Diwali is Gone……………
We moved on to carry out our daily chores….offices, schools, colleges, hospitals, markets, etc….etc…..Daily activities are interrupted due to monsoon, changes in weather, and rain at many places. Social Media and news channels are busy telecasting updates about the threatening pollution level in Delhi after Diwali, heavy rainfall, waterlogged farmlands, blocked drainages, damaged and disconnected road networks, waterlogged houses, etc in South India. Year after year during every monsoon in South India we come across these coverages. Discuss the same for the next few weeks and get busier in other activities once the season changes.
Diwali for instance is a great example of an issue that causes a periodical impact and gains impetus only during each festival season. We use and throw plastic waste in bins without segregating, burn vehicle tyres and plastic bags without worrying about the gases emitted, a car is being used by a single person to travel to his/her workplace, throw garbage in drains and canals and so on……..The negative impact and pollution caused by the above activities are much greater than that is caused due to the bursting of crackers. But without analyzing the facts and the truth behind the information we blindly believe, support, and forward that information on air pollution caused by crackers and start insisting on so-called GREEN DIWALI.
When our grandparents narrate stories about celebrations in their time period, parents talk about their experience during family gatherings and festivals, tricenarian talk about their meaningful, fun-filled holidays in villages and small towns where they grew up, what memories we create for our Gen – Z kids. Being born in the digital era surrounded by competitions and challenges let us not deprive our kids of the happiness and experience that they would get from these small celebrations and festivals.
We are worried about the environment, ecosystem, and global warming which we should be concerned about. At the same time instead of depriving them of their happiness let’s try to educate and insist on simple habits which will be a game-changer. These small habits on a day-to-day basis will reap the same benefits of saying NO to crackers for a single day. Bursting crackers is definitely an action that needs to be looked upon seriously because of the impact it creates. Instead of ‘preaching’ them to be conscious about their surroundings just for a day and keep polluting and degrading the environment for the rest of 364 days motivate them and bring small little changes in their day-to-day activities.
Encourage and insist them to say good morning and good night to their grandparents, respect elders and help them when they are in a need, teach and train them to segregate waste before disposing them into the bins, irrespective of school, workplace, or a public place they should be able to follow their conscience without any hesitation. Give them a chance to explore a cleaning activity through volunteering and encourage them to make it a practice. These activities can be anything and everything towards bringing changes to their lifestyle, but this will definitely bring a tremendous change within them and they will start spreading their positive vibes to others.
Small changes become a habit and an exceptional habit becomes a strong identity of a person.
In the process of creating an IDENTITY for ourselves, we are creating a ripple effect that will lead to a big change.