Power in Protection

Today is Earth Day – a day when we pause, reflect, and bow before Mother Earth, who gave us birth, nourished us, and granted us the right to live. “Our Power, Our Planet” – this year’s theme is as simple as it is profound. The question is: do we truly consider Earth our strength, or have we mistaken it for a mere resource?

We are modern beings. We’ve planted flags on the moon, chased Mars, and dreamt of building hotels in space. Yet, we still struggle for a drop of clean water and a breath of pure air on Earth. Irony stares us in the face – the very planet that gave us life, we’ve put on life support.

We’ve felled trees and weakened our own lungs. We’ve poisoned rivers and snatched away our own thirst’s relief. We’ve torn through mountains and upset our own balance. Every Indian must make nature preservation a life goal – not just a slogan, but a sacred duty.

We often say “Nature is our Mother” – but would we tear, burn, and destroy a mother like this? A mother may silently endure, but even her endurance has a breaking point. And now, Earth is groaning in pain.

In recent years, we’ve witnessed untimely floods, wildfires, droughts, cyclones, and unbearable heatwaves. Are these just natural events? No – they are nature’s resistance language, Earth’s warning cry: “Enough is enough.”

Nature warns us, yet we blind ourselves in the arrogance of development. In the name of “progress,” we have sown the seeds of destruction. We suffocate in concrete jungles, and mock the greenery that once sustained us. Our cities shine from the outside, but hollow from within – under the weight of climate crisis, pollution, and plastic mountains.

This article isn’t a data report or an NGO brochure. It is a soul’s cry – one that feels the pain of Earth. And you must feel that pain too. The toothbrush you use every morning – plastic. The AC cooling your room – heating the planet. The car you drive to work – stealing the breath of a tree. Are we so helpless that we can’t change these habits?

No – change is possible. And that’s the essence of this article. Small steps – planting trees at home, using cloth bags instead of plastic, saving water, walking once a week without a vehicle – these actions won’t just heal Earth but will also fill you with peace. Because you’ll be serving a living being.

The irony is we call her “Mother Earth” and yet burden her endlessly. We call her “Vasundhara,” but do nothing to keep her fertile. We live in her lap but tear her shawl. Is that what reverence looks like?

Earth Day isn’t just a day – it’s a reminder that we belong to Earth, not the other way around. Unless we understand this shift in thinking, no environmental policy, summit, or law can stop this downfall.

Now is the time for introspection. It is time to recognize our true power – we are the ones who can make this planet green again. If a single seed can become a tree, a single person can become a wave of change. Let’s stop expecting and start acting. This is our true national duty. This is true humanity.

“Our Power, Our Planet” means we are powerful only when our planet thrives. Let’s pledge this Earth Day – with every breath, we will bring life back to this Earth. No slogans, just action. No performance, just empathy. Only then, not just survival, Earth will smile again.

©®Payal Laxmi Soni