Wednesday, February 15, 2017

Sandesh Kadur talk at festival of ideas

PANAJI: With a camera in hand and a mind full of wonder, Sandesh Kadur would often cycle to the outskirts of Bengaluru to shoot images of the wilderness.

Back then, little was he aware that on a given night, the sounds of a Nightjar bird and the sawing call of the leopard would soon lead him on a path dedicated to documenting animals for NatGeo, discovering new species and saving the endangered ones.

An award-winning wildlife photojournalist and documentary filmmaker, Kadur, through the use of still images and videos, is known for advocating the need for conservation and protection of the planet's biodiversity.

Speaking on day one of the 10th D D Kosambi Festival of Ideas on Monday, he shed light on the forested valleys and snow-covered peaks of the Himalayas besides commenting on burning issues of Goa's biodiversity.

"Less than 5% of India's land mass is protected forest area, which is very little. We need to stop with the assault on our green areas and start conserving them," he urged.
His tryst with wildlife has led to the discovery of several new species that are endemic to the mountain regions. "Over 564 species were found until 2014 and they are being discovered on a continuous basis in the Himalayas," he said.

This, in turn, has also led to the shattering of myths about certain animals in India. He explained this through his picture of a tiger scavenging on the carcass of a rhino.

"The image has shattered all romantic stories about a tiger being a gentlemanly creature that feeds on his own kill," he explained.

His expeditions also led him to capture peaks of the Western Ghats in light as well as shadow, a rare sight of purple frog, a foot-flagging frog, purple Nilakuranji flowers that bloom once every 12 years, among others; images of which he showcased to the awe-struck audience in the packed auditorium.

A firm believer of free rivers, Kadur stressed on the need to let water bodies flow sans restriction, "Mountains harness the power of monsoon and create rivers. If we stop that by building dams, it will affect the ecosystem. There are countries removing dams therefore and making rivers free again because they realise that hydropower is not as green".

Sharing his thoughts on the Goa-Karnataka battle over the Mhadei issue, he said, "Rivers initially were protected in the birth places by temples but now they're being affected by too much 'love.' During the riots and bandhs in Bengaluru and Chennai due to Mhadei issue, it was estimated that there were losses of over Rs 25,000 crore per day. If that money had just gone to protect these rivers we wouldn't have to fight over rivers and have a positive impact on the environment".

Elaborating further, he said that building dams do more harm than good, "Respecting rivers and allowing them to flow as they are is very important. Damming them or curtailing them or diverting them can affect everything downstream. Stopping the river from flowing into the ocean gradually leads to a multitude of fish species being destroyed as well."

Kadur also commented on the state's potential for hinterland tourism. "Tourism is a very economic one-way game but that's the shortsighted view. We need to bring about tourism in the most responsible and low-impact manner. If we can bring that about then we can save those places while showcasing them to visitors. We also need education by way of an interpretation centre at the tourist spot so that experts can explain to people the value of the place."

He further pointed out that hinterland tourism should be within a certain limit so as to not cause imbalance in the natural surrounding. "We need to spread out the tourism and have less people in each place instead of too many in one place. Thus keep the density of tourism low and not go beyond the place's carrying capacity."


D D Kosambi Festival of Ideas sees diverse line-up

Wildlife photographer Sandesh KadurWildlife photographer Sandesh Kadur
PANAH: The 10th edition of D D Kosambi Festival of Ideas is scheduled to be held from February 13 to 17 at Kala Academy, Panaji.

This year will also have an impressive line-up of stalwarts from various fields who will conduct intellectually stimulating sessions for the Goan audience. Speakers this years are National Geographic explorer and wildlife photographer, Sandesh Kadur who will speak on India's mountains of life on February 13; while professor at Tata institute of fundamental research, Mumbai, Shubha Tole, will speak on 'wiring up the brain' on February 14.

A professor at Newcastle University, UK, Sugata Mitra will speak on the future of learning on February 15. Professor of international mental health and welcome trust principal research fellow in clinical science, UK, Vikram Patel will speak on 'People's health in people's hands: Reimagining health care' on February 16. The concluding session on February 17 will be by founder, BoP HUB, world toilet organization, Jack Sim. He will speak on creating a global movement for sanitation. Live telecast of the lectures will be screened on local channels as well as on the website of directorate of art and culture.

‘Experts over celebs’ at Kosambi festival this year

Panaji: Experts with great oratory skills have been given priority over celebrity status at the 10th edition of DD Kosambi Festival of Ideas, that will be inuagurated on February 13 at 5pm at Kala Academy.

"Over the decade, we have had to attract crowds by inviting glamourous speakers. But this year, we have given importance to good orators over celeb quotient. These speakers will deliver strong content in their talks," said art and culture director Prasad Lolyekar.

The festival will open with Sandesh Kadur's talk on India's mountains of life on February 13. An award-winning wildlife photojournalist and documentary filmmaker, Kadur, through the use of still images and videos, exposes the need for conservation and protection of the planet's biodiversity.
On February 14, Shubha Tole, a neuroscientist whose research involves investigating the development and evolution of the mammalian brain, will speak on 'wiring up the brain'.

Sugata Mitra, known for his 'Hole In The Wall' experiment wherein a computer was embedded in a Delhi slum wall in 1999 for children's use, will speak on the future of learning on February 15.
Co-founder of NGO Sangath, Vikram Patel will speak on 'people's health in people's hands: reimagining health care' on February 16. Patel was listed in TIME Magazine's 100 most influential persons of the year in 2015.

The concluding session on February 17 will be by Jack Sim, who founded the World Toilet Organization in 2001. Sim, widely known as 'Mr Toilet' for breaking the taboo around sanitation, will speak on creating a global movement for sanitation. It is due to Sim's efforts that November 19 has been declared as UN World Toilet Day.

The festival will be inaugurated by IAS officer Daulat Hawaldar.