Environmental movements in post independent india /shodhganga
Answers
India has tbe heritage of ecological consciousness endowed and
endeared by its religion and culture. Classical' India testified a cosmological
worldview through the religio-philosophical outiook of the Vedic, Upanishadic,
·Epic and Puranic traditions (Singh: 1986, Dwivedi and Tiwari: 1987, Mathew:
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1996, Dua: 1996, Se~h: 1997, James: 1999; Chandrasekhar: 1999; Dwivedi: 2001).
Literary imagination in India too portraysa harmonious man- nature rel~tionship.
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From Kalidasa to Rabindranath Tagore, literary genres in India succinctly
delineate harmony between human beings and nature (Nlishra: 1992, Seth: 1997,
Ra)r: 1999; Sen Gupta: 2001 ). Thus, one of the chief characteristics of the Indian
civilization has been a marked sensitivity to natural ecosystems. However, this is
not to suggest that the heritage of eco- spirituality has prevented the Indians to
harm their environment. Environmental deterioration took place in India despite
Indian civilization having a tradition of a marked sensitivity_ towards the
environment for a couple of reasons which are tied to the socio-historical
contextualities that India passed through. India ?istorically was ·a collective of
numerous principalities ruled by petty kings and emperors. Firstly, game-hunting
culture was integral to the palace lifestyles, which led to the extinction of some
rare animals like some species of cheetah and tigers. Se<;ondly, construction of
large palatial_ edifices demanded a stipply of huge ammlnt o~timber and fuelwood,
which was extracted -luxuriously from. the rich tropical fores-ts. Tl1irdly,
Indian history is a history of internecine warfare between kings and feudal lords.
l'vloreover, India also witnessed a series of external aggressions. This traditioO: of
warfare had an adverse impact on India's environment. For instance, flooding of
enemy's route to prevent them from advancing, destruction of cultivated
environment such as crop fields and orchards with the intent to effect habitatdenial
to its human oq.:upants, digging of trenches and construction of bridges
· and roads to facilitate military operations, clearing of forests and exploitation of
wetlands to increase food production to feed the fighting soldiers--all these war
strategies could have impacted on the human and natural environment adversely.