The news of inundation of Chennai and other parts of TN due to the recent rains are getting shared along with the heartrending photos across the country through various news channels and social media platforms. While the services of the police personnel, fire services personnel, electricity board employees and various other self-less institutions who contributed their might to mitigate the situation against all odds are appreciated, lack of pro-activity / response on the part of the ruling dispensation is much criticized rightfully.
This situation has become almost a routine feature once in a couple of years and every time it concludes with criticizing the government and a loud cry for compensation to those who were affected. That’s it. This issue is forgotten till the same situation arises.
If one has to closely monitor the data / information, it would come to light that the damage which used to result out of severe rains for weeks together or heavy cyclone is now happening even due to incessant rains for a couple of days. Why the situation has become vulnerable of late ? Why this deterioration ?
Hindu scriptures teach the followers that all creatures in the world are manifestations of one Brahmam (Ekam Sat Vipra Bahuta Vadanti) and human beings do not have any superior rights or authority over other creatures or resources. Hinduism teaches its followers to co-exist with other creatures and advocates universal harmony, whereas Abrahamic ideologies impregnates the superiority complex to their followers and advocates exploitation of resources to achieve their desires. According to them, God created humans as superior creatures and all other creatures / resources are created to satisfy human needs and wants. By default, Hinduism teaches conservation and Abrahamic ideologies teaches exploitation.
With the advent of aping Western thoughts in many ways (much of this is attributed to the 200 years of colonialism), Hindus have started adopting the “exploitation” approach. As a result of this approach, the universal harmony and co-existence was threatened. Afforestation was put on hold and de-forestation started happening, because of which seasonal rain cycle got affected and became unpredictable. Lakes and agricultural lands were occupied and sold out as residential plots, because of which the water flow lost its trajectory and started logging in the streets to pose inconvenience to the humans.
It is very important to strike a balance between nature conservation and urbanization / industrialization. With the rampant one-sided approach in line with western thought, totally ignoring the Hindu ethos of co-existence and harmony has created a lot of disturbance in nature’s cycle.
The Rig Veda venerates Mitra, Varuna, Indra, Maruts and Aditya that are responsible for maintaining the requisite balance in the functioning of all entities of nature including lakes, mountains, water and forest. Hindu saints recognized that changes caused due to indiscreet human activities could result in imbalance in seasons, rainfall patterns, crops and atmosphere and degrade the quality of water, air and other resources of the earth. They look at every entity of nature with friendship and empathy.
मित्रस्य मा चक्षुषा सर्वाणि भूतानि समीक्षन्ताम् ।
मित्रस्याहं चक्षुषा सर्वाणि भूतानि समीक्षे
मित्रस्य चक्षुषा समीक्षामहे ॥
The meaning of this Rig Veda sloka reads as, “Let me see every creature in this world with a friendly eye. Let me see every resources with a friendly eye. Let the world see me the same way. Let everybody in the world see each other likewise”.
Hindu scriptures has guidelines and solutions for each and every aspect of human life. The day humans start following these in their day-to-day life, the world will be a better place to live.
