India and the world are commemorating the 150th birth anniversary of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, Father of the Nation, at national and international level to disseminate his message. This month, we have also brought out a special issue on this momentous occasion. Our cover story ‘Revisiting Gandhi’s Environmentalism’ seeks to look at the implications of his ideas for an ecologically sound system of living.

Gandhiji very profoundly said once—’Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s need, but not every man’s greed’. Gandhi’s ecological concerns emerged from his focus on the principle that man should not exploit nature for short-term gains, but take only from it what is absolutely necessary for human sustenance. As the world is grappling with environmental challenges such as climate change and sustainability (as a whole), it is time to revisit Gandhi’s cosmocentric approach to human beings. It would not be an exaggeration to say that Gandhiji was much ahead of his times in recognizing the threat of climate change for the survival of mankind.  Gandhi had anticipated most of the environmental problems that we face today. He envisaged an ecological or basic needs model centred on limitation of wants in contrast to the modern civilization that promoted materialism. He had also warned against the perils of industrialization.

Gandhi’s environmentalism fitted in with his overall vision for India and the world that sought to extract from nature what is absolutely necessary for human survival. His ideas on environment are closely linked with his ideas relating to the polity, economy, health, and development. He proposed a cosmocentric anthropology that ‘establishes a more balanced and respectful relationship between him and the natural world, assigns the animals their due place and provides the basis of a more satisfactory and ecologically conscious philosophical anthropology.’ Gandhi is also a major inspiration for many environmental movements worldwide, particularly for those who link their movement with larger concerns for human sustenance and development. Also, the notion of stewardship of the Earth, and all living beings on it is the hallmark of Gandhian ecology. Conservation was a part of Gandhi’s day-to-day life. His antipathy towards urbanization also reflected his environmental thinking. He advocated small, local, and village-based technology that allowed its users to relate themselves with what they produce. From a Gandhian perspective, the present environmental issues stretching from deforestation, soil and biodiversity loss, to pollution and climate change, is not a disease but only a symptom. His rural-centred civilization based on village autonomy and self-reliance, handicrafts and craft-centred education, emphasis on manual labour and absence of exploitative relationships are imbued with elements of an environmental vision.