Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has recently engaged in an interaction with Sadhguru on a range of subjects like Sadhguru’s favourite sport, coronavirus, cauvery calling, soil degradation, FPOs and farmer suicides.
On the eve of World Environment Day on Thursday, Ashwin sat down for an absorbing conversation with Sadhguru, Founder, Isha Foundation that had surprisingly little to do with cricket and a lot to do with the environment.
Ashwin couldn’t resist asking whether Sadhguru preferred hockey or cricket. To which, Sadhguru confessed that he found hockey more exciting “because you are always on your feet and doing something”.
From golf to frisbee, Formula One to football, Sadhguru is not only known for his keen interest in all sports but for an uncanny ability to excel in whatever game he chooses.
Ashwin, who began the conversation by asking Sadhguru what direction people should take while dealing with the COVID – 19 pandemic, wondered how in the age of technology and information, the world was sideswiped by the outbreak. Sadhguru pegged it down mainly to “the concentration of population” and global air travel.
The cricketer, who has been a vocal champion of the environment, wanted to know how far Cauvery Calling has progressed.
Launched last September by Sadhguru, Cauvery Calling is a movement to revitalize river Cauvery by enabling 50 lakh farmers in the river basin to plant trees for economic gain on their own farmlands.
Ashwin’s curiosity prompted Sadhguru to speak at length and in detail about the project that aims to put one third of the river basin under shade with 242 crore trees which will sequester 9 to 12 trillion litres of water in the river basin, augmenting the river’s source flow and impacting food and water security of 84 million people.
“One significant thing is the Karnataka government has announced a subsidy of Rs 125 for every tree” Sadhguru began. “For somebody who encourages (another) to plant a tree, he gets five rupees. So now, we’re training youth to be agents of change; they can take this up like a part time profession (where) they meet the farmers in the local area, talk to them, encourage them, so both will benefit. This monsoon, we were to go full on but we’ve slowed down (due to the pandemic). In Karnataka, we’re planting about 70-72 lakh saplings, farmers have (already) booked them,” Sadhguru said.
Speaking about the worrying soil situation globally, Sadhguru, who earlier in the evening had delivered a video message at the Global Landscape Forum’s GLF Bonn Digital 2020, said, “Right now, the UNCCD (United Nation’s Convention to Combat Desertification) is very concerned about India because our soil is dying. Tamil Nadu and southern India are largely considered blessed because we have nearly 18 to 20 ft of top soil which is a fantastic thing. This is the reason why agriculture has been on here for 12,000 years or so.”
Ashwin also expressed concern over farmer suicides and asked whether it was time for the educated class to send their children into farming and establish it as a lucrative profession at par with engineering and medicine. “100% yes,” said Sadhguru and revealed that an informal survey by Isha had found that less than 2% of the farmers wanted their children to go into farming.
During the interaction, Ashwin also revealed that he was fine during the initial stages of the COVID-19 lockdown, but the break is now making him feel itchy inside the home.
“Initially I felt like I was okay, but now I’m getting really itchy. I want to go out and play, or do something like that, I am getting really itchy inside the house,” Ashwin told Sadhguru.
Ashwin, who listened in rapt attention as Sadhguru spoke, said he had been looking forward to this conversation. Sadhguru had recently also spoken to P V Sindhu, India’s ace shuttler and earlier to Nico Rosberg, the Formula One champion.
The Indian off-spinner was due to represent Delhi Capitals in the 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), which was originally slated to take place from March 29 to May 24. However, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) decided to postpone the lucrative T20 tournament indefinitely due to coronavirus pandemic.
Source: Zee News