Let's Live....

was a hot summer morning in Chabua. “Kunhi, have you had your breakfast?” her mother asked. Kunhi replied, “Yes,” peering over the newspaper that she was reading. “Ma, look here!” she called out. It was the picture of a leopard that had prowled into a particular locality in Guwahati city. She even read out the disturbing news item to her mother; the leopard had entered a house where a baby was sleeping. “This is so dangerous!” she exclaimed.

Kunhi had been hearing about rhinos being killed by poachers for their horns. She also remembered having seen a television news coverage on how an elephant had been electrocuted by the villagers of Kaziranga. Kunhi was very worried, but she couldn’t understand the reasons behind all these incidents. She asked her mother, “Why do animals enter human habitations? Why do they destroy our paddy fields? Can’t they roam around their own habitats?” Her mother smiled and sighed, “Animals do not like to change their habitats; rather, it is human beings who have been continuously disturbing the animals and their habitats.” Kunhi then remembered what their EVS teacher had once told them about her childhood.

As a young girl, her teacher used to visit Noida often, and it was a lush green place then. Kunhi’s teacher also narrated stories about how they enjoyed the dance of the peacocks when it rained, and how beautiful animals and birds would be seen roaming around their locality. “Is it true, Mom? Was Noida a forest area too?” she asked with surprise. From her mother, Kunhi came to know that with increasing population and rapid urbanisation, Noida became an extended part of New Delhi. Even the expansion of Guwahati city is increasingly encroaching upon animal habitats. Cutting and felling of trees, constructing huge buildings, etc., have forced the animals to enter human localities in search of food, be it small animals like pets or paddy.

Kunhi now understood the reasons behind animals entering human areas. And so, when she had her summer vacation and their class teacher requested them to think of a new idea for their next project, she invited a few of her friends to discuss the matter. All of them got together and decided to start a poster campaign for afforestation – to stop the unplanned cutting of trees, the killing of animals for money, etc. They made several posters focussing on ‘peace and friendship’ among all living species, and they came up with a slogan: “Let’s all live together in peace and harmony.”