Environmental concerns: catch them young

Some years ago the festival of Diwali had become, for several million citizens of Delhi and other cities, a nightmare with prolonged bursting of firecrackers, sometimes through the night, and air pollution at a level that was not merely a long-term hazard but an immediate threat to life. Fortunately, a movement began among schoolchildren who were not only disturbed by the thought of supporting the fireworks industry that employs child labour on a large scale, but also saw the dangers in the enormous noise and air pollution resulting from this distorted form of celebration, which had to be brought to an end. Diwali stands for the triumph of good over evil! So how can the celebration of the victory of good be carried to a degree that it harms the lives of millions of people? The result of action by children has been a significant toning down of the noisy and visible manifestation of Diwali celebrations, with results that are clearly desirable. Another evil that has become closely associated with Diwali is the handing out of a large number of gifts on a totally impersonal basis. Earlier, the only gifts handed out were sweets or edible material generally delivered personally to friends and relatives, but the commercialization of the festival, much as Christmas has been commercialized in the west, has now given license to people sending those in positions of power and influence a range of gifts that surely do not represent the spirit of Diwali. Perhaps, we need to get children engaged in this issue as well to persuade their parents from giving and taking gifts other than those that are in the best traditions and spirit of Diwali. Those who feel that the youth of today are misguided and influenced only by the material lure of high income and wealth and the excitement of living it up are totally wrong. The truth is that the large majority of young children in this country are reasserting the traditions and values of Indian society and our showing a deep concern for the environment both in its moral and are physical dimensions. You just have to watch the TERRAQUIZ series to be telecast on Doordarshan to realize the veracity of this statement. Because, here is an activity involving tens of thousands of students from this country as well as Moscow, Dubai, and Kathmandu not only displaying their amazing knowledge of environmental issues but carrying a passion that leaves any witness with a great deal of optimism.