"Talking isn't doing. It is a kind of good deed to say well; and yet words are not deeds."-William Shakespeare
Sustainability. Strange how we always miss the cross-over from print to action when it comes to this 'seemingly important' aspect of our lives. Perhaps it is because the world media discusses so much about it, that we discuss so much about it, that we fail to finally exhort ourselves into action. I mean, discussion is good right...we are at least thinking in the right direction and surely that's a start! And hey, we are pro-urban in a developing economy - this naturally means we should first develop; and to be sure, keep discussing about sustainability on the way. Sustainable development? Someone must have got the order wrong, right?
Wrong. Almost 200 million people living in India today follow traditional knowledge shored up with scientific ingenuity to make sustainability a part of their daily lives - the artisan community. While they battle against a socio-economic scenario that threatens their livelihoods with relentless chugging of factory made consumerables that recklessly pollute and pay little heed to any environmental norm (written or moral), Indian artisans have evolved a system of symbiotic harmony that allows them to create a negative carbon foot-print in each of their everyday endeavours. Something we should be extremely thankful for, given our voracious appetite for non-biodegradable products.
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| Picture: Silk saree being prepared by an Assamese women. |
And so, in rural homes that draw electricity from solar panels the Indian artisan practices mastery of his craft. The Indian artisan conserves water, for it is a precious resource to her - often the nearest river or canal is miles from his village. She works on natural fibers like jute, cotton, khadi or even silk, on mud-and-clay pottery and ceramics, and on stone and metal. The process is labour intensive, the designs are hand-woven or hand crafted, the colors themselves being non-synthetic organic dyes. The process is green and environment friendly, producing the most stunningly beautiful artifacts with little more than hand operated looms and such other tools. The Indian artisan is little wasteful, she realizes the value of good planning. If the fiber is unsuitable for fine work, she makes it into sturdy bags or weaves clothes for herself and her family. Above all, the Indian artisan respects nature, she worships nature as her Mother. She cares for and conserves nature - the giver of all things.
That we are more educated than most of these people is perhaps a poor reflection on our education system, and a poorer reflection on ourselves as responsible citizens. It is our necessary obligation that we take a lesson from these people, and start implementing what we learned. As a people, it is inexcusable if we fail to follow at least these four steps of sustainable living:
* Stop using disposable plastics and other synthetic materials
* Conserve water and electricity - switch to solar if possible
* Use bio-degradable natural fibers and recyclable products
* Reduce waste, and practice waste segregation for recycling
It is perhaps the plague of our age that we never really try to change things when they are within a reasonable degree of our individual control, and yet we never fail to regret the outcome - which is regrettable, more often than not - when things go beyond our collective control. Individually, we take heart in the failure of the collective - like it is okay to fail, since everyone else will (or has) fail(ed). Long time now we finally snapped out of it and got our act together. Sustainability in our daily lives is a simple concept - give back as much as you have taken. Or soon, there will be nothing left to take.
