Colonialism vs environmentalism

The premise of this collection of essays on prominent naturalists, mainly Indian, is notable, needed and quite frankly, inspirational. It contests effectively the widely held notions that love for nature and the creation and adoption of methods that help the environment are Western constructs and inventions that India has adopted.

- RANJONA BANERJI

The premise of this collection of essays on prominent naturalists, mainly Indian, is notable, needed and quite frankly, inspirational. It contests effectively the widely held notions that love for nature and the creation and adoption of methods that help the environment are Western constructs and inventions that India has adopted. Nor does it pander to the equally Western idea of the "Noble Savage", who by his or her daily behaviour has some spiritual connection with nature.

Ramachandra Guha has collected a formidable cast: Rabindranath Tagore, Radhakamal Mukerjee, J.C. Kumarappa, Patrick Geddes, Albert and Gabrielle Howard, Madeleine/Mira, Verrier Elwin, K.M. Munshi and M. Krishnan. Each has a separate area of expertise and the reach here is broad—from poetry and understanding the ways of nature, to sociological ecology, a grassroots Gandhian village view, town planning, agriculture, hands-on environmentalism, tribal and community connections to forests, tree-plantations from a Hindu perspective to a naturalist and wildlife specialist.

These names and subjects cover every aspect of environmentalism as we understand it, and if climate change and global warming are missing from the list it is only because humans did not pay heed to the words and examples of those mentioned here.