Rainbow Warriors: India’s Eco Heroes

Dozens of eminent environmental activists from the country have been feted by the world recently, for the tireless work they are undertaking to protect our fragile planet.
“There will come a time when the Earth is sick and the animals and plants begin to die, then the Indians will regain their spirit and gather people of all nations, colours and beliefs to join together in the fight to save the Earth.”
- Ancient Native American prophecy
This ancient Native American prophecy talks of Red Indians or the Rainbow Warriors. India too has its share of such warriors who have made a difference worldwide. They include Nobel peace prize winner Dr R.K. Pachauri, Time magazine’s “environment hero” industrialist Tulsi R. Tanti, wildlife conservationist Dr Ullas Karanth, environmental-researcher Sunita Narain and “dam buster” Medha Patkar to name a few.
There are many others who have been inspired by these bold men and women. They stay behind the scenes, but do their best to protect Gaia or Mother Earth. India, with 16 per cent of world’s population and 1.8 per cent of global forest cover, naturally has to take lead in environment protection.
Dr Reddy, for instance, took bold measures to save Kolleru Lake, Asia’s largest fresh water body, from ecological death. It was an exhibition of rare political will. “This is the first time I have spotted the Siberian cranes and other migratory birds after 1977,”says a resident living close by.
Long before Al Gore, there was another politician who changed the way governments think about nature; former Environment Minister Maneka Gandhi. She drafted steps the environment ministry should take to protect green cover and fauna, braving derisive talk of being an eco fundamentalist.
“A lot of issues have been brought to the fore including water scarcity, water pollution, declining forests and even air pollution,” says Sunita Narain, director of the Centre for Science and Environment. “But difficult issues such as pollution in industries and cities are a lot harder to tackle. They still lack societal approval,” she adds.
Tulsi Tanti brought a revolution in non-conventional energy not only in India but also in Germany, China and the United States. Tulsi’s wind energy company, Suzlon, the fifth largest wind turbine manufacturer in the world, has a turnover of more than $9 billion. The company operates one of the largest wind farms in the world, at Sinban in the hills of eastern India, producing 600 MW of wind energy. Pachauri’s efforts during the past three decades forced governments to sit up and make better laws to protect the environment. He has been active in several international forums dealing with policy dimension of tackling climate change.
“I was not expecting any awards for my effort,” says Pachauri, chairman of the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change. “With recognition of what we have done, issue of climate change will come to the fore.”
He accepted that developed countries were the major culprits in global warming. “But the levels of emissions are so high that both developed countries and developing countries will have to reduce emissions and take drastic measures,” he says.
Within India, misuse of forest wealth is another big area of concern for activists. It is estimated that 70 per cent forests have no natural regeneration and 55 per cent are prone to fire. Pollution in cities is another major problem. The challenge ahead is really big. “What we need is a change in the way the politicians think, plan and act,” says Dr T. Patanjali Sastry, who has been working in coastal Andhra for decades. “The tendency to separate development from environment and national policies should go. They are not separate entities,” says Sastry.
“We need to manage economic growth in such a way that we minimise environmental damage,” adds Sunita Narain. She points out that tough measures have to be taken to address major concerns like climate change. “All over the world people are trying to implement soft measures, but these are not working anywhere,” she adds.
The rainbow warriors are not content to rest on their laurels. They wish to march on, to make the old Red Indian prophecy a reality. At stake is the planet itself. Maybe we need more such warriors to help them along?
– Courtesy Syed Akbar
for Asian Age/Deccan Chronicle