GRANTING ‘PERSONHOOD’ TO NATURE
New Zealand
has accorded ‘personhood’ to a National park after discussions with the
representatives of the Maori community, the original inhabitants of the country,
and recognition to ‘Whanganui river’ is in the process. Mauris believe that ” I
am the river and the river is me”. A lofty thought , though difficult
to imbibe by us.
Essentiality of Nature in our lives was
acknowledged by the earliest Humanity and which resulted in the worship of
Nature known as Pantheism . People identified God in Nature. In India we have been worshipping
Surya ( sun ), Yavu ( wind ), The Moon ( Som ) ,Vanaspati ( vegetation ). It
was acknowledged that Nature and Man were complimentary and therefore would have to compliment each other.
We however devastated nature for our need, greed and comfort. Our scriptures too
talk of harmony with nature. The ‘Shanti
Path’ which is recited on completion of all religious ceremonies and
specially after the completion of ‘Havan’
( yajya ) asks for ‘Shanti’ ( peace ) with vegetation ( Shanti -Vanaspataya ) and
Herbs ( Shanti Aushadhaya ) among other things. Like the Maoris we in
India have been worshipping our rivers , Ganga
is sacred to us, and is believed to cleanse all our sins. Extensive clanship
plans are underway. Saraswati was an ancient river and we endeavour to revive
its search , so close we consider it to culture, civilization and culture. The
river Indus is invoked to praise our ancient civilization. The area in Leh where
it flows from Himalyas and moves to Pakistan is visited in large number , even
though it is a tiny stream. In areas of India where Ganga does not flow people consider the rivers of that area as revered
such as Narmada in Madhya Pradesh and Krishna and Kaveri in South.
In the West too numerous Philosophers have
contributed toward the criticality of Nature in our lives. And yet its
devastation continues with equal zeal. Recently Al Gore the Ex Vice President of the USA and our own scientists Shri Pachauri
were awarded the Nobel price for Peace for their study on global warming. The
problem is that developed Nations do not want to lower their standards created
by exploiting Nature but want others to follow. Among the early thinkers John
Muir of USA devoted his life for Nature he said ,” nature’s choice in making
animals and plants might possibly be first of all the happiness of each one of
them , not the creation of all for the happiness of one ……The universe would be
incomplete without man ; but it would also be incomplete without the smallest
trans-microscopic creature that dwells
beyond our conceitful eyes and
knowledge..”
There was also contradiction in the approaches to preservation of nature
as the debate would be on as to how much to take and how much to save. That
is how to sustain nature and how to
sustain man ; his economic sustenance. Our Upnishads state that that we should
take only that much from nature that is required, but that never happens. This
step to accord ‘personhood’ to
rivers and ‘nature parks’ is an ideological step forward. A step which
states that man and nature are one and
not different . It differs from the existing
idea that there is equality among
man, plants and animals. But, by saying that” I am the river and the river is me” we move a step forward and say that if I destroy river I destroy myself.
In order to accord it importance they
have given a legal sanction. It is
possible to implement such rules in New
Zealand where very few people stay and where all the plants and animals have been introduced!
However; the above is a noble idea; but we are
still struggling with ’Swachh Bharat’!!
कोई टिप्पणी नहीं:
एक टिप्पणी भेजें