Who Was Dr Hema Sane? Pune Professor Who Shunned Electricity Passes Away

Dr Hema Sane, a professor who taught Botany at the Abasaheb Garware College in Pune from 1962 till her retirement in 2000 and who continued to publish academic books on the subject thereafter, passed away on Friday. She was 85.

Renowned as the 'Encyclopedia of Plants,' Sane had become popular for embracing an eco-friendly lifestyle by shunning electricity. She lived in a house without electricity in Pune's Budhwar Peth all her life. She revealed that the reason behind not using electricity was her love for nature and the environment.

"Food, shelter and clothing are the basic needs. Once upon a time, there was no electricity; it came much later, and I can manage without it," she had said in an interview. "I never felt the need for electricity in my whole life. People often ask me how I live without electricity, and I ask them how they live with electricity?" she had said.

A PhD holder, Sane had said that after her passing, her property would belong to her dog, two cats, a mongoose and a lot of birds. "It is their property, not mine. I am only here to look after them," she had added.

As for people who called her mental, Sane had said, "I don't give any message or lesson to anyone, rather I echo the famous quote of Lord Buddha, who says that you have to find your own path in life."

Among the few signs of modernity in her house was an LPG cylinder. Besides, when she was working, Sane rode a Kinetic Luna scooter.