INDIRA GANDHI

DURGA, WHO SAVED TIGERS

For strange reasons, I grew up with anti-Congress stand. In childhood, I used to hear about emergency, defeat of Indira Gandhi and later a comeback through my home district of Chickamagalur.

Those days, I had heard about Atal Behari Vajapayee and I was his great admirer. When I learnt about him comparing Indira Gandhi to goddess Durga, I had felt little let down. But, I chose to ignore it. At one point of time, it was fashion for me to be anti-Indira Gandhi.

As I grew up, I started understanding politics and politicians better. I concluded that the politicians from different parties were different faces of same coin – taking shelter under different ideologies, while searching for opportunities. As a journalist, I realized that there were few good people here too, if I ignored their personal weakness. Consequently, started ignoring the party lines.

There were great orators, highly knowledgeable people and people with great social concern. All looked struck in the whirl pool called `system’. There seemed to be difficulty in transforming their ideas into action. During last two decades, the quality of politicians I am meeting has deteriorated.

Indira Gandhi came back to haunt me when I started trailing wildlife, especially involving with people working against mining at Kudremukh in Western Ghats. My friend Praveen Bhargav, who was in the forefront of the legal battle could recite Wildlife Conservation Act and Environment Protect Act by heart and I used to be wonder struck. I realized that both the Acts were enacted in 1972 and 1980, while Indira Gandhi was Prime Minister.

I knew little about Indira Gandhi’s brought up – barring sketchy details like she was daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru, student of Santiniketan, lady who won war against Pakistan to create Bangla Desh and the autocrat who imposed emergency on India.

In the beginning, I ignored enacting these Acts, as Congress and India were under her iron fist. Later, whenever I recalled the path Congress travelled, changing party symbol from cow and calf to hand, I realized there was more to it. There were multiple mutinies in the party, splits, personal defeat in election, before she could emerge as unquestionable leader in the country.

The question was how and why did she enacted these two Acts? Only those who read and understand these Acts would know the depth of the issues. Unless someone has proper knowledge of environment, ecology, sustainability of ecosystem with scientific temperament, it is impossible to understand the subject. Let alone enacting such an Act.

This could not be result of routine bureaucratic exercise, unless someone had applied their mind properly, I presumed. I realized that I was right when I caught hold of this book; `Indira Gandhi, A Life in Nature,’ by none other than former Union Minister for Environment and Forests Mr Jairam Ramesh, who also hails from my home district of Chickamagaluru.

The book is a bit difficult to read, moving to and forth on timeline. Someone who loves to read the book like a fairy tale would definitely brush it aside for a good reading. However, it gives a graphic picture of what shaped Indira Priyadarshini into Indira Gandhi. In some places, it leaves the reader stunned about the personality, which we never aware of.

I was taken aback when I read: ``Off she went early the next morning, accompanied by her grandchildren, to see the chinar trees in all their glory. She also visited her favorite Dachigam National Park – literally walking on a carpet of leaves. A strange sense of satisfaction engulfed her.’’

Most of my friends envy me for vanishing in wild without notice and returning with some memories. Of late, I am struggling to divide time between work, my daughter and wildlife. At times, I impatiently wait for months to get lost in the wild.

Here is the lady, who is not only a grandmother, but also leading a country and largest party of the largest democracy. It was on Oct 27, 1984, four days before she was brutally gunned down, when she made the trip. Such passion for nature was beyond my comprehension.

Coming back to the two Acts I was talking about, both was promulgated at most turbulent times of Indira Gandhi. Between 1971 and 1972, she was in midst of hectic activities like Nationalisation of Banks, Indo-Soviet Treaty, War against Pakistan and creation of Bangladesh. At the same time, Naxalbari movement broke out, which is now termed to be Naxalite movement. Her Secretary P N Haksar was guiding Indira, who was in her third year of being Prime Minister in tackling these issues.

Meanwhile, without Mr Haksar, Indira was silently working on another issue. She promulgated Wildlife Protection Act 1972, which resulted in saving most of the wildlife in India.

In Aug 1980, while acknowledging condolence message from noted ornithologist Salim Ali on death of her second son Sanjay Gandhi, Indira wrote back: You will have noticed that I am referring all issues concerned with ecology to you. I hope it is not too much of a burden and that you will help us to find amicable solutions. As you know, the State governments are very persistent with their demands.

In coming days, Indira Gandhi promulgated Environment Conservation Act, 1980. God! What do you call this conviction? Beyond anyone’s comprehension…

Whatever opinion I have against Jawaharlal Nehru, I should admit that his best contribution to India is Indira Gandhi and shaping her into environmentalist. Of course, she became politician later. It started in 1930, when he gifted her book called `Life of the Bee’ by Maurice Maeterlinck. The letter correspondence between father and daughter that are mentioned in the book suggests how it went on to shape her personality. In 1932, Indira Gandhi had read over 60 books in English and French.

The book gives graphic details on how Indira Gandhi, as a child, was fond of climbing trees, hiding and reading books, so that no one disturbed her. Her maternal uncle Mr Kailas Nath Kaul, a leading botanist was a great influence on her. His passion for snakes made her friendly towards animals. Mountains remained a common thread running through her lift. Her association with birds even in prison, just trying to identify them with their sounds is amazing. She lived the life with nature to fullest extent, amidst her hectic political schedule.

It was appalling to know that Indira Gandhi’s fist encounter with tiger in wild was in Karnataka, while she was visiting Jog in 1952. Though the Teen Murthy Bhavan was converted into a mini-zoo, with three tiger cubs – Bhima, Hadimba and Bhariav, she describes this encounter as an exceptional one.

 

Her conservation path was not as simple as enacting two Acts and letting the government machinery sit on it. Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary haunted her for almost three decades, since 1953, when Jawaharlal Nehru was alive. In 1982, finally Indira Gandhi succeeded in declaring it as National Park and provides complete protection to it. So is Sariska, which was in news recently in news for all wrong reasons of tigers being poached to extinction.

The book also throws light on Indira’s sense of perfect balance between economy and ecology. She was more concerned about demographic changes that would affect country’s future, as natural resources were limited. When the population was looking to reach 50 million, she brought out family planning. Unfortunately, today, even when population has exceeded 1.25 billion and still racing ahead, none of the political parties make introspection. Instead, bureaucratic statistics are used to justify the category and age group of population that would trigger GDP. Amazing!

I don’t think anyone – even in Congress have completely understood Indira Gandhi and her convictions in life. The book has, through many letter correspondences gives a chance to interpret and understand the most misunderstood leader and Jairam Ramesh deserves great appreciation for bringing out the book.

But, I am puzzled about Mr Jairam Ramesh himself. He admits that his 26 months stint as in charge of MoEF, he got transformed from being a zealot for rapid economic growth at all costs to someone who came to insist that such rapid economic growth must be anchored in ecological sustainability.

He continues to say that this country cannot afford to follow a blind `grow now, pay later’ model. We are already a nation of around 1.24 billion and we will add a third of that number by middle of the century. Climate change is a devastating reality, and is affecting our monsoon patterns, glaciers and mean sea levels. Pollution and chemical contamination are having very substantial public health consequences.

The very same UPA government enacted Forest Dwellers’ Right Act, which is detrimental for growth of forest dwellers as well as wildlife. A proper rehabilitation program would have helped the forest dwellers to merge with mainstream, while wildlife, which is struggling in as meager as three per cent of total land would have a longer chance of survival. This would have been a win-win situation for both, which was long term ambition of Indira Gandhi also.

Did Mr Jairam Ramesh tried appraising party bosses and convince his party bosses on Indira Gandhi’s ideals and dreams? I don’t know if he did or caught in a whirl pool like situation and remained a mute spectator.

In 1943, while in Ahmednagar prison, Indira Gandhi writes to her father about a neem tree falling in the prison premises:

`The potent bear whose hug

Was feared by all, is now a rug.’

This holds good for the two magnificent laws enacted by Indira Gandhi. Mauled and mutilated by all political parties to garner votes, brushing realities under carpet called economical statistics. However, the original structure of both remain intact – thanks to intervention of judiciary.

Being daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru or wife of Firoz Gandhi did not transform Indira Priyadarshini into Indira Gandhi. Her close association with nature, her conviction to protect them, persuasion to achieve goals, striking a balance between economy and ecology and more importantly, protecting long term interest of the country instead of resorting to cheap populist measures.

I had a lot of reservation about Indira Gandhi’s style of functioning, especially imposing emergency. A letter in 1969 to Dorothy Norman comforted me to a large extent:

``Need I assure you that I am not closer to the communist or dictatorship of any kind. Unfortunately, the institution of bossism created a clash. Each state boss came to believe that he was the State. Perhaps because I have tried to be accommodating, they all thought I was weak. The last two years have been of tremendous pressure and difficulty. If it had been a question of myself or my position, it would not have mattered. But the manner in which I was pushed around, with a view to finally pushed me out of office, not only split Congress, but weakened it in long run.’’

Finally, I endorsed Atal Behari Vajapayee and agree that she was Durga. Not for riding a tiger, but for saving it for us. I feel, this was the woman I hated, later the lady I adored and finally fell in love with.

Happy birthday Indiramma…..

Vinay Madhav