Help the Dying Mother

Hello sir,

I have grown up in a very small village in the HinduKush range of Pakistan where all we have got is nature and we are totally dependant on it for our food and living. The imagination of love in that region is related to that of a mother who is always there for a kid no matter what the situation are, and this is why nature is also called mother nature. Over the years, climate change and environmental degradation has ruined our lives and we have faced serious catastrophies including floods, melting of glaciers and what not. This is how our mother is sick now. Imagine the situation. It is not a metaphor. It is as real as it can get. People are dying because they have shifted to artificial products and thousands of people are diagnosed with cancer each year in such a small region because the whole diet cycle has changed for people. They cannot plow their fields any more in fear of what the climate crisis do to them and the self-sufficiency of the region is gone.

I remember as a kid that we would only go to a shop once a month to get things we could not produce at home, rest was all natural and organic. The change in climate has taken away the loaf from our mouth and left us helpless. I want those days back when I would have an egg, a bread, butter and other stuff directly from my own small farm.

I am sure it must be hard for you to imagine this situation from the US, but this is the story of thousands of small communities around the globe. The paradox is that we do not even cause this climate change. It is the big countries and industries that destroy the environment and we are the one to suffer because we are vulnerable to it due to the mountains and also because of having no facilities to deal with the climate crisis.

One of the most important things to consider in this scenario is that the most effected by the climate crisis is the woman. Most of the men in smaller communities go out to the cities to earn a living while leaving behind the kids with the women. There is so much that the women can do, and it really adds up to their problems when they have to face unwanted and unexpected rainfall or natural disasters. These women have had their very friendly and lovely relationship with the nature that was reified by the local traditions and practices. Now things have changed as people do not celebrate the traditions any more. The main reason is that the weather and season conditions have changed due to climate change. For instance, Navroz is the event celebrated in the Indo-Persian world which signifies the coming of new year as per the local calender. This celebration is at the verge of extinction because the spring does not have the regular and normal schedule. Two years back, it snowed in March and all the cultivated crops were highly effected by it. In such challenging situation, how would any tradition or ritual make sense? The change in climate is not only influencing the mother earth but it has heavily destroyed people’s lives and their world view.

Long story short, our mother is about to die because of a poisonous spray of someone else and there is no hospital to go to. If people like you do not take action now and soon, the small communities will be orphaned. Being an infant orphan who gets their food from the mother, in this cruel world is the last thing anyone wants and we would eventually die as there will be no one to feed us. We request you to close your eyes for once, thank about our situation and help us survive by involving other world leaders fight against climate change as the first priority, even a more emergency than the coronavirus.

Thank you!