Ram's Cafe

I was born long after Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated - but the closest I came to meeting another such great man was in 1993, when I had the good fortune of shaking hands with Sunderlal Bahuguna. He had just delivered a speech at the India International Centre, New Delhi, on the implications of building the Tehri Dam. His speech was full of facts and figures and he described the likely scenario of what would happen if there were to be a breach. He was talking about the Himalayas and how we Indians have misused and abused this great natural wonder in our stupidity. I remember the standing ovation for his speech (with no notes - he just spoke!) from all the experts and activists assembled there. I think it was part of a Buddhist conference on ecological responsibility. I also had the good fortune of seeing and listening to the Dalai Lama the next day. Here is Sunderlal Bahuguna, with his wife, still fighting - though he looks so fragile. The years of fighting and fasting seem to have left their mark. "Those who swim against the current, those who fight for truth, have only four things in store for them: ridicule, neglect, isolation and insult." But people like him gain strength from truth as ultimately "truth prevails." "My struggle is for a comprehensive Himalayan policy and that struggle will continue irrespective of the fact whether there are any companions or not," he says. His interview on this subject and the mighty risk posed by dam construction appears on the Frontline magazie. Update: 2008 March 28 Mr. Sunderlal Bahuguna is still carrying on with his fight, along with his efforts to educate the public. His words carry the depth of perception of what is right and what is sustainable. Sustainability is a concept that often seems to be an afterthought - whereas it must be the first question that must be asked every time something is done - is this sustainable? Here is an article in The Tribune, Chandigarh, where he talks of the importance of water conservation, and why the 'green revolution' should be examined more closely.