Theme: Environment

Festive Time

Hey Devotee!

It is festive time

For you,

To please yourself

And me.

 

Yet, I’m sorry to say

It doesn’t appease me.

 

You must be

Really enjoying

The cacophony

Of drums and beats

That scare away the birds

And animals on the streets.

 

May be, there are old people

Resting nearby in the very same

Streets through which your

Clamorous procession proceeds.

 

May be, a baby is in deep slumber.

 

May be, a child is having his exams.

May be, someone is reeling under

High fever. Needs some rest, if only

You could feel and see their stress

That keeps rising…the more your

Blaring mikes reach their crescendos.

 

What about the waters of my rivers

That swell up with tears…they know

At the end of the day, when the

Pooja culminates, the Pratima is

Immersed for Visarjan,

Their flora and fauna will take the brunt

Of all the plastic, the lead and mercuric

Colours, the numerous poly bags,

That float all over…

 

My waters blow up with carcasses

In the burning ghats, as if that wasn’t

Enough, now you do it all the year

Through…some Pooja or the other,

And my fish and crabs, turtles and frogs,

The shells and corals, the molluscs, you name it,

I have it in varied forms: my aquatic life

Pays the price for your water pollution.

Not to mention the noise pollution -

That comes with every Pooja celebration.

 

Why make a hue and cry, why publicise

Religion, why commercialise it, why not

Offer silent prayers to your temple deity?

I’m omniscient. I know it all…

Your desires and wishes.

I know you love me.

No need to overflow with so many emotions

That disturb the peace and tranquility

Of the environment.

Please preserve its sanctity.

 

Do not detonate it with all your commotion.

 

Religion should be heartfelt devotion.

Not a razzmatazz of pomp and show.

Remember me in your silent prayers,

Why upset the eco balance with your

Irreverent actions of religious fervour?

 

Worship me as Kali, Durga, Lakshmi.

I may be also your Saraswati. You also

See me as Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Ganesha.

So many forms, myriad tales of my myths.

 

But leave out nature from the pain and agony

You inflict on its plants, birds and animals.

 

Don’t malign religion

With noise pollution

And water pollution.

18-Jul-2010

More By  :  Aparna Chatterjee

Views: 1382     Comments: 0


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