Problems with Festivals and celebrations!

We are used to listen from people; how we are wasting natural resources by celebrating any festival

Now it is heavy raining rather over raining...and now people have reason to cry for the crop lose.

In my journalism I have seen droughts and drought affected areas and the people caring water from even 7/8 kms. As a trekker, I have visited green lush forests and stopped visiting places after deforestation.

What I don’t understand is when you can’t carry water from an area to an drought affected area, when even governing system hasn’t planed any drought action in this particular area, everything regarding water is fine and smooth, than why suddenly people start crying and shouting about water wastage keeping eye on Holi. Just because; out their people are starving for water, when this water can’t reach them? My simple question is; Is this practical?

Whenever there is any festival, we are used to listen from people how we are committing sin by celebrating that festival.On occasions of Diwali, Dashera, Sankranti Ganeshotsav, they tell us how hungry people are out there; and how you dare eat good food, how you can wear nice cloths and waste edible oil on lighting, waste money on crackers.

On Holi and Rangpanchami previously, they use to cry for.... and now; I see they have started shouting…, that we are spoiling natural resources, like wood and water.

For last almost 25 years, we are well aware about crunching forest belts. For last 15 years, we see water shortage and we are discussing it as well!

What I see is those who talk about festive expenses and wood water wastage, they are not that keen on social expenses/wastage on schemes, they do not talk about forest cuttings.

I would like to put here one seen of my life; I have seen a forest guard arresting “Katkari’s” for collecting dry tree branches from forest of Radhanagari, I couldn’t understand when they knew the timber mafia’s are cutting the whole jungle, why these Katakaris are prosecuted? If you go to “Konkan Point” you will note the huge white patch of baron land, which I have seen “a lush greeeeeeeen forest!”! Who did this? ...those katakaris? Even if they decide to cut those many trees, it will take at least two decades for them to baron that much land which was done by timber mafia’s in just 2/3 years.

It is the case with the festival celebrations! They talk about the so-called wastage of wood and water in Holi and Rangpanchami. Question is kindly tell me what about millions of hectors covering trees are slaughtered; is it for this a day festival? When you ask people to stop Holi wood burning, you should ask yourself, whether you have questioned this to the public servants and bureaucrats!

All vehicle service stations are running their business; even in person, people wash their vehicles at home and at works, all swimming pools are well running, even in some areas still 24 hrs drinking water supply is continued! Have you asked them to stop this and give water to draught affected areas? No; because you know well that this cannot happen, as there is no way to take this water to those areas. 

However, when Rangpanchmi came; suddenly you came shouting, this is waste of water! I do not understand every day all together all service stations in Pune itself are consuming almost a million liters of water. We should ask ourselves did we think of this? Do we really save at least a considerable amount of water just by not celebrating Rangpanchmi?

My request to readers is please do not be driven by others, use your own mind and logics before following people. They have different motives. They say different but their actual goal is different. 

We have seen this in our history...problem is, we do not learn from our own history!!

 

Sudarshan