Hold on

On 26 March 1974, in Reni village (Uttarakhand), women hugged trees to prevent them from being cut. The locals had been opposing the commercial tree felling contractors. The Garhwal Himalayas had become the centre for a rising ecological consciousness of how thoughtless deforestation had bared the forest cover, resulting in the devastating Alaknanda River floods of July 1970.

The forest conservation movement was known as Chipko Andolan. It dates back to 1730 AD when in Khejarli village of Rajasthan, 363 people sacrificed their lives to save khejri trees. The Chipko movement became a benchmark for socio-ecological movements in other forest areas of Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Bihar. In 1983, it inspired a similar Appiko movement in Karnataka.

The legacy of the Chipko movement is inspirational. It is an example of how not to let go and hold on. The brave villagers did not involve in just an occasional act. They stuck to their determination to save their environment. The continued aggression of the vested interests has been resolutely countered by a refusal to give up the struggle.

Most of us have an interest to involve in positive initiatives. However, many of us retreat from the cause that we are committed to. Among the various reasons for withdrawal, the prime one is that we are not dedicated to ‘hold on’ till the end. Being faithful to our pledge requires the conviction that the Chipko collective displayed.

Our world requires us to ‘hold on’ to the initiatives that we have identified as a worthy need. But the ‘need’ has to be transformed into an unyielding ‘want’. Such clear commitment will ensure that we do not give up. Legacy is created by the persons who stick to their vow as they know no other end than the one they want.

Everything has to be well in the end…
And if not, ‘hold on’… it is not the end!

~ Pravin Sabnis

Green Then

‘How green was my Valley then, and the Valley of them that have gone.’ This line is from a 1939 novel by Richard Llewellyn, born of his conversations with local mining families in Gilfach Goch, South Wales. It was made into an Oscar award winning film that chronicles the loss of a way of life due to coal mining and its effects on the family.

The story is universal and true even today… the devastation of livelihoods and dependency on the vagaries of exploitative jobs… the destruction of ecology and the degradation of the quality of life… the complicity of the authorities and irresponsible illegalities by the raiders of the earth…

But most pertinent is the insulated indifference of those at distances, who love the green valley but will do nothing to keep it so. We lament that the valley is green no more but refuse to stand in solidarity with those who endure in traditional livelihoods. We take up cudgels for the mining dependents (who deserve concern) but we ignore those affected (uprooted) by the quarrying.

Eventually we must quit the whine song about a green valley gone. We must involve and support ways to keep it green or revive it. We must ponder over our contribution and choices now! The valley was green then because someone kept it or made it that way. We must maintain what we can and restore what we failed to maintain.

The green then was born of efforts of those who involved in sustainable livelihoods and others who recognised and supported them. The quality of life came from those who believed in collecting fruit that fell off trees, instead of felling trees to pluck the fruit. The green then was nurtured by a responsible and responsive approach. Now it requires similar actions to ensure that the valley remains green for the future.

Green then was our valley catering to real need
Green now it can be if we halt our hurried greed!

~ Pravin Sabnis

Reason to write

A series of postal letters (penned for a TV show) turned into a bestseller book. It inspired so many to involve in the experience of writing and reading. Poet, lyricist and scriptwriter, Arvind Jagtap’s book is titled ‘Patras Karaan Ki’ – a line in Marathi that most letters start with. It literally means ‘the reason to write this letter is…’

Arvind’s letters are engaging due to the expression of pertinent social issues. He is not just a creative writer but a proactive responsive citizen as well. Arvind does not just write lines worth reading. His words are born of his walk… he involves in apt actions to positively impact the situation around him. It is indeed a lofty ‘reason to write’!

There are many reasons to write. Firstly it is better than speaking for various ‘ins and outs’. Writing is born of considered thinking while speaking is often spontaneous. We can edit our written words as we have the opportunity to view our expression and measure whether it matches with intent.

The written words can be treasured. Typed letters and hand written cards are more likely to be retained as nostalgic possessions compared to what one may have heard. Writing can easily turn into a dialogue that continues and when it does, the bearing is better on communication between the persons involved.

Most importantly, the written word is about ownership. We cannot deny what we wrote. We may clarify, retract or explain. But we cannot give up ownership of our expression. Hence, we are consciously careful about the choice of words while writing. It is pertinent to note that the best of speeches are written before they are delivered.

We must write to communicate to persons we interact with to articulate our thinking, aspirations and emotions. We must also write to unveil our inner thoughts first to ourselves and then to others. Writing is liberation of expression. There are many reasons to write. We must find one but write to reason (not without thinking)!

Find reason to write… but write to reason
Writing is best expression in every season

~ Pravin Sabnis