N-deal Effect: Gandhians say yes to ACs, then a No

How would Mahatma Gandhi have responded to the ongoing debate over the Indo-US nuclear deal?

How would Mahatma Gandhi have responded to the ongoing debate over the Indo-US nuclear deal? Nobody may have the right answer, but an institute that he set up in 1920 seems to be on the right track. The Gujarat Vidyapeeth has made attempts to reduce its energy footprint, terming it as a “change of lifestyle” that Gandhi would have approved.

On October 7, the varsity’s finance committee overturned its own resolution passed a month back that sanctioned installation of air conditioners in 10 rooms of a guesthouse inside the campus.

“As the debate on the nuclear deal hit turbulence in October, we realised that we could not have added to our energy consumption and yet hoped for the rest to hear a Gandhian argument in the nuclear debate,” says Vice-Chancellor Sudarshan Iyengar on the decision.

And the Gandhian argument is that development in India should not be energy intensive, as it is unsustainable for a country of our size. So, we need an economy based on low energy usage, which means our lifestyles have to change.

The institute is, however, quick to differentiate between principles of energy conservation and opposing the US. “Simply put, the main point is that we cannot copy the US in our lifestyle, given our huge population difference. Has anyone calculated what kind of energy footprint we would leave for future generations, if our per capita energy consumption matches that of the west?” says Iyengar. Emphasising its point, the Vidyapeeth is also building a 750-seat low-energy auditorium. To add to the natural cooling effect, lime is being used instead of cement. Natural ventilation and water ducts will be factored in to do away with the need for electrical air conditioning.

While seeking to avoid the complexities of the nuclear debate, Iyengar says: “There was a certain thought behind Gandhi’s insistence on cleaning toilets. It still remains relevant. We are not good at maintenance, at cleanliness. See the solid waste management by our municipalities across the country. Can we take that as a challenge first, before embarking on a project that means managing huge amounts of nuclear waste?” Though the Gandhian voice has been missing from the national debate on the nuclear deal, a rudimentary effort was made last month in framing a response through debates and discussions within the community on how Gandhi would have responded.

In an article in the recent issue of Bhumiputra, a Sarvodaya movement magazine, Dr Sanghmitra Gadekar, daughter of Gandhian Narayan Desai, has put forward all aspects of the deal, as also divergent political responses to it. It mentions little pointers like the fact that the US has not had any new nuclear plant since 1978.