Back to basics

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Edit Blog Posts The more we learn the more we go back to the past. At least the past that India was witness to, when it used to be Bharat.One of the great religions of the world, Buddhism, born in India, professes very clearly the love for all living things no matter how dangerous they may be. At its core, Hinduism professes the same respect for nature and all things living. It is the religion that treats even rivers and mountains as living beings.I am not professing religion here. All i am saying is that we need to get back to the basics and spread awareness amongst people around us, living where we live, the importance of being in tune with the environment.Tumblers made of clay - kullhad, plates made of leaves - pattal, are important milestones towards eliminaton of harmful stuff like glass and plastic. These not only generate local employment but also are very environmentally friendly. Tradition in India preaches that one can attain Nirvana if one plants 5 trees - Banyan, Peepal, Neem, Mango and Tamarind. Imagine if we were to get a significant chunk of our 1 billion people to plant 5 trees such as these shady trees in their lifetime...Just imagine the possibilities.I remember when i was a kid and when my family used to go to Hridwar to take a dip in the Ganga, my grand dad used to tell all of u to wash our feet outside the river Ganga before we enter her holy waters. One had to take care to wash feet away from the river so that the dirty water did not flow into the Ganga. Imagine if we were able to get this simple fact to each Hindu who takes a dip in the waters of the Holy river Ganga. If people wash their feet and enter the waters, i am sure they will think twice before letting sewage get into the river.These are but two examples merely to illustrate that the need of the hour is to ensure that the message of environment reaches the masses rather than being restricted in the boardrooms, on blogs, on the internet and some five star hotels. We need funds directly at the grass roots level. What we dont need is government sponsored actions on the ground. What we do need is government sponsored rules, regulations and policies that insist on Environment first.Unless we bring in some local benefits in this environment drive, government can do little. If we care about human beings around the world, we must accept that it is not the planet that is in danger, it is Us.