By Jaspal Singh,
For last few days I have been thinking about the grandeur of the universe and our own insignificance. A young scientist at MIT made a presentation about the space dust or cosmic dust,that is all over the universe and various means through which it is being detected by Chandra and Hubble telescopes.I was reminded of Baba Farid’s Shlokas-Farida Khak Na Nindiye,Khaku Jed Na Koi,Jenvevdyan Pairan Tale, Moinyan Uppar Hoye-( Farid one should not underestimate dust,nothing is comparable to it.In our life it is under our feet supporting us and in death it covers us).
The pictures of billions of galaxies,black holes,stars,planets and sun are so beautiful and wonderful.I encourage everyone to look at them.Some where there is our earth,so tiny so small so insignificant, in scheme of things.It is mind boggling that we can even cognize all that.But that is the beauty of our mind and abilities.
It is quite clear that we have to abandon the delusion that arose with enlightenment in Europe that man can master nature and must master it. It simply is not just possible.This macho attitude of the European bourgeois man is raining death and destruction on the whole world.Humanity has to abandon it and there are calls from all corners of the world that time is now to abandon this arrogant attitude towards nature and live in harmony with it.
All the developments are also showing that profit motive also has become destructive to nature and humanity.In pursuit of maximum profits this bourgeois man looks at nature as a thing that can be monetized to fill his coffers and not as a living being to be nurtured and nourished and to be nurtured and nourished by it.So lands,forests,rivers,oceans are only good if they can yield big profits.It is scandalous that more than 50 % of wild life has disappeared due to such activities in last fifty years alone.It is now becoming very clear that wild life and animals are so essential for forests and our own survival.This European and U.S. bourgeois man is attempting to universalize his narrow mindedness and destructive impulse and wants to impose it on all the peoples of the world under the euphemism of Development and is committing countless crimes against humanity and nature.World Bank,IMF,WTO and other institutions of financial oligarchy are emerging as enemies of nature and humanity.
This financial oligarchy also has its collaborators in countries of Asia,Africa and Latin America.They are also the ones who were collaborators of colonialism as well.They have brought death,destruction and devastation to their countries.For instance,an official of the agricultural ministry,reported that 75% of arable land in Punjab has become toxic,so much pesticides have been used in last thirty years to maximize yield and profits.As the old saying goes that there are plenty of resources for everybody ‘s need but not enough for one man’s greed.More and more societies are realizing that maximum profit as motive for production has become unsustainable,destructive and devastating for nature and humanity.All over the world the voices are emerging to live in harmony with nature and enjoy the grandeur of this beautiful world on this planet earth,which is not even a speck of dust in the cosmic scheme of things.