WHEN THE INSIDE IS CLEAN, THE OUTSIDE, TOO, WILL BE

Last week, I came across a young lady and her little son. The little-one had completed an amazing project on making this planet free from pollution and toxins. Both, mother and son, were sharing with me their ideas with great enthusiasm and conviction…

What a lovely though! What a lovely learning at such tender age! When a child really becomes conscious and responsible on issues pertaining to the planet, which houses all of us, I think… there is hope for this planet. For, the consciousness expands… the more and more little children begin to grasp this truth early and grow up holding themselves responsible for the mess created on this planet, then, there is bound to be the ripple-effect of such consciousness…

At least, I think so!

Imagine, if the greed continues… Imagine if we continue to destroy trees and forests, bring down hills and mountains, convert deserts a into waterlands and waterlands into concrete jungle…  chase animals out of their forests… dig deserts and oceans for oil… fill skies with toxic smoke… and, if we keep doing this for yers and years, what is going to happen to our planet – the house we live in!

Well, that’s a serious issue, even though not in our power directly. But, we can do our bit: we can support the cause… we can join the initiatives taken by others…

But, what about the toxic environment we create right in our houses and housing societies? This is something immediate… this is very much with in our power. Are we equally – in fact more passionately – concerned with this issue? Are we sensitizing our children not to pollute the place they live in, grow up in? What kind of lesson are we imparting to our kids when it comes to setting examples? Do we show them, by our example, to hold grudges or to forgive, forget and live peacefully? Do we talk at home about destroying our enemies… let our children know how we plot against our opponents… or do we talk at home about making peace with our enemies… let our children never give up on hope of a peaceful tomorrow?

Yes, to me, saving the planet close to my feet – the inside planet - is more important. If this planet continues to pollute with toxins, the chances of outside planet becoming toxin-less, seems dim to me.

The more we improve the environment in our houses and housing societies, the more improvement we will be able to effect there, outside… When the inside is clean, the outside, too, will be.

GERALD D’CUNHA

Pic.: Azriel D'Souza