04. Everything I Need to Know I learned in the Forest.
01. Write a note on Vandana Shiva’s involvement in ‘Chipko Movement’. (M-17)
Vandana Shiva was much influenced by her parents and the Chipko movement at the
Himalayan region. Her father was a forest conservator. Her mother composed songs and
poems about trees, forests and India’s forest civilizations. In the 1970’speasant women
from the Garhwal Himalaya region had joined Chipko movement. These women would
hug the trees to save them from loggers. She had seen her favourite stream reduced to a
trickle. She became a volunteer for the Chipko movement and did pad yatras, documented
the deforestation and the work of the forest activists and spread the message of Chipko.
Sreenivasa Murthy R, SGCPU College, HEBBUR - 472120
02. Write a short note on “The Navdanya Farm” with reference to ‘Everything I Need to
Know I Learned in the Forest’. (S—2016)
Navdanya is a movement started in 1987 for biodiversity conservation and organic farming.
Through Navdanya movement, more than 100 community seed banks have been set up.
They have saved more than 3,000 rice varieties. Later, for demonstration and training of
how to protect biodiversity on farms through saving seeds, Navdanya farm was started
in 1994 in the Doon valley. They conserve and grow 630 varieties of rice, 150 varieties of
wheat, and hundreds of other species at Navdanya farm. At Navdanya farm they practice
and promote a biodiversity-intensive form of farming.
03. Write a note on Earth University mentioned in Vandana Shiva’s essay. (A – 2016)
The Earth University is located at Navdanya farm. The Earth University teaches Earth
Democracy. Earth Democracy means freedom for all species to evolve within the web of
life. Earth Democracy is a shift from anthropocentrism to ecocentrism. It teaches humans
to recognize, protect and respect the rights of other species. Participants at Earth University
learn to work with living seeds, living soil and the web of life.
04. What ideas of Tagore inspired the author to start the Earth University? (A – 2015)
Tagore feels that India’s best ideas have come where man was in communion with trees
and rivers and lakes, away from the crowds. The diverse processes of renewal of life are
always at play in the forest. So, Tagore started Shantiniketan as a forest school to take
inspiration from nature and to create an Indian cultural renaissance.The culture of the
forest has fuelled the culture of Indian society. The unifying principle of life in diversity,
of democratic pluralism of nature has become the principle of Indian civilization. These
ideas of Tagore inspired the author to start the Earth University.
