In his latest book Speaking with Nature, Ramachandra Guha profiles 10 people who have extensively written about the environment in the Indian context even before the dialogue became mainstream. These include poet Rabindranath Tagore, Mahatma Gandhi’s disciple Madeleine Slade, former PM Jawaharlal Nehru’s advisor Verrier Elwin, former minister and novelist KM Munshi, and economist JC Kumarappa, who advocated for sustainable rural and urban development.

Guha’s work not only sheds light on these early environmental advocates but also prompts critical discussions on how India should respond to contemporary environmental challenges. In this conversation with Hridayesh Joshi, Guha talks about his book and the future of environmentalism in India.

“Climate change threatens the livelihood of most Indians,” says Guha, adding that the Char Dham Highway is a “disaster” and Kedarnath has become an ego trip rather than a spiritual one. 

Watch. 

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