Akila Elanchezhiyan
Older than the Himalaya mountains, the mountain chain of the Western Ghats represents geomorphic features of immense importance with unique biophysical and ecological processes. A chain of mountains running parallel to India’s western coast, the Ghats traverse the states of Kerala, Tamilnadu, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, and Gujarat. These mountains cover an area of around 1, 40, 000 sq. km in a 1600 km long stretch that is interrupted only by the 30 km Palghat gap. The site’s high montage forest ecosystem influences the Indian monsoon weather pattern.
Western Ghats — The Need To Conserve
There are many reasons arguing for the need for the conservation of Western Ghats; however, there stand out three crucial aspects. The grand green canopy of these mountains acts as a magnet for the monsoon clouds. Shola forests are a unique ecosystem endemic only to the upper ranges of Western Ghats. They comprise patches of evergreen forest embedded amidst the vast rolling grasslands teeming with brooks and creeks, dales and vales. These grass hills absorb the monsoon deluge like a sponge, thus preventing flash floods, and then slowly let it seep into springs and streams culminating in perennial rivers like Bhavani, Kaveri, Thamirabarani, Kabini, etc. Shola forests are seen above 2000 meters in only the Western Ghats of Tamilnadu, Kerala and Karnataka. The origin of the shola forests is still a subject of scientific debate, maybe Nature’s gift of lifeline to the South Indian peninsula.
These hills have been categorized as one of the world’s eight “hottest” hot spots of biodiversity by the biologists. Out of around 4500 plant species spotted here, 1700 are endemic to the Western Ghats, and of the 641 tree species found here, 360 are endemic. Besides, Western Ghats has the distinction of being the largest abode of Asian elephants and tigers. The list is endless. Even as we bask with pride the possession of venerable Western Ghats, upon us rests the responsibility of its restoration and preservation.
Life on this living planet is under gravest threat stemming from global warming, culminating in climate changes. If it goes unchecked, maybe within a couple of centuries, our earth will become uninhabitable, warn Stephen Hawking and other scientists. Enormous increase in atmospheric greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide from fossil fuel burning for “development” has been the chief culprit, and green cover is the cure to this calamity. Western Ghats with its enormous emerald cloak has a crucial role here, thereby necessitating its preservation for the present as well as the future generations.
Elephants at the Western Ghats.
One of our concerns at the Western Ghats is to preserve the elephants. Majority of the Asian elephants live in the Western Ghats. In other part of Asia their number has gone done. Elephants are the symbol of a rich forest. The impact of elephants on the environment is great and so they are considered “keystone species”. They can uproot trees and hedges thus transforming whole the area into grasslands. During the summer drought they also dig for water with their tusks and legs and create waterholes which can be used by other animals. Elephants are good seed dispersers. Most of the food they eat goes undigested and their dung can provide for food for other animals.
Concern for environment has been the Tamil tradition
Living in harmony with nature is not a novel theme in Tamil culture. There has been a long tradition to live in harmony with nature by respecting and even worshipping it. Sangam literature, written some 2000 years ago, is still the source of ecological knowledge of Tamils. Most of the information we read about trees, buffalos, elephants and other species in scientific journals today has been recorded in Sangam literature in some form or other.
We see tree as a factory that produces oxygen, as materials used for us. But it was our ancestors who saw tree as sister/friend/and mother. We need to restore that feeling. One of the important ways to protect our mountains is to learn from the literature and follow how our ancestors loved and appreciated nature.
For example, in the poem Narrinai (172) the girlfriend introduces a mastwood tree to her lover as her sister. And she says it is indecent to engage in romantic games in front of that sister tree. Another song (Narrinai 226) says that our ancestors would take medicine from the leaves and the bark of a tree, but if they had to kill the tree to take medicine from it, they would not take that medicine, even if it would cost their own life.
(Ms. Akila Elanchezhiyan is pursuing Phd in Tamil literature with a focus on Eco criticism. Freelance journalist, organizer of OSAI- environmental organization and member of save westernghats movement. Regularly giving talks to students and others to create awareness for nature conservation.)
Observation on Elephants
Katampanūr Cāntiliyanār
Kuruntokai, verse 307
Talaivi says —
…
Could he ever forget me and my tears?
Striding in that wide wasteland
he’s just like a bull elephant
that for his limping mate splits
a tall yā tree,
stabbing it with his tusks to take
the white bark,
which wounds him with its dry taste.
He swallows,
then thunders to the outer bounds of what the heart can bear.”
The buffalo is addressed as noble — (aṉṉal erumai) in Akanānūru 146,
Uvarkannoor Pullankeeranār.
“If the man from the boisterous
and happy town
where a noble buffalo with great strength
spends the day at a pond with cool, moist
flowers, embraces his esteemed female
with delicate eyes, and then goes
to the grove and rests finally in the field,
does not go to the streets of the bright-jeweled women
in his tall chariot with loud bells,
the woman who wears gleaming jewels is pitiable.”
(Translation by Vaidehi)
Natrinai 226. Kaniyan Punkūndranār –
What the heroine said to her friend
“Oh friend with a fine forehead!
People don’t extract too much
medicine that could kill trees;
they don’t do penances that
ruin the strength of their bodies;
and kings don’t take away all the
wealth of people as taxes.
Even though he knew about all
this he went on the long path
where the sun is hot, my lover,
who does not know the worth of
the wealth he is set to earn, and
I am still alive.
They say that this is the situation,
and that everybody in the world
know about it.” (Translation by Vaidehi)
