Have we forgot Lokamanya Tilak?

The recently concluded Ganeshotsav has raised several questions in my mind. The first question that is bothering me is "have we forgot Lokmanya Tilak?" My answer to this is a big Yes. We have indeed forgot our National leader and veteran freedom fighter Lokmanya Tilak. This is because we have forgot his ideologies, we have forgot the very fact why he started a festival like Ganeshotsav and made it a public function, we have forgot the basic principles of our Vedas. We have even forgot the fact that the Ganesh idol we bring should be brought in with dignity, should not be too high in height and should be environment friendly.

Widespread campaigns are already on for an eco-friendly Ganesh Chaturthi festival to make everyone aware of the pollution and environmental damage caused by Plaster of Paris idols and chemical paints.

• Plaster of Paris (POP) is not a naturally occurring material and contains gypsum, sulphur, phosphorus and magnesium. The idols take several months to dissolve in water and in the process poison the waters of lake, ponds, rives and seas, thereby kiiling the flora and fauna within.
  
• The chemical paints used to decorate the Ganesh idol contain mercury, lead, cadmium and carbon and this increases the acidity and heavy metal content in the water.
• Careless dumping of Ganesh idols in water-bodies blocks the natural flow of water. This results in stagnation and breeding of mosquitoes and other harmful pests. The polluted water causes several diseases including skin diseases also damages the ecosystem, kills fishes and water plants.

Alternatives:

• Use eco-friendly clay idols painted with natural colors.
• Use permanent idols made of stone and perform a symbolic immersion and reuse the idol each year.
• Avoid public water bodies to immerse the idols, instead immerse idol in bucket or tub.

If we really wish to follow the ideologies set by veteran leaders like Lokmanya Tilak to make India a great nation, can we not follow such simple steps and remember to celebrate the next festivals as per the Vedas and Puranas of Ancient India.

Remember, more and more use of non-eco friendly material on Earth is creating Global Warming which is very much detrimental to us and our future generations.

Please SAVE PLANET EARTH.