There used to be a rumbustious set of people who lived in an enchanting place filled with wonder and light. These people prospered in almost every aspect of life. Although they had no money, they were still happy as they dwelt in an area cordial to “FORESTS.” These convivial people got to enjoy something we people hardly get to see, “NATURE.”

The people saw the way water droplets reflect the light of the sun, as they quietly trickle, slowly and tenderly down the margins of the leaves.

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The land experienced the magnificence of the somnolent little sprouts stealing the spotlight after their deep revolutionary sleep. The way the satisfying and rummaging breeze caused Nature to come to life as its soft touch caused the flowers, the blades of grass, the sweet sparkling leaves and the sturdy stems of the plants to dance rhythmically was like a reverie for the people of this place.

This vast land full of diversity experienced the splendid streaks caused by the most dazzling rainbow, of multi-colours, in the neverending sky.

The magical transformation of the forests as the sun dawns, waking up the dormant animals to stride into a new day, the serene singing of the lovely birds and the call of the wondrous land was like a serenade for the people.

The salvation of the living was dependent on the clear, sonorous and sparkling rush of the streams and rivers. The serene sight of the elegant rays of the yellow, orange, golden and red filled the atmosphere and caused the forests to look majestic, tinged with the lovely salubrious light of the sunset.

The people slept to the lovely elixir or sound of the forests. The rush of the wind on the leaves, the pouring of a distant river, the call of the wild and the lovely luminous moon and the twinkling stars were heard and seen in the forests of this beautiful land.

This may surprise you, but the land I am referring to is none other than my hometown…Darjeeling! I am referring to the time earlier when Darjeeling was in its pristine state.

During the time when Darjeeling was described as a lovely, beautiful forested land, when she was worthy of being called the ‘Queen of Hills’ … Darjeeling’s corrugated hills were beautiful until they were touched by the corrupt minds of humans. Our ancestors knew the true beauty of Darjeeling…her boundless Nature. They respected forests.

The people ruminated and knew why deforestation would be ruinous. “All of our exalted technological progress, civilization for that matter, is comparable to an axe in the hand of a pathological criminal”… said Albert Einstein once. As Einstein added, “modernization and globalization is killing progress.”

Darjeeling has now depleted to nothing but a polluted, horrifying place due to nothing but unruly means of so-called ‘progress.’ As my mother always tells me, “Anything created by the crumped up minds of man has its ill effects.”

Development washed over Darjeeling like a huge wave and took away with it her mystifying beauty, her plants, forests and love for humanity as well as Mother Earth.

Modernization turned flowers into smoke, forests into factories and shopping malls; modernization transformed the innocent and creative minds of people into dull, technology addicts.

People who once loved and respected forests and found happiness in what they had, now crave for money, ‘the root of all evil.’ They are now blinded by desire, which has led to corruption.

Jobs are now done by machines, thus destroying man’s livelihood.

Although, globalisation was started by man, for a good cause, and the well-being of the people, this has affected us differently.

Globalisation and modernisation enhanced medical facilities with qualified doctors and treatment for various diseases. Globalisation led to smart cities equipped with modern transport, metro trains and various other ways of making our lives easier. Due to globalisation people can communicate to distant places just by a tap on the phone.

But globalisation has its setbacks, as its ‘enhancing measures’ has led to deforestation, pollution, global warming and climate change.

Our race has progressed but have we stopped being selfish and thought about our dwindling Mother Earth? Sorrow, sadness, suffering and pain caused by diseases like climate change and global warming are engulfing our Mother.

We need to take action, we need to save our loving Earth quick before it’s too late. None of us would want our Mother to die. Please, I implore you take action, save her from this disastrous disease that we have created.

Save her from climate change.

Let’s put out this fire we have started and let’s join hands and do so. Every human who has contributed to globalisation and pollution must, and I hope will try, to be a change.

Let us all be pure gushing rivers of love, hope, peace and joy and let us all reunite and put out this fire caused by globalisation.

I want to see people from every caste, gender, age, religion and race reuniting as a family and start working towards a better tomorrow.

We can all be a part of agro-forestry, we can all use biodegradable materials, we can all use nonconventional sources of energy … We must say no to war and nuclear emissions. We can all embrace ecological farming and adopt personal, realistic eco-friendly measures. Thus, Together let’s touch and heal the barren lands, With our tender ever loving hands And give rise to a hope in the barren sands, The wellbeing of our future land! -Esther Zoe.

The author is a class-X student of Loreto Convent, Darjeeling.