Happy (?) Diwali

Introduction: This is in accordance with my note Happy (?) New Year (http://mywilddiary.blogspot.com/2009/03/happy-new-year.html) dated 31st Dec '08.

Around 700-500 B.C: Valmiki wrote Ramayana.
12th Century A.D: The Chinese invented fireworks
21st Century A.D: Indians burst fire crackers on Diwali, as they believe that Lord Rama was welcomed in the same manner, when he returned to Ayodhya after his 14 years of exile.
Strange, isn’t it? Now read this-
1. In 2008, Kolkata experienced the warmest winter in 60yrs. Similar stories from many other cities.
2. Feb 2008: Temperatures in Mumbai plumett to below 10 degree C. Nearly unheard of in the past.
3. 2009 was one of the driest years in India with rainfall occurring infrequently and irregularly. Agriculture at stake.
4. Nagpur reported failure in blooming of oranges on account of abnormally less rainfall- another uncommon occurrence.
5. The most recent of all disasters- parts of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh & Goa flooded in Oct ’09.
This is one endless list of oddities!
Now isn’t this strange? It isn’t! Why? What else would you expect when we manipulate with the earth’s climate patterns; the way we did with our own mythology…only to meet our luxuries, our pleasures? So what’s the fate of our future? Aah! I just heard a boom outside my window!
Wake up! Climate change is real. Climate change is happening.

Even then, if today you burst a cracker and burn yourself up; I don’t care! What I care for is that the planet too will burn with you.
If today, you burst a cracker and get hearing impaired; I don’t care! What I care for are those around, whom we fail to understand. They can hear upto ten times better than us…I care for them.
If today, you burst a cracker and lose your vision; I don’t care! What I care for are those of your age, who lose their childhood; who lose their eyes, their limbs…or themselves, while making crackers for you.
As Channel V very fittingly put it up last year, “Diwali is a festival of light and not of sound”. Let it be so.Those who intend to stand by the message may well remove the ‘?’ from the title. For the rest- uncaring and sceptical types- I’ve just this one question to ask- “If you don’t care for the environment, to which planet do you belong?” (courtesy Greenpeace)