Ganesh festival: Let wisdom prevail...

This refers to recent Ganesh Festival and the usual rant by section of media over the water pollution after Genesh Visarjan (immersion) started and many 'educated' people started a debate over this. One such, Ms Gupta from Pune mentioned in her comments on Facebook - "However I detest the celebration of Ganpati Festival especially in Maharashatra cause if God resides in Idols for those who care least for their homeland and this is what their God, home and environment deserves after today, then shame on them." (Ref: (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/pollution/Ganesh-festival-leaves-50-tonne-waste-trail-in-Chennai/articleshow/49053088.cms)

Agree that they should use environmental friendly material for making Ganesh Ji, but do not agree the words used and spread by section of media to mislead people to detest everything about Hindu festival or rituals. It is biased and misleading and mitigated systematic campaign as they never dare to speak up against animal slaughter during Eid or Thanks Giving or No word on wastage of electricity or trees cut down during Christmas. 

Why biased?: There are many bigger issues that create far more damage to the environment on daily basis than these annual celebration that brings smiles on millions of faces. It is a small industry that manufacture such idols, diya (earthen lamps) and other decorative stuffs. This is serious business and major source of earnings for many poor people.

Water Pollution

Why we need to continue?: The festivals and bring joy, togetherness, and change from daily routine. It provides earning to many families. It is part of our culture and identity. These events bring many Indians together and are one of the major source of socialising or meeting new friends abroad.

Instead of detesting, we should learn to appreciate it. 

Counter measures: 

1. Educate people to buy environmental friendly idol.

2. There are NGOs who are working towards cleaning the beaches and one of them is headed by Shaina NC, a BJP leader. We can add more people to the cause. 

Instead of feeling sad or detesting the people (for celebrating) over environmental issue raised by media over 10 days celebration, how about some concrete steps in our personal life on 365 days...some of them may be - 

1. Stop using plastic that could potentially kill animal on land and in sea after consumption. 

2. Stop buying plastic toys for our children as the waste germinated through these toys is huge due to the quantity, the size and the quality of the plastic used for making toys. 

3. Stop buying all items packed in plastic. and also communicate the same to the to the manufacturer. 

4. Stop eating meat as the industry uses huge quantity drinking water to produce clean meat and it also berates solid waste that is difficult to dispose of easily. 
5. Stop setting the extreme opposite temperatures during summer or winter. Most of the commercial high raises are extremely environmental unfriendly as they maintain the temperature of centralised AC below 20 in summer and able 25 in winter.

6. Stop traveling unnecessary to reduce pollution. 
7. Stop buying anything that is not needed including cloths, gadgets, toys, furniture, car or anything...remember all these are environmental unfriendly. 

As Issac Asimov quoted, "The saddes aspect of the life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom". 

With smartphone and data connectivity, I would rather say that - Science gathers and distributes knowledge faster than the society gathers the wisdom. Let, the wisdom prevail on us to understand the 'rights' and the 'wrongs' and difference between them...