Earthquake shook us today. Apparently, strongest tremors in the last 100 years. ‘Is the world ending?’ most of us ask but universe never responds directly in your face. Does it?
What is the point in becoming an environmentalist if it has to backlash at us every time? I guess the main idea is that you cannot run and you cannot hide. Maybe you can migrate or maybe you can make them, big metal submarines like the movies show. A lot of us are working to save what’s left, maybe it is because we care too damn much about the inhuman humankind or maybe some of us are mighty earthlings, trying to save our cocoon. There are and will always be a lot of ifs, buts and maybes in trying to understand the course of nature but sometimes blurting it out unconsciously gives us a blurry picture of the course of the universe. What you’re about to read is that blurry picture that flashed in front of me few days back.
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“Why are you boys and girls like this? “, asked my friend’s dad.
I was at a conference discussing environmental issues of India and the world and he had come to give company to his daughter. For a few seconds I was confused. Generally we hear such question in context of us, today’s generation, because of our dare devil obnoxious attitude.
“Sir, why are we like what? “, I asked, keeping myself ready with a few lines on Human rights.
“As in, why are you people so interested in societal and environmental issues? We were never like that. Today most of you young people are into this, how did this change happen?”
I had never thought about it before. How could I? I was not alive when my parents were my age. Hence the answer I gave to him was totally new, unthought-of, from the unconscious mind.
“Sir, I think this is because of the different generations and the situations we all have been in” I declared.
“How ?” He asked simply.
“Well let’s take an example of three generations exclusively in context of India, grandparents as Number 1, Parents which includes you as Number 2 and your daughter and me as the youth of today as Number 3.
Now if we closely look at the early years of number 1, it includes freedom struggle, lack of opportunities, traditional constraints like castes and economical issues. The main aim for number 1 was to get past these, for it was the basic right of a human in the developing world. They were relatively simpler people without much access to the outer world and hence not much of a multi dimensional view.
When number 2 arrived, the freedom was achieved. The outsiders left them with a lot to grasp, igniting curiosity to explore. Opportunities came in with new governance and various worldly revolutions. The push that number 2 had received from their parents was to make it big in life. Number 2 had seen poverty with parents and wanted to get rid of it. The lands were easily available. It was tough but businesses could be started and monopoly could be easily achieved. Economics came into the picture and gave number 2 want they lusted for in their early days. Liberalisation and globalisation opened doors leading to gazillion unexplored places.
Number 3 were born with a silver spoon in their mouth. There is luxury of riding on a rickshaw , in a car or a plane. Things are ‘available ‘at their disposal. The world was explored by their parents and is in front of them through pictures. Pocket money is in and splurging is normal. Social networking brought the multidimensional era forward. Number 3 has the time to look past traditions. There is no need to fight for food, clothing and shelter. Parents take care of everything. There is not much to hurry for. Number 3 is the privileged one and hence has a wider vision and that’s where they can see past self. (Not all of this is true for everyone of course but this can be the reason for increased interest in development sector)
This, sir, is maybe why we are the way we are. “
My friend’s dad did not argue, he smiled and agreed with me.
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We may think that we are here to change things. Maybe things are changing or maybe nature is taking its own course. Maybe it is high time we pay attention to the universe after centuries of self obsession. I may be wrong but I can be right too. What do you think?
