The Centre for Human Rights, School of Social Sciences, University of Hyderabad (UoH) organised a memorial lecture on “From a Lawless State to a Cooperative Commonwealth” in collaboration with Alladi Memorial Trust by Prof. Madhav Gadgil, who is a Retired Professor, IISc and currently D. D. Kosambi Visiting Research Professor, Goa University. Mr. M. Vedakumar, President, Forum for a Better Hyderabad, presided the lecture on October 5, 2016 at School of Humanities Auditorium, UoH. The lecture started after garlanding Shri Alladi Krishnaswamy Iyer, an important member of the Constituent Assembly of India.
Prof. Madhav Gadgil is one of India’s most distinguished ecologists. He is the founder of the Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science. A former member of the Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India, he headed the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) of 2010, popularly known as the Gadgil Commission.
Among the many awards he has received, are the Volvo Environment Prize and the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement. The Government of India awarded him the Padma Shri in 1981 and the Padma Bhushan in 2006. He is a Fellow of all the three national academies in India, a Fellow of the Third World Academy of Sciences and a Foreign Associate of the National Academy of Sciences, United States.
Prof. Madhav Gadgil explained how the mining companies destroying the livelihood of aboriginal people across India. He also explained the current scenario in Caurem (Karnataka), Goa, Mandha – Lekha (Maharastra) and Niyamgiri (Orissa), how the indigenous people facing difficulties. Ravindra Velip, an activist from Caurem who was arrested for protesting transportation of ore, was thrashed in a murderous in Sada sub-jail minutes by the hired goons, narrated Ecologist while talking about human rights violations. He emphasized on the rights of the ordinary people in the villages and also spoke on the need to sensitize the society.
Prof. Gadgil said that, “India has become an inequitable society in which private aspirations of public resources has increased.” He added that, “As expected, beginnings have been made in small scale societies let us hope that these will catalyse the movement of the entire society towards a cooperative commonwealth.”
Prof. B.Chandrasekar Rao, Head, Centre for Human Rights welcomed the speaker. Prof. Vinod Pavarala, Alladi Swami, faculty, students, and distinguished guest were also present at the event. Prof. Sridhar proposed vote of thanks.
by Kartheek
Department of Communication