Future Forum Haldwani
Shruti Pant
The world today is grappling with the COVID-19 crises and I am sure there will be many among us who have now realised the importance of sustainable living. I am sure they have realised that the world order needs to change, environment and animal lives protected, and that development must be done in a sustainable manner if we are to survive any further on this planet we call our home. Many of us are also questioning God, constantly repeating the question “WHY GOD?”
I often wonder do we even have the right to ask this question. Aren’t we responsible for what is happening to us? If we can feed a hungry pregnant elephant with crackers, why can’t God punish us with a Pandemic, a Cyclone, and Forest Fires? In the name of development, we have deprived animals of their natural habitat; we have polluted the land, water and the air; for our consumption, millions of animals are brutally slaughtered every day. Many of us, only to justify our actions, even go to the extent of believing that God has given us dominion over other animals. We fail to realise that though humans have evolved much more as compared to the other species, it would not have been possible if Nature did not favour us, and as a result, it is our responsibility to take care of all that walks and crawls on the surface of this earth. It is our responsibility to create a sustainable planet.
After the news of the gruesome killing of a 15-year-old pregnant elephant in Mannarkkad forest division, went viral, the entire nation has been outraged. The Chief Minister of Kerala announced that the forest department is looking into the case and the culprits won’t be spared. Two Organisations have even announced cash reward to anyone providing information that would lead to the arrest of the culprits.
Despite of all the post on social media, all these blogs, each one of us today needs to rethink what being a human means. Each one of us needs to introspect upon the responsibility of carrying the self-declared title “the superior race.”
If we cannot find a solution to how to leave the world a bit better than we must with grace and dignity accept the fact that we have had our time on this beautiful planet; we have used and abused her and enjoyed more than was our share, and now each one of us should with dignity and grace walk hand in hand into extinction by not reproducing anymore. According to the reports of the endangered species, international 905 species have become extinct and about 16,928 have been endangered. What could be more serious if not this?
Despite the advancement in technology we fail to create sustainable methods. Though there are many who are catering to the needs of millions of voiceless animals by rescuing them from slaughterhouses; by going vegan; by being conscious about the environment, but still there remains massive population which is not conscious of the crises we face. If we want to create a change we will have to outnumber those who are not conscious.
The purpose of this article is not to spread negativity but it is a small effort from our end to enable people to realise the dire circumstances, become more aware and have empathy and compassion. I now rest my pen with the words of Nic Pizzolatto, hoping that after reading his words we realise and change our conduct towards the environment or leave it for the better letting other species thrive.
“I think human consciousness, is a tragic misstep in evolution. We became too self-aware, nature created an aspect of nature separate from itself; we are creatures that should not exist by natural law. We are things that labour under the illusion of having a self; an accretion of sensory, experience and feeling, programmed with total assurance that we are each somebody, when in fact everybody is nobody. Maybe the honourable thing for our species to do is deny our programming, stop reproducing, walk hand in hand into extinction, one last midnight- brothers and sisters opting out of a raw deal.”