For the past 20 years I have made several wonderful expeditions into the Maharashtra Nature Park with children ranging in age from 4 – 16 years. This is one of the few remaining green getaways in the heart of Bombay rich in plant, insect, reptile and bird life.
So when we were suddenly invited to participate in a Green Event on a Saturday evening at The Park recently, though the notice was short notice I managed to gather together an excited collection of 22 youngsters and two equally eager parent volunteers.
As we entered The Park sectioned off for the event I stared uncomprehendingly at the semi-circular 4 tiered open space which on any normal day is a tangle of dense foliage teeming with insect life. There was instead neatly laid brand new turf bordered with scores of empty plastic bottles entrapped in fishing mesh, CD mobiles glittered and spun in the fading light. Strategically placed were treadmill bikes, an enormous sound system, huge ground level and airborne spotlights all connected to electric cables that snaked endlessly around the territory. A large elevated white screen overhung the scene. I am sure the décor intended to convey the message of reduce, refuse, recycle and reuse but lamentably I just was not up to figuring it out.
As the sky darkened powerful beams lit up this arena. The sound system blared out an inane conversation between the event anchor and a film celebrity espousing the cause of environmental conservation and using eco-friendly sources of energy to illuminate remote rural areas while a well-known film star gyrated on screen. I did wonder what the insect and bird life had to say about such an outrageous invasion of their privacy. The answer was evident when I observed a lone centipede struggling desperately to navigate and escape the unfamiliar turf.
Just as aghast were my excited collection of youngsters and I was subject to a plethora of their sibilant sarcastic comments stated sotto voce. It was because of sheer good manners the children participated whole – heartedly in the activities as banal as making paper bags, sticking post-its with environment friendly messages on a dead tree stump and pedaling the treadmill bikes furiously with nothing to light up despite all the eco- friendly energy generated.
After being subject to two and a half hours of this non-stop parody the children understandably wished to depart. Our event co-coordinator requested we stick around for a while longer and I agreed much to everyone’s displeasure and I was subject to a gauntlet of disapproving stares but everyone subsided wearily. A half hour later of hanging around we went through an action replay but this time when 16 year old Goyal who is normally committed to my numerous environment escapades forthrightly growled I needed to ‘get a life’ I decided it was time to head out.
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