When I look at this project, I am reminded of another noble mission which has been in progress for around five years now in Punjab.

Synergy mission in Kali Bein

The status of environmental cleanliness is one of the indicators of development of a nation. As a nation, we have to keep our environment clean and tidy including all our places of worship and rivers. I am delighted to learn the Kali Bein rivulet, the place where Gurunanak Devji is said to have received enlightenment. Over the years this rivulet has turned into weed choked drain. Recently river is clean due to the efforts of Baba Balbir Singh Seechewal in partnership with the Punjab State Government. From the discussions, I understand that he organized people?s participation in stopping the massive flow of sewage into the Bein and cleaned 160 km long polluted and choked rivulet within the last three and a half years by deploying on an average 3000 volunteer pilgrims per day. Today one can feel the flow of fresh water in this rivulet released from the Tarkina Barrage by the government about a year ago. The revival of the rivulet has recharged the water table as the hand pumps that had become dry for the past 4 decades are now pumping out water.

While I was thinking how we should solve the problem of improving the environment of rivers and religious places, I find one of our enlightened citizens has taken the initiative and demonstrated the power of ignited individuals to solve societal problem. Let this model spread in all the places of divine worship and inspire the pilgrims to participate in the task of clean environment in water and air. "Thousands of local initiatives like Siruthuli and Kali Bein will make India green."

Thanking the Almighty

I would like to put forth another thought for discussion and evolve a method of extending to all the worshiping places. In major places of worship, every day at least five hundred thousand people on an average go for prayers. Normally when we go to a religious place we pray for our happiness and prosperity. At the place of worship, shall we suggest, display of the following vows. Each devotee can take any one of them as a thanks giving for The Almighty:

- I will be responsible for educating at least five students for 3 years

- I will activate at least one water pond in my neighborhood or nearest village.

- On return from this place of worship, I will remove all enmity within my family and any court cases I will withdraw

- On return from this place of worship, I will plant five fruit bearing tree

- I will not gamble and succumb to any addiction

- I will treat in my family equal male and female children in education

- I will lead from now onwards a righteous life and free from corruption

I feel that, even if ten percent of the devotees take any one of the vows and practice it, it will bring great peace to the society, stability to the society and above all the enriched societal life. Now, I would like to share a few thoughts on the word "impossible"

Can objects heavier than air fly?

Human flight is nothing but creativity of human mind and it undergoes several struggles to achieve excellence. In 1895, a great well-known scientist Lord Kelvin, who was the President of Royal Society of London said, "any thing heavier than air cannot fly, and cannot be flown." Within a decade, Wright Brothers proved man could fly of course at heavy risk and cost.

Nothing is impossible

On the successful completion of Moon Mission in 1969, Von Braun, a very famous rocket designer, who built Saturn-V, to launch the capsule with astronauts and made moon walk a reality, in 1975 said "If I am authorized, I will remove the word impossible".

In ancient days, Ptolemaic astronomy is a widely used system in calculating the dynamics of various stars and planets. Assumption by then was that the earth is flat. What a scientific struggle had to take place to prove that the earth is spherical in shape orbiting around the sun. The three great astronomers Copernicus, Galileo and Kepler had to give a new dimension to the world of astronomy. Today we take it for granted that earth is a globe, orbiting around the sun, and the sun orbits in the Milky Way. All the technological advancements we have today are the outcome of scientific exploration of scientists of earlier centuries. At no time, man was beaten by problems. He strives continuously to subjugate impossibility and then succeeds.

Bumble Bee

(According to the laws of aerodynamics) the bumblebee should never be able to fly. Because of the size, weight, and shape of its body in relationship to the total wing span, flying is scientifically impossible. The bumblebee, being ignorant of scientific theory, goes ahead and flies anyway .....

- JOHN MAXWELL -

(Extracts from the book TRUSTING YOURSELF by M.J. RYAN)

I would like the youth assembled here to take a lesson from these examples and work to make everything possible. Now, I would like to administer a ten point oath to the students. Are you ready?

Question and Answer Session

1. How can our legal framework be strengthened in order to protect our environment? Can economic growth and ecological balance be achieved without conflict?

- Shriram Vaidyanath, Sri Gopal Naidu Matriculation School.

Ans. Everything cannot be achieved by a legal framework. All the citizens have to realize their responsibility and be a partner in protecting the environment. Economic growth has always to be achieved with ecological balance. There is no conflict between the two. For example when we talk about linking of the river project, we are including certain specific funds for afforestation so that the environment is fully protected. Same is the case with factories, who have the responsibility to ensure that they do not dispose off polluted water into rivers and ponds. There should be a societal movement like the one which I have cited in my talk being carried out by a social oragnisation,

3. With the already dwindling forest cover, Sir, what further repercussions do you foresee if the Scheduled Tribes (Recognition of Forest Rights) Bill, 2005 is passed?

- Lohithaksha, Stanes Anglo Indian Hr Sec School

Ans. I have been motivating our youth to participate in tree planting. For your information, in Kutch area of Gujarat a voluntary organization has planted lakhs of trees. If we have such movement in all the districts and states, there will be adequate forest cover for the nation.

4. Your Mentor Vikram Sarabhai advocated the use of space science for the benefit of the common man. Can you please tell us how?

- J Madhusoodan, SBOA Matriculation Hr Sec School.

Ans. Today, we have EDUSAT and CARTOSAT. One for providing educational connectivity for remote corners of the country and the other to provide resource information to the people. Both these satellites alongwith many satellites of ISRO are providing, service to the common man.

5. Nuclear testing is carried out to defend one?s country, but this has an adverse effect on our ecology. How can we strike a meaningful balance?

- Ramya R Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Matriculation Hr Sec School.

Ans. Test sites are always so chosen, that they create minimum ecological imbalance.

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