KEVON FELMINE
Senior Reporter
kevon.felmine@guardian.co.tt
President Christine Kangaloo pledged her office’s support to the National Council of Indian Culture (NCIC) and the Hindu community in educating T&T, especially young people, on the importance of honouring and preserving Mother Earth.
Addressing the Divali Nagar on Wednesday night, Kangaloo lauded the NCIC for its 2023 theme, Dharti Mata: the Goddess Lakshmi, who represents Mother Earth.
She said Divali was the perfect occasion for the entire community to engage in environmental preservation.
Kangaloo said humanity must understand that Earth is not just a place to live and die but a source of existence for all and inheritance for young people. She said, “We cannot afford to bite the hands that feed us.”
As T&T celebrates Divali on Sunday, she encourages everyone to reflect on their attitudes towards their earthly homes and question what they do to harm, protect and cherish Mother Earth.
She said reducing the use of single-use plastic and repurposing unwanted items instead of discarding them are ways to preserve the Earth.
She said there was a drive to honour and respect the environment at her office by recycling and reducing the use of plastic. She called on others to learn how to preserve and protect the Earth and use their new-found knowledge to overcome the darkness of climate change.
“We need to consider similar drives in our workplaces and our homes. We can also volunteer for beach and river clean-ups and refrain from littering and dumping unwanted appliances by and in watercourses. In this season of Divali, when we celebrate the victory of light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance, we must educate ourselves about the actions we need to take,” Kangaloo said.
Kangaloo said one of her office’s focuses was young people. She said the Christian faith believes that wisdom often comes out of the mouths of babes, and the same can be said about Hindus, as it often comes from the youth.
She recalled reading Varuna Kistow, a then Form Two student of SWAHA Hindu College, writing on Dharti Mata, published in 2018. She was pleased to read last July that Kistow was the Form Six valedictorian at her school.
She recalled that in February 2018, the SWAHA International website published Kistow’s work on the importance of Dharti Mata and said it remains as relevant today as it were then. She said she could not think of a more fitting tribute to Mother Earth and a more poignant reminder of the consequences of not honouring Mother Earth like Hindus do.
“As I looked around at this magnificently appointed outdoor site at which we reverentially gather tonight, I ask what better setting is there to reflect on our relationship with Mother Earth with this outdoor celebration of light and spiritual illumination?”
Kangaloo said the Divali Nagar was more than a cultural showcase but an impressive repository of religious history, culture and tradition.
She said the nine nights offer religious instruction, history, food, entertainment and fashion.