Students of six schools across Salt Lake gathered at CK Block’s National Mime Institute to deliver messages on the environment and anti-superstition themes. But it was all done through cultural programmes.
The event was organised by Paschim Banga Vigyan Mancha, Higgs Boson Chakra, Salt Lake, and the day was August 20, which is observed as National Scientific Temper Day in memory of physician and anti-superstition activist Narendra Dabholkar.
The event was a colourful one. Five students from Apeejay School put up an act comprising music and recitation, to show the beauty of nature and how human actions were affecting it. “Modernisation does not mean destroying the environment so we made a pledge today to make our future pollution-free and full of peace, love and empathy,” said Shinjini Dey of Class VIII.
Students of Acharya Prafulla Chandra High School performed a skit Bhanda Maayer Parda Phans to show how superstition deceives and can even claim lives. “Such awareness programmes act as a reminder to us. Most people keep their eyes shut, even when awake,” said Basudeb Dutta, a teacher of the school who directed the skit.
Saltlake Point School appealed for a pollution-free world through a chorus of Bengali and Hindi compositions and recitations. Joyjit Paul, who recited Gachh keto naa by Nirendranath Chakraborty, recalled how upset he was when a Gulmohor tree near his house by uprooted by the authorities. “The tree even had a nest of rare parrots but they felled it,” said the boy.
Green message
Begum Rokeya Smriti Balika Vidyalaya put the spotlight on global warming and greenhouse effect through songs and narration. Kalyani Public School turned the stage into a classroom, with messages conveyed through a Q&A session. A student, assuming the role of a teacher, asked if someone could make a difference alone, to which Tiasha Ghosh of Class XII, mentioned Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg, who as a teenager, showed that no one is too small to make an impact.
Anwesha Bhattacharya and Debasmita Maiti of AE Block’s Bhagabati Devi Balika Bidyalaya impressed with their recitation of Prakriti o Manush while Reshma Khatun and Debasmita Das presented a PowerPoint presentation on green initiatives to reduce pollution. “Our school, for instance, has installed solar panels. We promote energy-saving practices, keep the premises plastic-free and conduct tree plantation programmes too,” said Anwesha.
From the audience, Sneha Mondol, a Class VI student of Laban Hrad Vidyapith for Girls in EC Block, spoke on the role of students in protecting the earth and the show concluded with speeches by guests Taparati Gangopadhyay, science communicator, Prasad Bharati, and Subrata Dasgupta, former scientist at Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre.
Gangyopadhyay spoke on conservation, the consequence of mangrove destruction, river pollution, green movements and emphasised on the need to change one’s mindset to have any real impact on the external world. Dasgupta underlined the need for tapping the conscience of students, making lifestyle changes and learning to restrain. He also spoke on how the blasting of hills and mangrove destruction were affecting the environment.
Sanket Haq, state committee member of Vigyan Mancha, spoke on Dabholkar and scientific temper. Basudev Sinha, district committee member of the group, spoke on the role of students and the activities of the group.
“Nowadays students are mostly engrossed with mobile phones, so our aim was to assess how aware they are about the environment,” said Nitai Mukhopadhyay, president, Vigyan Mancha. Secretary Shibangsu Sarkaradded that while June 5 is celebrated as World Environment Day, the thrust then is on tree plantations. “But there are other components to the environment and we want to spread a holistic message throughout the year by means of varied activities,” he said.
