Feast for Thought

Here I am, worrying myself sick about global warming, climate change, and continued indifference of the Average Earth Inhabitant, and there they are - the five countries (US, Russia, Denmark, Norway, Canada) around the North Pole sitting smugly satisfied to see the melting ice, and ready to fight each other to get to the bottom! Not right, to say the least, and frankly speaking - vulgar! Why this greed for control? Despite being fully aware of the short and long term effect of burning and depleting fossil fuels, why do these states seek even more?

Kanpur, 1999: One morning my husband was about to bite into a sandwich, and stopped in time…he stared at a black embedded object in the slice that had, well, several legs. After initial appalled reactions, we decided to call the (well-known) baker. The local telephone directory helped. We called, and were assured that utmost standards of quality were always maintained. A seasoned marketing person came pronto, collected the offending piece, deposited two crisp fresh loaves of very special milk bread, and left. Bangalore, 2001: Same brand, same product, this time a different foreign object, but just as firmly ensconced and baked to perfection. Out went a call to the Yeswantpur source, history repeated. This time a young, enthusiastic and well-coached marketing person turned up to convey the ‘we-have-high-standards-and-quality-checks’ USP. This time we said ‘no, thanks’ to the replacement loaves. Bangalore, 2004: It was the turn of a packet of sweet corn soup. My all-vegetarian family ...

When a breeze rustles the tricolor When all eyes look to the chakra When the overture begins My heart fills to the brim To attention I stand But let the mind travel Back to the glory that was And to the Future in our hands Sentiments they may be, Sentimental too, Not wrong, not amiss, surely? Don’t you feel as I do? As the last strains fade in the ear, I stare - to burn away the tear, Add to history I may or not Blur or change it – I dare not. Will my son feel for the homeland? If that doth lie in my hand He will shed a tear or two - be assured For the country - and his son will, too!

A P and a Q Brighten a day Hold open the door, Give another a say. A civil word here, A kudos-pat there The place lights up, And dark clouds beware. Put U before I, And reverse a Nay, For a tap of your heels, Could make the floor give way. A sorry for a wrong, Does not pinch you, Check it out right away - do And smile your way through!

Grow out of my arms - my son - my baby, Grow up a man well loved to be, Go out into the arms of the wide-wide world Grow out of my arms - my son - my baby. Stride ahead with firmness of step, Put forth your hand to aid and help, Be it a friend, be it a foe, Jus' remember - goodwill - it needs a hoe. Take out the venom, put in the honey, Lay the sweet open, for all to see, Water a plant, pick out a weed, Look to the sun - and place a seed. When I could gather all of you to me, I knew - the day will come early, When your eyes and mind are ready, To go out of my arms- my son - my baby

What prevents educated persons from being environmentally conscious? What blocks their mind from seeing the consequences of their everyday actions? Of late (I mean as long as 6 years) I look at tings through a waste-management eye - trying to answer the question “Where will this go once its useful life is spent?” And then in my mind loom pictures of stinking landfills and rag-pickers rummaging through certainly toxic garbage. Let’s take a few items of everyday use for starters. 1. The alkaline battery that toys, clocks, personal gadgets use: When you buy a pair of these cells, do you ever spare a thought to their after-life? A few years ago, Bangalore civic authorities had a scheme by which spent batteries could be deposited in a receptacle on MG Road for safe disposal later. (I wonder what came of that.) I had changed over to rechargeable batteries (not that I have shelf-loads of them) to use at home in toys, clocks, the camera and the remote. That's also the time I stopped buing ...