How Green Was My Valley

There were trees and bushes; deer and snakes; mongoose and squirrels; woodpeckers and kingfishers.

Today, there is only cement and mortar; dust and noise; destruction and construction.

I lament the day I discovered this rich greenery in my backyard, for it means losing it to growing human needs for space. There is room for a mall, a petrol bunk, a commercial complex, a five-star hotel. But for greenery and nature, there is none. We are growing, and the mark of growth is more high rises, bigger vehicles, more greed.

Gone today are the varied bird sounds that I had grown to love and recognise. The treepie, the flycatcher, the woodpecker, the kingfisher - they cannot bear the sound of the crane and the road-roller as the demons destroy their habitat. Of the snake, I have no news. Even a pig cannot stay here, even if she is pregnant. The deer? I hope they are safe.

My only hope, that maybe, when all this stops and the dust settles, the birds at least will return.

I fear they may like to forget this nightmare and never return.

Conflict

Xenophobia, conflict with nature's creations... They are unique to mankind, right?

Wrong!

A raven and a pigeon got into a fight. The raven, bigger and more powerful, overpowered and would have poked the pigeon to death if a man hadn't come running to chase it away.

A bunch of mynas picked up a fight with each other. Well, we know what the reason is :D

Snake - let it slither out of its hole and the parrots set up a racket, even daring to take a peck at it to chase it away!

Squirrels, awww... the sweet things... Hmm... Aggressively ready to take the snake head on!

But no birdies and chweetie pies. Man still takes the cake. You only kill in ones and twos, for food, for security. We do it for pleasure, on a mass scale!

The Fish Balance

As we entered the stretch of road on Pulicat Lake, we saw these egrets waiting patiently for fish. The sight was beautiful, the birds eagerly watching the direction of the breeze which promised more food.

But man was smarter, and fishing at a spot ahead of the egrets. "If both fish, will there be enough fish left for either?" my daughter asked. What she knows, why doesn't a grown man also know and understand, 

I wondered. The natural food balance was so seriously being affected. The birds came only for the fish. And man tried to outwit them!

To top it, the traffic on the road, though sparse, was noisy. Horns blared loudly while my husband and I tried to shush our children to silence. The high speeding vehicles tore through the wind, scaring even us humans!

And then, I noticed the men and the women. Tired, hardworking, with hopes of making a few bucks from their catch to meet their ends meet. This man on the right had pulled that makeshift boat almost for two to three kilometers in knee-deep water. No pleasant job that.

Who am I to ride the moral high horse?

How do we strike the fine balance between need for survival of the birds, the man, and - well - the fish!

The Highest Being

The birds and animals first scout for the ideal tree or ground to build a home for their little ones.

The man scouts for the best spot for his house.

They look for shaded spots, away from the eyes of the predator.

Tree by tree, plant by plant, he razes everything to ground to create a flat surface on earth.

Twig by twig, stem by stem, the birds and the animals create a cushioned bed for their young ones.

Brick by brick he raises the walls to make a concrete, hard structure.

They are inferior because they can only create from what they have.

He is the superior for he has the power to destroy and grab what is not his.

He is the highest  being on earth for he has the sixth sense that has blinded him and killed any compassion.  

Lasting Impressions: Vanishing Home

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The Power Problem

One of the recent jokes on the SMS that I love: as the mobile, the net and something else compete as to who is going to rule the world, electricity thinks - Just you wait, guys.

Chennai reminds me of this everyday. Despite rains, power cuts - scheduled and unscheduled - everyday. NONE of the traffic signals work so total chaos on roads. Koothankulam plant - a big question mark...

Am I being too pessimistic when I say be ready for the "dark ages" again?

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