M. Krishnan: Nature's Spokesman
by Ramachandra Guha
Comprehension
Read and answer
1. Fill in the boxes with information about the camera used by M. Krishnan.
=
name : Super Ponderosa;
lens from : East Germany;
cap and shutter from : Malaysia;
nuts and bolts from : Burma Bazar;
held together by : some neighbourhood string;
2. Match the following.
=
|
Colour |
Part |
|---|---|
|
a. cadmium yellow |
i. head. [c] |
|
b. Vandyke brown |
ii. wing. [d] |
|
c. black |
iii. plumage. [b] |
|
d. blaze of white |
iv. legs and beak and facial patches. [a] |
3. Choose the best option.
a. The person that the author most admired was:
i. Manjula Padmanabhan. [ ]
ii. M. Krishnan. [✓]
iii. A. Madhaviah. [ ]
iv. Theodore Baskaran. [ ]
b. The author put together a selection on M. Krishnan's essay in a book, titled:
i. Country Notebook: M. Krishnan and
Indian Wildlife. [ ]
ii. Eye in the Jungle: M. Krishnan and
Indian Wildlife. [ ]
iii. Nature's Spokesman: M. Krishnan and
Indian Wildlife. [✓]
iv. Nature Study: M. Krishnan and
Indian Wildlife. [ ]
c. Krishnan was India's best known naturalist and better than many other naturalists because:
i. he knew more than Salim Ali about birds. [ ]
ii. he knew more than Jim Corbet about
large mammals. [ ]
iii. he knew more than many botanists about
Indian plants. [ ]
iv. he knew a lot about many different aspects of the natural world of India. [✓]
4. What were the features of nature that M. Krishnan was well acquainted with?
= Krishnan lived and died in Chennai (known in his time as Madras), but spent mech of the year in the field, accompanied only by his camera, a notebook, a sketch-pad, and a change of clothes.
He was familiar with the snows of the Himalaya, the deserts of Rajasthan, the mangroves of the Sundarbans, and the grasslands of the Deccan. According to him, nature is not simple, logical and reasoned. There is no need to fully understand anything in all its structure and complexity. The behaviour of the living things make them fascinating.
5. Read the very specific names of colours used to describe different parts of mynah's anatomy. Can you describe the three parts of the peacock in a similar way?
= The author has very beautifully described the colours of mynah. I have least skill and audacity to describe the three parts of the peacock in a similar way. But I can try to describe it in my way - The
head and neck of peacock is a rich, iridescent blue. The shimmering hues
of a peacock's feather have been a source of aesthetic admiration for years.
Coverts of a peacock are rusty brown. Legs are grey buff colour.
Reflect and answer
6. M. Krishnan, according to the author, was a man of many parts. Would you agree? Why?
= I would definitely agree with the author about the fact that M. Krishnan was a man of many parts. First of all, Krishnan was an accomplished writer in Tamil. He grew up in Mylapore in Chennai, the youngest son of the celebrated novelist and social reformer A. Madhaviah. His own last work was a detective novel in his mother tongue.
He was also a very talented photographer. He took staggeringly good pictures. Some are represented in a 1985 collection called Nights and Days; others in a book put together in 2006 by Ashish and Shanthi Chandola and T. N. A. Perumal, carrying the title Eye in the Jungle.
Then again, Krishnan was a marvellous prose stylist in his adopted language, English.
Lastly, Krishnan was a pioneering environmentalist and conservationist. He knew and practiced 'environmental education' before that term had been coined.
7. What was M. Krishnan's complaint against how environmental education was taught? How did he believe it should be taught?
= M. Krishnan's complaint against how environmental education was taught was that there is simplification and selection, and logical, reasoned steps to guide the approach. But the fact is that nature is not simple, logical and reasoned. Only the behaviour of the living things make them fascinating.
He believed that children in primary schools should get to know the common wild plants and birds of the locality; birds because they are so easily watched. They should learn, a little later perhaps, the stories of the domestic animals. They should learn, a little later perhaps, the stories of the domestic animals. They should be taken out to see nature for themselves, and be given pleasant books. Children love them, and will readily interest themselves in any text if it is free morals and illustrated in colour.
8. Which characteristics and features of the peacock and the mynah made M. Krishnan believe that they were the two best suited to represent India?
= According to Krishnan, everyone knows peacock and has seen it, it is to be found all over India, and it is intimately and anciently associated with our religious and countryside legends and culture. Further it has its distinctive beauty and has been depicted in our folk and classical art.
On the other hand, the author says that though sacred to no god, it is well known to our legends and folk songs, and is one of the most familiar bird of the country. They are especially found in and around human settlements, both in the plains and in the lower hills. It is frequently caged and trained to talk and in our folk songs it is often entrusted with the delivery of messages to loved ones far away. This is a kind of ambassadorial responsibility that is surely an asset in any National Bird.
9. Can you think of a third bird that might be strong candidate for the national emblem? Justify your choice.
= I can think of Indian Fantail Pigeon that might be strong candidate for the national emblem. They are white and soothing for eyes. The colour white is the symbol of peace. They used to deliver letters in the royal palaces being the messenger of the kings. Their tail has another special characteristic feature of the bird. They have the ability to spread their tails like peacocks which is not less spectacular than that of a peacock.
10. You have learned that M. Krishnan "knew and practiced 'environmental education' before that term had been coined." What is your opinion on when 'environmental education' should be introduced as a subject and for how long it should be taught ?
a. It should be introduced at kindergarten level. Children's minds are quick to absorb information and form habits, especially environmentally friendly ones. The subject should continue until high school so that more complex aspects can be taught as the students grow up. [✓]
b. The state of the environment is too scary and serious to teach young children about. The subject should be introduced in middle school to older students who can also do more to help the environment due to their age and abilities. [ ]
c. I have a different opinion and reasons than the options provided. [ ]
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