A Green Mantra
Grace Wardell
It all began as one woman’s crusade to make a difference to Sivakasi. Latha Abiruben, green activist, and Secretary of Exnora Sivakasi, an environmental group with a focus on community development, inspires and impresses. From the time I got to know about Latha Abiruben’s work and later getting to meet her, she has sparked off a concern for the environment in me as well.
Certainly her passion for ecological concerns is infectious. A short talk with her and hands on tour of her house on the concept of waste segregation at source and I was already converted! I plied her with endless and often naive questions on how to separate biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste. In just ten days I implemented it at my home and am now eager to spread the word and introduce the concept to my neighbours!
That’s the power of walking the talk. If each of us sat back and gave up our responsibility of doing our bit for the environment, we are heading nowhere. With growing threat of climate change and ecological catastrophes looming over us, we cannot afford to be passive spectators any longer. Latha’s favourite one liner, “Little drops of water make the mighty ocean” is a powerful call for individual and collective efforts in ecology.
This diminutive but strong woman who has an MBA from a premier management institute in the country, has shown that is its possible for individuals to make a difference. Indeed, as her initiatives have shown, it all begins with baby steps. The challenges have been enormous, from dealing with mindsets of people, who dismissed her as having nothing better to do, to creating awareness of the need for civic consciousness among the public, to spearheading awareness rallies and camps against throw away plastic and sustainable use of energy at the district level, Latha Abiruben and her band of dedicated volunteers have shown the way. As Latha Abiruben told Simon Reynolds who interviewed her, “ I would request people to stop using throw away plastic and to segregate waste at home. This has to be done in every house. It is the only solution to bring about a clean environment in Sivakasi.”
Is everyone listening?
