Writer, naturalist, photographer, M. Krishnan (1912-1996) was active at a time when environmental concern was not on the agenda of the Government or Civil Society. An outstanding field biologist, he prepared plans for some wildlife sanctuaries and was on the Indian Board of Wildlife and the Project Tiger Committee. Through his elegant prose, he could make the forest and countryside come alive.
His work spanned six decades, with the distinction of having run the longest nature column in the history of Indian press—“My Country Notebook” in The Statesman, for forty-six years without a break, until his death. A recipient of the Jawaharlal Nehru fellowship and Padma Shri, he left his mark in the field of wildlife photography, of which he was a forerunner in our country.
About the Editors
S. Theodore Baskaran was a trustee of WWF India and an Honorary Wildlife Warden, Chennai. His book, The Dance of the Sarus: Essays of a wandering naturalist (OUP) was published in 1999. He is the editor of The Sprint of the Blackbuck, published by Penguin. A regular contributor on conservation to The Hindu and Frontline, he also writes in Tamil and has four books on wildlife to his credit. He was a friend of M. Krishnan. Baskaran retired as Chief Postmaster General of Tamil Nadu and lives in Bangalore.
A. Rangarajan began his acquaintance with Krishnan in the mid-70s as a school boy. It was Krishnan who helped kindle an early fascination for the wilderness in him. Rangarajan has been writing in The Hindu and Frontline on conservation and wildlife, and the M. Krishnan Centenary tribute he penned was carried as an Opinion piece in The Hindu. Rangarajan serves on the committee that organizes the M. Krishnan memorial lectur
