On World Environment Day, Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) hosted a Facebook live series titled ‘Vision of Arts for the Future in Post Covid Scenario’. Dr Ajay Kumar, Regional Director, IGNCA Regional Centre Ranchi invited Abhay K, Ambassador of India to Madagascar and renowned poet to deliver a talk on ‘Protecting environment through Poetry’ on June 5.

Abhay K. imparted a lecture on the highly acclaimed work of Kalidasa’s which dates back to the 5th century. The Meghaduta and Ritusamhara Kavya reiterates on the composite  ecology and environment flora and fauna which is full of flowers, plants, animals, rivers, mountains, forests and clouds in its bounty.

“Meghaduta of Kalidasa’s highlights the importance of flowers, plants, animals, seasons, rain, rainbow, wind, sun, moon, stars, stones, rivers, mountains among others thing in our love lives, without which we would be reduced merely as bio-robots obsessed with numbers and statistics, dealing with various kind of growth rates,

and living a dismal life on a planet marred by loss of biodiversity and extreme climatic events,” said the speaker.

Abhay K also shared his own experiences of how the immediate nature and culture around him has profoundly inspired him to compose haiku like short poems, which was beautifully recited by him during the session

The poet also recited the Earth anthem composed by him in the year 2008 which was later released on World Environment Day in 2013 at the Indian Council of Cultural Relations in New Delhi. It has been translated in over 50 languages spoken across the globe and used by a large number of schools worldwide to celebrate World Environment Day and Earth Day.

Abhay K also suggested that the Ministry of Culture in General and IGNCA in particular should create an institution of an Indian Poet Laureate, on the lines of US Poet Laureate where the poet laureate is a consultant at

the Library of Congress in Washington DC.