, have consciously made attempts to explore the realms of art of theatre by taking up challenging roles, which in turn, have made them more powerful artistes.  Some recent movies come to my mind  evoke respect for womanhood, and present some powerful women. 

I would place in the first spot, Taapsee Pannu's characterisation of Amrita in Thappad (Anubhav Sinha, 2020). A 'slap' in a party by an unthinking and irritated careerist husband, who didn't mean anything more than a mere ventilation of his frustration by that, and glossed over it as just another instance in the family life, becomes a starting point of critical selfhood for the happy Amrita, who, till then, thought she was having a perfect home and life. It was almost like the enlightenment of a Bodhisatta, the thappad arouses an awakening! The woman was brought to stark realisation of one's selfhood and the kind of taken-for-grantedness one is forced into by the systems of family, religion and society. She rebels and does away with the shackles of that enslavement, even while maintaining her self-respect and respect and regard for all else concerned - gentle and firm.  That triggers off a series of revolts in her circles, with women from the elitist to those considered very dregs of the society taking a cue from her revolt, break off and free themselves from the exploitative relations they were in. 

Then there is the portrayal of two very powerful women by Kangana Ranaut - one from 19th century Indian history - the epic like saga of Rani Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi, Manikarnika (Radhakrishna  Jagarlamudi, 2019), where her heroics are depicted as challenging the societal norms and challenging the imperial exploiters against the background theme of patriotism.  The song 'desh se hai pyar ho to..mein rahoon ya naa rahoon, bhaarat yah rahna chahiye.' is very energizing  for me, in spite of its patriotic overtones and my avowed abhorrence of the present trends 'patriotism' takes around the world - bordering jingoism. We also see Kangana in Thalaivi (A.L. Vijay, 2021), portraying Jayalalita the tinsel-world dream girl turned Amma of Tamil Nadu, as a very bold and empowered woman who created history in Tamil Nādu in our own times. 

Taapsee and Kangana also bring out two other women power characters through Naam Shabana (Shivam Nair, 2017) and Panga (Ashwini Iyer Tiwari, 2020). In the former, Taapsee playing Shabana, a sports woman, using her athletic prowess becomes a covert agent while managing to wreak vengeance against the unjust murderers of her boyfriend.  In the latter, Kangana acts the role of Jaya Nigam, a national Kabaddi player, once the national team captain, who comes back powerfully into the game, with the whole hearted support of her family (husband and son) for whom she had set aside her sports career. It is a fight against several odds like family attachment, duty consciousness, age etc. 

I was also charmed by the movie Saand Ki Aankh (Tushar Hiranandani, 2019) where the two young female stars - Taapsee and Bhumi Pednekar display the life of  Chandro Tomar and Prakashi Tomar,  two rural Haryanvi women condemned to the life of bearing children and taking care of the household under the fierce male chauvinist family system. As late-bloomers they show forth diplomacy in covertly pursuing the belated discovery of their skill in shooting. Still leading the very rustic life, they are seen to be naturals and quick learners for an otherwise totally male dominated sport.  They grow and blossom, and in turn, inspire their daughters to be great sports women. But the movie rocks when they feel empowered to challenge the system, dare their powerful husbands, and gain acceptance by those very husbands and still maintain the family in one piece.  Marvellous portrayal of unglamorous roles for otherwise glamorous tinsel world of Bollywood, while scintillatingly revealing the women power! The characters emerge through them, in spite of their persistence with the ghungat, as ultramodern revolutionaries. 

Yes, I was charmed by Parineeti Chopra's rendering of Saina (Amole Gupta, 2021), the badminton icon of India, but was enamoured by the daring role of the unqualified sexologist (Baby Bedi) following Unani practices of Mamaji, so very well presented by Sonakshi Sinha in Khandaani Shafakhana by Shilpi Dasgupta (2019). Baby Bedi shocks not merely by a young woman donning a forbidden role, but also by openly challenging the established norms of discussing topics generally considered che-che! 

But the real toughie was the uncrowned empress of Kamathipura of Mumbai, Gangubai Kathiawadi (Sanjay Leela Bansali, 2022) powerfully rendered by Alia Bhatt.  Her flight from home for bright filmy future ends up as a fight for the respect and welfare of the women in prostitution, and her logical appeal for their rights buttressed by arguments, apparently silencing all critics and regaling the viewers with the subtle wit implied in every statement, deserve hats off to the director and the actor.  I would end this small note with her powerful statement: 

Sakti, sampatti, sadbuddhi (power, wealth and intellect) - teenon hi auraten hain, to in mardon ka kis baat ka guroor hai? Thus challenges Gangubai Kathiawadi, the rebel victim of Bombay's Kamaathipura trying to empower the womanhood of the Mumbai red streets. 

While I feel awed by the efforts taken by these women actors, I can't but salute the visionary directors behind the screen. - how well have they thought out these characters, highlighting both the systemic subjugation and the oft hidden and suppressed feminine power.   That two of these movies have women as the directors and some others have women co-directing is a matter worth noting, that it is not really the issue of talents not being there, but of opportunity which the system, more than often denies the women. 

Salutations to all women, especially those marvellous women who manage families full-time, and those working women, who double up to make and keep a family while earning a living, and in either case whose tremendous contribution is hardly ever reckoned.  I have several of them in my mind, of my family, my friends and my colleagues.  Perhaps, I should write about them, some other time.

May they all be happy and enjoy peace from the source of all peace and consolation!

 

Earth Day

Invest in our planet - Earth Day 2023

The Teenager Today  April 2023 pp. 16-17

From the known history of humankind on this planet, what could be observed is that our relationship with the planet earth had been one of dependence, extraction and exploitation.  A few decades ago, it was a standard usage in development discourses and in geography lessons to speak about the 'exploitation of natural resources'.  Now a days, that term is very rarely used in terms of utilising the resources of the planet. Earth day 2023 comes with a call to 'invest in our planet' setting aside the paradigm of extraction and exploitation. 

Earth Day brings to us a fiery tradition of environment concerns with its origin in the United States of America.  1969 January saw the blowout of an oil well of Union Oil, resulting in a spill off the coast of Santa Barbara,  California, that spread beyond 800 square miles and killed more than 10000 seabirds, dolphins, seals and sealions. It triggered of initiatives like Get Oil Out and on its first anniversary, an Environmental Rights Day with a Declaration of Environmental Rights drafted by Rod Nash, pioneering environment scholar and educator. This declaration which came out before the concept of sustainability gained acceptance starts with a 'mea culpa", accepting human crime linked to the planet, and stresses the need for an 'ecological consciousness' comprising (i) acceptance of humans as member of a community of living beings that share the environment, (ii) ethics to concern relationship with all living beings and environment, (iii) individual's responsibility towards environment, (iv) the right to private or corporate ownership to be so limited as to preserve the integrity of the environment, (v) the tremendous human power to impact the fragile earth, (vi) the need to redefine progress from the angle of long term quality, rather than immediate quantity. 

The UNESCO conference of Sanfrancisco in 1969 decided to dedicate an annual day to honour earth and promote peace. The initial proposal of March 21 of vernal equinox, was soon shifted to April 22nd. 

Earth Day  - A Saga of Inspired Minds and Courageous Hearts 

I read the earth-day narrative with tears in my eyes and goosebumps. An amazing story of insight, passion, courage, conviction, action, camaraderie and bonhomie.  Surprisingly, it begins with a politician - an ardent conservationist Senator of Wisconsin, Gaylord Nelson saw the potential for a formidable initiative in the Environmental Rights gathering of January 28. Nelson's initiatives carried by New York times piqued a young peace activist graduate student of Harvard, Denis Hayes, who dropped out of Harvard, and became the man friday for this.  Nelson's idea of teach-ins in the universities didn't receive great response, and as the initiative turned clueless for direction, a volunteer stepped into the campaign office. Julien Koenig, a quiet person, but a giant of ad field. To Hayes' request for a solution came the big idea of a day, with options Ecology Day, Environment Day, Earth Day and E-Day, and Earth Day was chosen. And he suggested April 22nd which happened to be his birth day, which he felt rhymed well with Earth Day and he came out with a full-fledged ad design on that. 

From the initial focus of action from anti-war college student peace-activists, who could not be drawn in large numbers on account of their involvement against war in Vietnam, the team identified the target of educated home makers and K-12 teachers.  The famous cartoon creator Walt Kelly came up with an anti-pollution poster with Pogo proclaiming, 'we have met the enemy and he is us'! The campaign was a hit with over 10000 schools getting involved and over 20 million Americans taking part in peaceful demonstrations for environmental reform. 

I see the thrilling link - a visionary political leader - an ardent student - an ad-professional - inspired school educators - educated homemakers - an awakened artist - and fiery volunteers from all sectors.

Over the 50 years, Earth Day underwent several changes, trying to be maximally inclusive, while making efforts to deliberately exclude established polluters who were willing to be coopted. It is celebrated in more than 190 countries the world over. The celebrations are typical - ranging from tree planting to anti-pollution and anti-free ways campaigns.  It is decidedly non-political in the sense of not aligning with any political party and not involving in electoral politics, but it did make a political campaign to defeat 12 congressmen who were identified as the Dirty Dozen (having the worst record on an environmental scale) and succeeded in defeating seven of them. 

An 'Earthen' Spirituality

Coming to celebrating this day, what can we do as individuals and planetarians towards the cause of earth? 

The first step is to realise that earth-cause is our own.  It calls for an enlightened awareness and a critical consciousness. Some of the Indian traditions beautifully make a claim to this: earth is my mother, and I am earth's son (mataa bhumi: putro ayam pruthviyaa:).  Bhumi Suktam (Earth Hymn), the 12th hymn of the ancient Atharva Veda, is a poetic salutation of earth as the Mother.  This is easily translated into a spiritual quest of regard and care for all beings as the children of that one mother. 

A  practical step is not to be a polluter - by recognizing how we disregard (pollute) our mother - by way of solid and liquid waste, by wanton use of energy. Every bit of paper littered, every avoidable plastic carry bag, every light bulb or plug switch unnecessarily kept on, is adding to her disfigurement. 

It is the month of April and summer peaking in the Eastern-Southern part of the world. As the nations compete in the race of development, we become more and more urbanised, creating Urban Heat Islands (UHI).  High city temperatures are not just a health hazard, but a cause of premature death of thousands, points out a new study published by The Lancet medical journal.  Increased tree cover of urban centres can reduce mean temperature by 0.4C and can prevent such deaths by 30%.  So, that is again a call for the commonest of actions to be an earth child - to become gods, plant a tree! add to the green cover! There is a call for BiodiverCities by 2030, by reducing 'nature loss' of the city.  A local community activity would be to identify and list the biodiversity of the locality, and annually renew it on Earth Day!

Salutations to Mother Earth!

Salutations to mother earth! The truth (satyam), the cosmic law (rtam), the spiritual passion manifested in mighty initiations (ugram diksha), penances and self dedications to the search of the ultimate (brahmayajna); these have sustained the mother earth for ages; May she, who is to us a consort of the past and the future, expand our inner life in this world towards the cosmic life  (Bhumi Suktam 1).