If you want to listen to a man who can explain ecology in terms of economics, language in terms of philosophy of life and nature in terms of unending web of paradoxes you have to have the occasional leisure to meet scientist like Dr. Madhav Gadgil; a man with deep instincts of mathematical ecology embedded in interface of humble dialogue with the audience. Moment was The Fifth Sat Paul Mittal Memorial Lecture organized by Indian Association of Parliamentarians on Population and Development.
He started with throwing light on basic traits of evolution which permits finite combinatorial systems with unlimited heredity to involve itself in variation and heredity. He said, “During the course of evolution life became increasingly complex with expansion and diversification. Life keeps utilizing increasing range of resources. The genes are not only replicating entities. Memes and machines (artifacts) do multiply with increasing social activity which involves social imitation which are shaped by behavioral changes.”
In a smooth flow of scientific illustration animated by pictures, diagrams and cartoons he tried to discuss the questions like: Why some variants are more efficient than other? Why 95 % of the DNA has no clear function taking control of whole organism? How gene replicates itself and destroys incompetent one? Indicating towards a male peacock advertising itself as a more attractive male with ‘wasteful’ but beautiful feathers, he mentioned ‘Principle of Sexual Selection’ over which Darwin did not ponder much.
He elaborated how ‘deliberative act of wasteful expenditure is actually a evidence of resourceful organism which can afford bearing wasteful material which in real sense is not needed for it's survival. But this wasteful expenditure makes the reliable feeling of superiority among the community of diverse population. Memes and artifacts grow in number, diversify and complexity to confer the extraordinary advantage on bearers, designers and fabricators of that ‘The Unnecessary Leisure’.
Open ended language occupies our cognitive niche. Languages are richer as they are finite combinatorial systems with unlimited heredity. So we need to understand the group of complex intellectual modules which are: Social, Technical, Ecological, and Language. Language holds enormous potential and value in enhancing the capability to exercise the remaining three models. Language being the basis of elaboration in the form of stories, song, histories, and myths. Thus language narrates how to represent models of working world i.e. science and also models of how to manipulate world i.e. technology.
Prof. Gadgil asserted that key to success of science is effective system selecting memes. So he quoted J.D. Bernal who pioneered work on history of science. “Science is not just a matter of systematic procedures, it is a systematic enterprise of skepticism embodying a) Open access to all facts and inferences; b) Rejection of all authority other than empirical facts and c) Welcoming all interested parties to question all assertions as to facts as well as logic.
He compared what we have done post independence in the name of development. He said, “We have tried to homogenize agricultural ecosystem, modern mechanization, economic productivity with little transformation of dry lands and degradation of grazing lands coupled with erosion of fertile land. He expressed his concern over rapid rise of unemployment in rural and agricultural sector by nearly six percent over a period of two plan periods. His hoped for better results regarding a) Joint Forests Management, b) Collection fees in Biodiversity Act and c) Community Forests Right. His urge was to focus on putting local community in the planning process, no imposition of destructive model and rebuilding ecological resource base.
So eventually Prof. Gadgil was trying to attract the mind of the audience towards large-scale environmental destruction achieved due to what we call an endless quest of artefacts which deliberately try to reflect the prosperity by signalling person`s ability to bear serious handicap which is consistently engaging in hugely wasteful expenditure. He pointed out at arms, fashion and narcotic drugs being most unnecessary, destructive and expensive passions of contemporary mankind`s economic activity giving us a sense of how atrociously we are imposing huge costs on environment. By unraveling the character of ‘The Selfish Gene’ in the light of ‘Handicap Principle’ Prof. Gadgil exposed the deep impact “The Leisurely Life’ is having on our ecology and it's relation to our conception of economic growth vs. development. Extrapolating this evolutionary concept of gene believing in ‘survival of fittest’ to the conflict of understanding about economic growth and sustainable development’, he referred to Amartya Sen`s belief in “Process of expanding real freedoms that people enjoy.”
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