Sunday, December 4, 2011

To Infinity, Shall this Agreement Last

Recently, I have seen people express outrage and bemusement at the ridiculous agreement that was signed by the King of Travancore handing over control of 'Mullaperiyar' dam and thus the waters of the river to TamilNadu for a period of 999 years (http://www.jeywin.com/blog/mullaperiyar-dam-controversy/) . It is a time period that is beyond our comprehension since just in the last 10years the world has seen multiple recessions, the emergence of internet, revolutions and counter-revolutions and growth at a scale never seen before and also faced challenging obstacles.


The king is not alone in signing ridiculously long agreements, we are all in the very same club. All of us are signing agreements that threaten the future of our children and their children, the very existence of myriad lifeforms that are present on this planet and all its resources. The duration of this agreement is not measurable simply because it will be in effect as long as this planet exists. The basic attitude that we will not be here while the effects of climate change kick in is what prompts us to mortgage the life of future generations for our present comforts. We are taking out loans from nature that can never be repaid by our children, we are condemning this planet and all its beauty and telling our children "sorry, we have used it all up. We can't leave anything for you except polluted rivers, rising sea levels, droughts and floods".

If you think an agreement lasting 999 years is unfair, then what we are doing is a crime most heinous. Think about it, the solutions and what to do are all around us and let not sign the agreement that will push the planet and future generations to come to a life of bondage and slavery to a planet in ruins

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