A LEGACY OF BALANCE

In his new book 'Speaking with Nature: The Origins of Indian Environmentalism', acclaimed historian Ramachandra Guha offers a fresh perspective on India's environmental heritage, challenging the widespread belief that environmental consciousness is a uniquely Western import

- DESE GOWDA

In his latest book, Speaking with Nature: The Origins of Indian Environmentalism (HarperCollins; ₹799), historian Ramachandra Guha takes readers on a journey through India's environmental past—a legacy that few are familiar with. The book was launched in the city on Saturday.

Challenging the prevalent notion that environmental consciousness is a recent, Western import, Guha uncovers a lineage of Indian thinkers who, long before 'sustainability' became a buzzword, grappled with the need for a balanced relationship with nature. Through their lives and writings, these figures—ranging from the poet Rabindranath Tagore to the economist J.C. Kumarappa—anticipated the environmental challenges we face today and crafted a vision of coexistence that Guha calls 'livelihood environmentalism'.

This form of environmentalism, Guha argues, is not born out of luxury. It's not the 'full-stomach environmentalism' of the affluent West, who often focus on protecting aesthetic landscapes or endangered species. "In the environmental movement, both in India and abroad, there's a trend where people focus only on beautiful landscapes or endangered species that need to be protected, which I'd call 'speaking for nature'," Guha observes.