The other day I was reading writer Rajam Krishnan’s ‘Kurinji Thaen’ which describes the lives of three generations of people in Udagamandalam. The story is on the families of tribes who had been once totally away from the rest of the world and its developments. For them God is the Sun. They seem to pray every day to the Sun God for his kindness to them. There, as one knows, the climates are quite significant; the winters are very cold and the rains can play havoc, though the summers are quite pleasant.

After all our modernity and the use of science and technology for developments, I find we give scant regard for the five elements of Nature; Sun, Earth, Wind, Water and Rains. Yes. According to Hindu mythology we have temples for these ‘Pancha Bhoothas’ in the form of Shivalinga.

When Nature gives us so much, what do we give back to it?

I remember when I was in service, I was called by Kochi Refineries for putting up a new LPG Bottling plant near their refinery. The site I visited was full of greenery and canopies of trees and plants. To say the least, I was stunned and shocked. The entire trees and vegetation had to be cleared for putting up the plant. I told them ‘As an environmentalist if I look I will refuse to do work for the annihilation of these green vegetation. But, as an engineer, I know the plant will offer jobs and bring income to the people around. So I have to do the job.’ It is a cruel and unethical act in one way. Later, when I went there I found four huge bullets of LPG were standing in open space.

Nature provides us many things and also annihilates the population when it turns violent. But, do we pray to them every day and stop adding more and more population thus loading the earth and through buildings. I feel science has no answer for this. Every day we hear the pollutants are sent to waterways, rivers, sea and air.

Have we ever seen any (imaginative) pictures of these Gods in any household? It is valid to all irrespective of any religion, caste or community.

Today, like taking our parents and at times friends for granted, we take nature also for granted. We hardly think, respect or include these five major elements in our prayers. The nonstop heat by the sun, the torrential rains from the sky, unexpected floods in the river, the quakes on the earth and the quick spread of flame can ruin not just a few but a whole place. In fact, we are bound to pray to them every day for their benevolence for mankind.