காக்கை குருவி எங்கள் சாதி – நீள்
கடலும் மலையும் எங்கள் கூட்டம் ”
_மகாகவி சுப்பிரமணிய பாரதியார்
Humans, birds, and nature are all part of one single family.
Nature does not discriminate. The rights that humans claim over the Earth the right to breathe, to roam, and to live in peace belong equally to every living creature. We are not the masters of the Earth, but merely one part of its vast family.
The Aravalli Hills have been on my mind lately. I read news reports about legalising their destruction. Decades of mining for stone, limestone, and minerals have flattened the hills around them, destroyed forests, and significantly reduced groundwater levels. All this to meet the needs of a few… Everyone seems to want luxury homes. Every hotel needs thousands of tonnes of marble. There are people protesting. They’re out there trying to ensure something ancient stays a few years more.
But here’s the thing that keeps coming back to me: we all want luxury. We want the high home with the view, the marble countertops, and the sprawling farmhouse. We’ve built an entire culture around wanting more. And nature and other species are paying for it.
I’m not saying this to point fingers. I’ve worked on campaigns for these products too. I’m part of the same system. But recently, I’ve been noticing something else. Walk through any new development in our cities: massive buildings, glass and stone, and who live inside? Small families, may be two people, sometimes three. Too much space to house so few. We’ve started believing bigger means better. But does it?
I grew up knowing when to say enough. We knew to take what we needed, not whatever we wanted. It is about leaving room for the next person. For the next generation. That used to feel like a simple, almost old-fashioned idea. Now it feels urgent. Everyone wants something bigger and better than the next person.
Living simply is about asking: what do I actually need? And what happens to the world while I’m taking what I do not need? I don’t have answers. Just questions I’m thinking about and want to share. If you can relate to this—or if you think I’m wrong—I’d love to hear your thoughts. Maybe that’s what this space is for, not to preach.
Storyteller
