Exploring frontiers, beyond the glaciers

Lest you wonder why an Indian Advocate is on her way to pursue an LLM program in Polar Law at the University of Akureyri, Iceland, read on to know more about Kanagavalli Suryanarayanan and her quest to educate fellow Indians on the prospects, routes and challenges-climatic, strategic and economic-that will inevitably follow the melting of the polar ice in both, the Arctic and Antarctica. A major maritime country like India, also home to some of the largest glaciers in the world, deserves a seat at the table

If a tiny virus could wreak such havoc upon mankind-think of the damage that large scale climate change can potentially cause. Especially since the envisaged scenario isn’t out of some sci-horror flick but the grim reality.

As the polar ice melts in both the Arctic and Antarctica regions due to the scourge of global warming, the impact on India and its relations with the polar countries is going to be manifold. New trade routes will open up and new resources as well-but not sans a shift in the tectonic plates of geopolitics-thereby, requiring a whole new rethink of policy and approach.

Thus, when that happens-trained minds like Kanagavalli Suryanarayanan’s will definitely help in making sense of the sea-change (pun intended!)

In quest of a better world

A law graduate and Gold-medallist from the Puducherry University and an Advocate enrolled with the Bar Council of India, Bombay High Court, Kanagavalli’s repertoire is impressive in more ways than one. A certified Intellectual Property Rights’ Specialist from WIPO or the World Intellectual Property Organization, Singapore, she is deeply interested in issues of women’s empowerment and preservation of handlooms of India. In her pursuit of a degree in Polar Law, she not only becomes the first-ever Indian to do so at the University of Akureyri, Iceland, but she also opens up new conversations and multiple prospects in academia and allied fields for fellow Indians.

The degree, explains Kanagavalli, combines a deep-seated interest in climate change along with staunch patriotism, a natural corollary of her armed forces background. “As it happens, I have observed climate change closely. Not only have I lived through the tsunami in Chennai, but also Uttarakhand-where the cloud bursts are happening far more frequently than ever before,” she says. “This not only impacts the environment but also comes at a huge human cost. The rights and livelihoods of indigenous peoples are closely linked to this. On a larger level, the melting of the glaciers along the poles will have colossal repercussions for not just the Arctic nations but also observer countries like India, China, Korea, Singapore and Japan thereby opening up new frontiers of research, collaboration, trade routes and yes, even litigation. “As the wife of a former defence officer, wanting to do something for one’s country is an innate desire. One sees assorted peoples and cultures up close and is exposed to several realities. Thus, the LLM program in Polar Law is one way of combining all that I believe in and hope to work for,” she expresses. “And the opportunities lie not just litigating for a particular client but creating a better world for our children where ignorance is not bliss.”

"Dealing with the fall-out is not just the job of governments, but also non-governmental organisations, trained manpower in R&D, Industry, academia and citizens of multiple countries"

Kanagavalli Suryanarayanan

India-the Third Pole

Points to ponder upon: India, she says, is pretty much the third pole with as many as 10,000 glaciers. It is home to the Siachen glacier, the second-largest glacier outside the Polar regions and the largest in the Himalaya-Karakoram range. Simply put, global warming will not only impact the glaciers within Indian territory but also within the vast oceans surrounding it on three sides. And yet the average citizen remains vastly indifferent or plain uneducated on the subject-entrusting the headache entirely to the government. Unfortunately, that’s not how things work.

“In the days to come, there will be a need for more collaborative initiatives between the Arctic countries (Iceland, Denmark, the USA, Canada, Norway, Alaska, Greenland and Russia) and India as a new area of sustainable development. With Modiji’’s sustainable development initiative such as the One Sun-One World-One Grid, the first international network of global interconnected solar power grids, and newly emerging geopolitical scenarios, not to forget India’s growing clout in the global scheme of things, the interest in the Polar regions will be far from a peripheral one. In fact, it will be front and centre. This will open up vistas of interdisciplinary research initiatives and assorted academic programmes including a Masters in Polar Law to look at new frontiers of knowledge. So, be it the opening up of international trade routes via sea, a fresh race between nations to tap into newer resources, research into climate change and ways to mitigate the loss of fossil fuels as well as a fresh look at ever-newer resources of energy, both the opportunities and challenges are going to come at us in massive waves within the next 10 years,” she explains. “And dealing with the fall-out is not just the job of governments, but also non-governmental organisations, trained manpower in R&D, Industry and academia and citizens of multiple countries.”

First Indian student: Why her admission matters

While Kangavalli was forced to complete part of her programme via online classes due to Covid, her immediate plan is to finish the rest on the campus of the University of Akureyri where she will continue her studies, possibly take up a one-semester exchange programme or internship either before or after completing the Masters’ thesis.

The visa, despite the continuing pandemic,comes on the back of staunch support from Rachael Lorna Johnstone, Professor of Law and Head of the Polar Law Programme, who wrote to the authorities: “Ms Suryanarayanan’s application to Polar Law was very strong and I had no difficulties in offering her a place. Due to the severity of the Covid-19 situation in India in the Summer of 2021, she was unable to obtain permission to travel in time. Nevertheless, she attends every class online, notwithstanding the time difference, and has made excellent contributions to our discussion. She is the first Indian student ever admitted to the programme and her perspective is very important. India has been an observer state at the Arctic Council since 2013 and a consultative party to Antarctica treat since 1983. However, its position on Polar governance is little known in Iceland. Apart from her interest in Polar affairs, she contributes valuably to broader discussions of colonisation and decolonisation, for example, in our courses on international law and the rights of Indigenous peoples.”

For Kanagavalli, immediate plans include a six-month stay on the University campus followed by an exchange programme in one of the Arctic countries. As she prepares to board the flight, she has the blessings of her parents and the unstinting support of her husband, Capt. Raghavan (retd.) and 12-year-old daughter, Yukta. “As a mother, I was rather worried as to how much of a disruption this would bring forth in her young life but she was so very mature about it. In fact, she told me: mummy go out there and do your best, because what you will achieve is something so much greater than you or me,” she says.