New Delhi, Oct. 6 -- By now, most of us know that Jane Goodall has passed away. The world mourns a woman who, without formal scientific training, redefined our understanding of the animal world through her groundbreaking work with chimpanzees in the Gombe National Park, starting in the 1960s. Goodall belongs to a remarkable generation of women environmentalists -- such as Rachel Carson - who helped humanity see the planet with new eyes. Across the world, many honoured Goodall for teaching us that animals have emotions, intelligence, and personalities. She also showed that they make tools, are social and display aggression - mirroring the complexity of human nature. Some people critique her for not nurturing local voices and concerns, and whose approach carried traces of colonialism. What does Jane Goodall mean to India today? We are a nation that both worships and wounds animals - where elephants are fed firecracker-laden pineapples, where we try caging street dogs to death, and leopards are lynched for wandering into cities while their habitats are denuded. Our cruelty coexists uneasily with a heritage that includes wildlife-protecting Bishnois to Jain monks who, till today, sweep the ground to avoid harming an ant. Goodall's passing is a moment for introspection. She reminded us that empathy is intelligence, and cruelty diminishes our humanity. Perhaps it's time India returns to its own legacy of compassion, before we lose not just our wildlife but also our conscience. This is the lesson we must take from this moment of mass mourning....