How long will we continue to pollute our lakes, rivers and oceans, and beaches to honor our beloved departed ones?
Today is the first day of the month of ‘Thai’ in the Tamil Calendar when prayers are offered to the ancestors. It is an ‘Amavasai’ when there will be no moon. Typically, people go near a natural water body, take a full bath wash their hair also, and offer prayers to ancestors as well as departed parents and siblings. The offering of food and flowers is also made to the departed. Many just leave their old clothes on the ground after taking their ritualistic bath. Thus, this tradition of worship generates a lot of litter on the banks of the water bodies and contaminates the waters.
At FIN, we have been campaigning for better management of Thai Amavasai and Adi Amavasai – the two sacred ‘Amavasai’ of the year, when people pay homage to their loved departed ones. This is our second year of campaigns. Very early in the morning itself, the FIN team, Ms. Amutha, Ms. Meena, Ms. Nagalaxmi, Ms. Ranjita, and Mr. Paranjothi set up our bins on the beach.
These are their observations, which policymakers at national, state, and local levels as well as the media will do well to heed. It may be of interest to academics and students studying how social norms have to be changed for sustainability.
– Prior to the event, the village council, the Panchayat had mobilized all the waste management workers to clean the beach.
– There are four kinds of behavior on the beach – given below in decreasing order of observance:
o Most insist on throwing their clothes only into the ocean.
o Some give their clothes to recyclers – who only ask for clothes that look relatively new, but do not take any underclothes.
o Some take their clothes back in their own bags.
o Lastly, a few agreed to put their clothes into our bins.
– Around 50 shop kiosks were allowed to function on the beach. They sold food and flower offering in plant bags along with banana leaves.
– More than the clothes, the beach was littered with food and flowers as well as plastic bags.
– The Acting Panchayat Head, Mr. Ganesan, and the Head of the Fisherfolk graced the occasion shortly.
– A policeman and some lifeguards were present, but they did not ask the people not to litter.
– Five volunteers came to help the FIN staff.
– It is estimated that the temple earned many thousands of rupees in offerings today.
– The beach which had been clean the day before was like a waste dump by the end of the day.
– The village Panchayat plans to mobilize the waste management workers to clean up the beach on Monday.
What do the FIN staff suggest? If we are to convince people not to pollute our beaches and oceans to honor the dead – there is a need to educate the people on the irreversible damages caused by littering. The leaders from the top to the bottom must set the people an example. The media must cooperate by exhorting people to change their behavior starting two weeks before the event. People who take care not to litter must be thanked and hailed.