Introduction:
Etimologically, the word ‘Philosophy’ is
derived from two Greek words ‘Philos’ and ‘sophia’. ‘Philos’ means love and ‘Sophia’
means knowledge. A philosophy is a view and way of life. It gives a direction
to life and offers a design for living. Environmental Education as a sub-system
of society is always guided by certain beliefs and principles. Environmental
Education, committed to bringing about desired changes in human behaviour
towards environment, has certain assumptions, beliefs, principles and values.
Mahatma Gandhi, a great philosopher,
a great educationist and a strong supporter of sustainable development was an
ardent lover of nature. His simple living style was adoptive to nature. He gave
emphasis on simple living and high thinking. He was against consumerization. He
never adopted sophisticated style -a result of consumerization. Consumerism
increases the use of industrial products and resources which ultimately add
different type of wastes in natural environment causing pollution. Today
bio-diversity is in danger due to Ozone depletion, green house effect, climatic
change and for the increasing use of natural resources by the modern man.
Mahatma Gandhi was against the excess use and exploitation of natural
resources. He protested human greed for the exploitation of nature. His simple
life style was suited to nature. He gave emphasis on the minimum and efficient
use of available natural resources. He was very famous for his conservative
attitude and compassion for the nature.
The Way of Conservation and
Protection of natural resources:
Mahatma Gandhi gave importance on self-control over body and
mind. He practiced ‘Yama’ and ‘Niyama’ as self-discipline mentioned in
religious scriptures. The ‘Yama’ is the
ethical code of conduct related to living organisms and materialistic things in
natural resources. He maintained five Yamas’ for the conservation and
protection of natural resources.
1. ‘Ahimsha’: It is nonviolence towards
living creatures like birds, insects, plants, animals and other organisms in
nature. Non-violence results in safe living of all living creatures and thus in
maintaining biodiversity and ecological balance.
2. ‘Satya’: ‘satya’ means the Truth. It
is the legitimate way of controlling the use of natural resources. ‘Satya’
helps to avoid destruction of nature and to maintain balance between the need
and greed. It results in peace and harmony in nature.
3. ‘Asteya’: ‘Asteya’ is the willful
destruction of illegitimate use of natural resources. It prevents
deforestation. Gandhi practiced this as the genesis of environmental
protection.
4. Brahmacharya: ‘Brahmacharya’ means
celibacy. It results in the control of birth rate and inevitably checks the
population explosion. Today the growing population increases the rate of
maximum use of natural resources that creates various natural hazards. Living
on the following path of ‘Brahmacharya’can indirectly help to follow minimum
use of natural resources for the sake of better living of future generation.
5. ‘Aparigraha’: ‘Aparigraha’ means
amassing the wealth. It helps to cherish the ideals of minimum needs and
minimum use of natural resources. It promotes protection and conservation of
natural resources for the use of future generation.
Five Code of Conduct for better
environment:
Mahatma Gandhi practised five
self-imposed code of conduct called ‘Niyamas’. These include ‘Kama’, ‘Lova’,
‘Moha’, ‘Ahankara’ related to the cleanliness of mind, body and the surrounding
environment.
i.
‘Kama’:
‘Kama’refers to sexual desire. Mahatma Gandhi advises to control of unwanted to
desire. It helps to control population explosion and thus deterioration of
environment.
ii.
‘Krodh’: ‘Krodh’ means anger which is the root cause
of war and destruction of nature. Warfare is destructive and dangerous which
causes harm to nature. War is the disastrous threat to the environment. The use
of nuclear weapons causes destruction of balance of environment.
iii.
‘Lobha’: ‘Lobha’ means greed. Greed develops
consumeration and maximum use of natural resources which resulted in
destruction of natural resources. Mahatma Gandhi inspired for controlling greed
and thus prevented misuse of natural resources and encouraged the protection of
natural resources.
iv.
‘Moha’:
It means undue attainment of resources. Mahatma Gandhi showed the path of non
attachment to wealth. Attachment causes greed and thus it promotes over
exploitation of natural wealth and degradation of nature.
v.
‘Ahankar’:
It means undue self-proud. This triggers the race towards destruction and
annihilation of peace. Proud of mind enhances the use of variety of goods and
services that promotes natural destruction.
ROOTS
OF GANDHIAN ENVIRONMENTALISM:
Gandhi was influenced by Jainism and
Buddhism particularly the Jain’s ‘Sarbapranabad’ theory and non-violence.
Jainism looks at nature as a living entity and exhorts human beings to
continually purify themselves by respecting the diverse life forms. Gandhi
wanted to strengthen the relation between man and earth. He considered religion
for maintaining the balance of ecology. Hinduism also looks at nature and all
life forms with equal reverence. Gandhi’s voice of environmentalism was not the
lone voice at the turn of the twentieth century. Rabindranath Tagore
represented nature in his poems and works. Shantiniketan, the institution that
he founded, was another example of nature-friendly study and living. Gandhi
drew on a number of Western thinkers. John Ruskin, for example, showed the
harmonious relationship humans had with nature. Henry David Thoreau, whose
essay on civil disobedience had influenced Gandhi, believed that nature could
exist without humans, that prompted him
to focus on the relation between human
beings and the environment. Edward Carpenter, who was influenced by John Ruskin
and Hindu mysticism also wanted to lead a life that was simple and close to
nature. His critique of civilisation was a major influence on Gandhi’s (1997)
first book Hind Swaraj. He said: “I need no
inspiration other than Nature’s.” Gandhi did not come to develop his integrated vision
from original insights into nature and its working. Instead he was
exploring how social change could be brought about through least harm to
other human beings as well as to nature. Gandhian environmental
activists like Chandi Prasad Bhatt and Sunderlal Bahuguna of the Chipko
movement or even Medha Patkar and Baba Amte of the Narmada
movement began their activism over questions relating to the livelihood issues of
the marginalized sections of society.
For Gandhi, industrialisation and profit generation were at odds
with moral progress. He said: “The incessant search for material comforts and
their multiplication is an evil. I make bold to say that the Europeans will
have to remodel their outlook, if they are not to perish under the weight of
the comforts to which they are becoming slaves.” Further, with a prophetic
vision, Gandhi warned: “A time is coming when those who are in mad rush today
of multiplying their wants, will retrace their steps and say; what have we
done?” (Quoted in Khoshoo and Moolakkattu 2009). If we look at the current
debate on climate change, the manner in which the West is frantically trying to
persuade the emerging countries to reduce their carbon emissions and the
billions of dollars being spent by developed countries to slow the pace of
climate change, it seems Gandhi’s prediction has come true. Although from the
early seventies we were made aware of the environmental perils through books
like Small is Beautiful (Schumacher1973) and Limits to Growth (Meadows
et al. 1972), it took more than a decade for the world to understand the
gravity of the situation.
Gandhi and the Ecological View of Life:
Though Gandhi was not a philosopher of ecology, and can only be
called an environmentalist with considerable difficulty, he strikes a
remarkable chord with all those who have cared for the environment, practiced
vegetarianism, cherished the principles of non-violence. The word 'ecology' is
derived from 'economy' [from Greek oeconomy]. It is the economy of lifestyle
that Thoreau spoke of in Walden -- and indeed of conduct, speech, and thought
-- that Gandhi ruthlessly put into practice in his various ashrams. To follow
the trajectory from 'economy' to 'ecology', The Oxford English Dictionary
defines ‘ecology’ as the "science of the economy of animals and
plants", and this implies the imperative to look after animals, plants,
and the environment to which they bear a relation. Ecology consequently means,
in the first instance, that we are commanded to economize, or render less
wasteful, our use of the earth's resources. To do so, we have to use our own
resources, howsoever narrowly conceived, with wisdom and with the utmost
respect for economy.
A recent study of Gandhi which
describes him as "a practicing ecological yogi" argues that it is
from his observance of certain environmental and ethical principles, which
variously counsel us to practice austerity, introspect on the self, cultivate
contentment, learn self-reliance, renounce possessions beyond our needs, and
always keep in mind the interests of the weakest and the poor, that Gandhi
forged his political movement; and it is from these same principles, argues
Khoshoo, that Gandhi worked to develop his ideas of "sustainable
development".
Self-reliance and sustainable development:
Self-reliance is one of the objectives of education. Mahatma
Gandhi gave importance on village handicraft to develop self-reliance of the
villagers. Dependence on indigenous product and swadeshi grow self reliance.
The use of ‘Charkha’-the spinning wheel promotes rationality and sustainability
of the use of natural resources. Use of ‘Swadeshi’
helps to protect both renewable and non renewable resources. The cottage
industry and the use of swadeshi
bring self-reliance and through this sustainability continues.
Environment protection and conservation:
He refers the earth ‘the Dharitri mata’ a place of living
creature. This respect resolves at least minimizes the use of ground water,
cutting of trees, hunting of animals as they are the part of mother earth.
Worshiping of plants reduces pollution of environment and promotes love, care
and affection towards environment. He was a vegetarian and supported vegetarianism
which is the base of wild life and biodiversity. His principle of non-violence
designed to prevent the violence against nature. To him the whole universe Is a
family. He regarded this concept as ‘Vasudhaiba
kutumbakam’ Gandhiji was against hunting of wild life, felling of trees,
exploitation of natural resources and spoilage of ecosystem.
Constitutional Provisions and Gandhian thought on
environment:
The provisions of the Directive Principles of State Policy
and the Fundamental duties are the cumulative reflection of Gandhian thought .
Article 48-A ‘The state shall Endeavour
to protect and improve the environment and to safeguard the forests and wild
life of the country’ ensures protection
of wild life. Article 51A-2 provides that ‘It shall be the duty of every
citizen of India to protect and improve the natural environment including forests,
lakes, rivers and wild life and to have compassion for the living creatures’
The environmental thought of Mahatma Gandhi was reflected in the Constitutional
Provisions. So Protection of wild animals and protection of biodiversity are
needed to achieve sustainable development.
Women education and protection of environment:
Women are more concerned with nature. The worship of plants
and some animals by the women folk helps to preserve natural resources. Mahatma
Gandhi encourages the women to protect the environment. Their role for
protection of environment is constructive. Mahatma Gandhi’s greatest
contribution to sustainable development is two- fold.
1.His experiments in simple living and high thinking.
2. His insistence on the growth of natural resources and
rural development.
Gandhian spirituality neglects material needs, greed and desires. His experiments on food,
Brahmacharya’ fasting, Naya are the results of spirituality. Gandhi was not
blind to the phenomena and evolution of nature. He convinced that forces of
attraction and love saved the animals and plants on the earth. Even the ferocious
animals tenderly nurse their young ones. He wanted to understand nature as the
expression of God. He was fond of naturotherapy for the treatment of diseases
by the application of fresh water, air, heat and light. He loved the mother
earth keeping in touch with bare foot. He stated that nearer to nature means
nearer to health. According to him God expresses himself in the harmonies of
nature. In his Autobiography, he says, “I was charmed with the natural
scenery…and bowed my head in reverence to our ancestors for their sense of the
beautiful nature, and for their foresight in investing beautiful manifestations
of nature with religious significance.”
The idea of
environmental consciousness and the sustainability of all living being on this
planet can be derived from the philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi. If his philosophy
and ideals of life are followed the crises prevailed regarding the degradation
of environment can be put under control for the sake of better life of the
future generation on this planet.
Reference:
1. Gandhi,
M.K.(1997). Hind Swaraj. In and Anthony J. Parel (Ed.): Hind Swaraj and
other Writings (with an Introduction). Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press, pp. i- lxii.
2. Guha
, R. (2006). Mahatma Gandhi and the Environmental Movement. In: A Raghuramaraju
(Ed.): Debating Gandhi. New Delhi: Oxford University Press, pp. 223-236.
3. Jones,
D. M. (2000). The Greening of Gandhi: Gandhian Thought and the Environmental
Movement in India. In: J Donald Hughes (Ed.): The Face of the Earth: Environment
and World History. New York: M.E. Sharpe Inc., pp. 165-184.
4. Joshi,
P.C. (2001). In the Lap of the Himalayas: Gandhi’s Visit to Uttarakhand. Economic
and Political Weekly, 36: 3300-3310.
5. Khoshoo,
T.N, Moolakkattu, J.S (2009). Gandhi and the Environment: Analysing Gandhi’s
Environmental Thought. New Delhi: Tehri Press
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