When the Great Indian Bustard was almost named India's national bird

“During the dissent regarding choices for the national bird in the 1960s, Dr Salim Ali suggested the Great Indian Bustard, but M Krishnan came up with a critique that it would create an unfortunate international incident if the pronunciation went wrong.”  

Mahesh Rangarajan, a professor of history and environmental studies, noted this while delivering the Vijay Thiruvady Memorial Lecture on ‘India Ekologika: Revisiting India’s 20th-Century Environmental History’ at the Bangalore International Centre on Sunday. 

Thiruvady, a renowned tree storyteller, is best known for his walks through Lalbagh and Cubbon Park he conducted every week since September 2005, barring the Covid months or the times he was ill. He died in August 2023. 

Rangarajan spoke about 20th century environmental history and the importance of knowing it as he suggested, “Knowing history is always critical because it is difficult to prepare for the future without having a sense of the past.” 

He emphasised that it is especially important to know the history of the 20th century because it marked a 14-fold economic growth. The growth meant the creation of wealth which, in turn, meant the creation of waste, impacting environmental balance. 

Rangarajan recalled the contributions of prominent thinkers and personalities of the 20th century who recorded transforming landscapes and created their literature. 

It is then he brought up the dissent regarding the national bird. The other personalities and thinkers he spoke about in his speech are Dharmakumarsinhji, Jim Corbett, JC Kumarappa, M Krishnan and so on.

An hour-long lecture saw an end with the host quoting Thiruvady’s wife, "Bengaluru is now witnessing the bloom of tabebuia, all those flowers remind me of Vijay.”