PANDIT NEHRU AND NATURE
There are so many writings on Pandit Sri Jawaharlal Nehru, the secularist and the democrat. But nothing has been written on Nehru, the Environmentalist or Nehru’s love for and understanding nature. His books An Autobiography and The Discovery of India show strong indicators that Nehru was a dedicated Environmentalist.
This year Nov 14 th was Nehru’s 132nd birthday. We all know that he was our former Prime Minister. Other than that, he was a nature lover who raised the issue of the environment in 1952. At the peak level, Nehru raised the issue of environmental degradation and the importance of protecting nature. In his letter to the Chief Ministers on Aug 15, 1957, he devoted one page outlining the balance of nature and raising questions on the adverse effects of numerous river valley and industrial projects. He requested for environmental assessment of projects and took a stand favouring sustainability in the late 1950s.
Later on, it was dealt with by the Planning commission in 1970 under the leadership of Indira Gandhi and chairman of the Planning Commission. The Commission incorporated a separate title named ‘Long term perspective’ in the fourth five-year plan.
The degradation of global environments results from policies pursued by states in disregard of the ecological requirements of man and global society. In this respect, our analysis here is directed to Pandit Nehru’s contribution to the scientific temper of our age, to promoting policies for the design of world harmony, and to evolving an equilibrium in the international system based on the synthesis of ideas of the East and West. In this process, he produced a synthesis of knowledge which indeed is the object of science.
Einstein pursued a synthesis of the laws of nature. Abdus Salam, another Nobel laureate, is continuing this synthesis. Pandit Nehru attempted to create harmony between the social and natural environments and suggested the removal of social tensions through the planning process. Nehru’s scientific mind reveals a pre-established connection with the global climate. He seemed to have applied his mind to the solution of some general problems of international society.
Pandit Nehru had indeed made the world his field of thought and action. His pragmatism goes with Einstein’s relativism. His emphasis on life’s values of faith, creativity, love, non-alignment, attitude to nature reflect his quest for world harmony. He attempted to impart a unified view of global life which he thought was needed for this civilization to function. Indeed his views need our attention and analysis in the context of the worldwide environment and the emerging world.
Panditji is a man of science, but he thought beyond science. He says: Science gives power but remains impersonal, purposeless, and almost unconcerned with our application of the knowledge it puts at our disposal. It may continue its triumphs, and yet, if it ignores nature too much, nature may play an act of subtle revenge upon it.” (The Discovery of India, Chapter 10, under the sub-title ‘The Problem of Population. Falling Birth-rates and National Decay’).
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