Dr.Narasimhan’s lecture was on Plants, Politics and Society,
and how plants have been used as economic and political tools in the past as
well as in the present. Excerpts from his speech:
There’s an interconnection that exists between every field
of study. However, we don’t have the eye to see this interconnection among the
various subjects of study.
A holistic approach is very important today but
unfortunately it is missing in our present curriculum, because we have the
habit of looking at subjects as water-tight compartments. If we look at history
even Before Christ, plants have always been resources for building kingdoms and
empires. Wars, especially Kalinga Wars, and Alexander’s were fought mainly to
access land resources, especially fertile lands to feed the growing population
and vast armies of their countries. And, whenever they went for a war, they
also took along with them a section of people as slaves. Hence, agreement and
slavery are inseparable. In India, our slavery system is caste-based.
