March 28, 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm

About 1 months ago....

VOTE EARTH by simply switching off your lights for one hour on Saturday, March 28, 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm local time.........that was the catch line.

"Earth Hour began in Sydney in 2007, when 2.2 million homes and businesses switched off their lights for one hour. In 2008 the message had grown into a global sustainability movement, with 50 million people switching off their lights."

"In this year, India joins Earth Hour for the first time. New Delhi and Mumbai are among 825 cities across 80 countries and territories that have pledged their support to VOTE EARTH during Earth Hour 2009. This number is growing everyday."

I was much excited about this as I had a feeling that by some way or other we also could be a part of a good cause for Mother Earth.As Day by Day we are depriving the enormous resources of her and the time is not far away for the supply to cut..I talked to my father and mother and they were also excited to join the campaign.We completed the daily chores before 8:30 and took 3-4 chairs into the balcony to beat the heat inside....

At that time I had a feeling to check the neighbourhood to see how many of them are following this good deed.I went out and started walking and the sight I saw was very disheartening.......

Most of the houses of about 20 covered were having there full quota of lights on.Like a family was having dinner, and the lights and fans of the front guest room(no one was there) were still on(srry I had a poke...).

But the thing was there would be a ray of hope in any adverse/bad situation( or the thinking should go like that).I eventually saw a 2-3 houses who had shut down all the lights...(I think it was not the usual power cut!!!!!!!!).I dont have any bad thoughts against the other ones because most of them would be unaware of this...

I just thought of the politicians who should have been the protagonist in spreading this awareness;and what they are doing is sitting idle,attending rallies here and there and wasting the governement money.The next ones in the queue are the ordinary people,working hard to meet two ends and dont have time in the midst for such kind of activities.The general feeling of every one is like this-Wats the big deal in all this?With one's effort the whole world is not going to change.Isnt it?..

"When you change the way you look at things,the things you look at change"

The worst thing was: I didnt thought at that time to enter even one house and tell them of the campaign and make others aware of it."If you have knowledge, let others light their candles in it."that should have been the case there.

But now I have a feeling that the whole campaign was a gimmick :basically for the sponsors for getting some financial aid(funding) by setting up shows and some promo activities.