Last Tuesday, Tushar Gandhi, the great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, read the Preamble of the Constitution of India to a crowd gathered in Dadar. Line after line, young Mumbaikars echoed his words. That was just the beginning of a busy week for Gandhi. The inaugural three-day Festival of Alternatives at the Yusuf Meherally Centre in Panvel, where he is a committee member, is gearing up for its first festival dedicated to sustainability.

Why was it important to shine a light on sustainability through a festival in today’s times?
The idea was to mark the first death anniversary of Dr Gunvantrai Ganpatlal Parikh (October 2), the 101-year-old Gandhian freedom fighter who dedicated his life to sustainable practices across fields of human rights, environment, and gram udyog. A festival nestled in the foothills of the Western Ghats seemed like the perfect tribute. We will hold a short ceremony to honour Bapu and Dr GG Parikh on the opening day.