Lead by example!

I was sitting by the window and sipping hot tea on a cold cloudy afternoon. The skies were overcast and it seemed very likely that we would have a downpour. Pune is famous for the beautiful rains that you witness in the monsoon season. I smiled to myself that I was living in a place that people loved to call "A respite from the heat" during summer time. But suddenly my smile faded. I realized that something was bothering me at the back of my mind. What was it?

The overcast sky that wouldn't pour?

The traffic clogging the narrow lane in front of my house increasing pollution levels?

Or was it the repeated honking of impatient office folk returning home?

As a matter of fact, yes. It was all of this and more.

Could I not save my city from the dust and dirt that was piling up on its streets? Could I not tell people to be more responsible and drop trash into rubbish bins that decorated the sidewalks? Honking only when necessary, was this not supposed to be the way vehicle owners behaved? Everyone knows this. Each one of us is aware of his environmental duties yet we conveniently ignore them.

Is there no end to this continuous thoughtless destruction of Mother Nature? Questions are easier to ask but did you know you could be the answer to all of them and inspire others to follow? Yes. Lead by example. If you want to change the way people treat our environment, begin with yourself.

I rose from my chair and walked to the door. Climbed down the staircase and out into the open street, lifted a discarded Bisleri bottle from the footpath and tossed it into the trash can. At the end of the street two teenagers were munching on burgers and looked up. Would they not do what I silently preached? They walked away, turned and disappeared round the corner. But I knew. From their ways, I knew I had made a mark. I was the change I wanted to see in the world. A small effort for sure, but a significant one at that.

SCIT SSR aims to bring about this change in attitude of today's youth to preserve Mother Earth for generations to come. Angelic as it may seem, the "Earth Warriors" as they call themselves, have pledged to create awareness among general public regarding various environmental issues.

Be the change you want to see in the world! Go SCITians!

Eeshwari Bollapragada
SCIT - SSR