“Our living has to be in sync with nature. Instead of having people migrate to cities that are suffering from lack of proper planning, our efforts should be directed towards making villages self-sufficient.”
This was the message of actor Irrfan Khan before heading for an overnight stay at Badanavalu village, about 30 km from Mysuru, to join his “guru” and theatre personality Prasanna, who has launched a campaign there for sustainable living.
Accompanied by his writer-wife, Sutapa Sikdar, Mr. Khan interacted with reporters here. He said, “Why should we follow the Western concept of living which promotes use-and-throw culture.”
To ensure villages are self-sufficient, Mr. Khan said it was important to support the unique craftsmanship of village residents and the cottage industries. Village residents would be left with “nothing” if they sell their land and migrate to cities, which were improperly planned, he said.
Village residents should stay in their native place and take pride in their unique rural skills, which give them identity, he said. Mr. Khan hoped that the Badanavalu movement would spark this change.
