The Wire Talks is a weekly podcast, in which each week host Sidharth Bhatia, Founder Editor of The Wire, will chat with guests on politics, society, and culture.
Sidharth is joined by Jairam Ramesh, Member of Parliament and Author, to mark the 36th anniversary of the death of Mrs. Indira Gandhi, India’s first woman Prime Minister. They discuss some key points from her political career and talk about her indomitable legacy.
General Perception
Indira Gandhi is considered to be one of the most influential Prime Ministers India has witnessed. She was the head of the government for 16 years. Her party, the Congress, has always since been the Gandhi party. Intellectuals and Masses still often discuss her governance and decisions.
Indira Gandhi’s tenure is often thought to be controversial. The Emergency is often the first thing people think of when they reminisce Indira years. It threw the nation into chaos and has since weighed heavily on her legacy.
Jairam contests this skewed perception. He feels that despite introducing many controversial political and economic policies, it would be unfair to tag her legacy to just those. He calls Indira an “uncompromising upholder” of Indian unity and sovereignty.
Indira - The Ecological Crusader
Jairam Ramesh opines that Indira was also the first leader to recognize the then prevailing ecological realities. It was quite a different outlook, which is now mainstream amongst domestic and international leaders.
Jairam mentions the first UN environment summit held in 1972, where amongst the world leaders, only the host, the Swedish premier, and Indira Gandhi were present. She spoke about deforestation, pollution, and climate change.
Indira used Vedic shlokas to propagate the need to protect the environment. She promoted wildlife conservation and introduced measures like Project Tiger and Project Crocodile. Big Cat Hunting was fashionable amongst the old elite, and she had to face many challenges in getting them outlawed.
Indira was in regular touch with naturalists like Salim Ali and Billy Arjun Singh to better understand the nuances. She used this knowledge in crafting the Forest Conservation Act after realizing the adverse impact of irrigation and power projects on the forest cover.
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