Relation between human mothers and mother earth

Rev Fr Paul Lelen Haokip *

Introduction: This is not a comprehensive comparative study between Human Mothers and Mother Earth. In view of the recent 2016's drastic climatic change and natural phenomena, a wild thought pressed my mind to come up with this topic. Everything emanates from somewhere. The male and female gametes combine to bring forth new life in different forms.

As we celebrate International Mother's Day 2016, let us give a serious thought to Mother Earth who gives life to our Mothers, who then give us birth. Mother's Day is a holiday celebrated annually as a tribute to all mothers and motherhood. It is celebrated on various dates in many parts of the world. The origin of the holiday dates back to the times of the ancient Greeks and Romans.

Mothers beget mothers: Life is always on the move – for good or worst but never static. Good mothers beget good daughters and trustworthy sons. Good daughters become responsible mothers of new families. Trustworthy sons marry and beget worthy children for the society. Deer gives birth only to deer. So, can we confidently say today that we have worthy sons and daughters to take care of the environment we are precariously in?

We are part of environment: Today, selfish men and women begin to think that environment is part of life. In reality, we are all actually part of the environment, and not the other way round. The environment existed before life came to be. Human greed mutilates the environment around us.

Some people's selfish action cause massive colossal damage to the environment. We are all blunt witnesses to this unhidden reality. These year, we have had enough of indicators that the Mother Earth is not contented with our actions. She seems to tell us strong messages through her movements (earthquakes), tears (rain) and breath (wind and storm).

We are mere spectators, not able to calm her fury. Probably, she is telling us "hey, you are just part of me, stop harming me if u wish to survive comfortably a little longer". Earth is always addressed with feminine pronoun. May be because she nurtures and gives birth and controls our survival. Do we hear these voices of our Mother Earth? Or are we pretending not to hear her groaning?

Forests are at homes today: The woods are cut into timber and they stare at us every day in the form of furniture in each home. We try to pacify ourselves by planting few flowers inside and outside our home and say, 'we love to protect environment'. Forest woods are crying at hearths to cook our food.

Thanks to the initiative of the Prime Minister of India (Shri Narendra Modi) to encourage the richer classes to give up subsidy of LPG for the sake of the poor. Unless the poor are provided with cooking gas to make food for themselves, they will continue to cut trees for their survival. The result will be landslides, water scarcity, heat and others. That time, the rich will not be spared just because they didn't directly cut trees. Mother earth will treat us equally through her forces. Are we prepared to face her wrath? I am not…

Sickly mothers/unhealthy mother earth: How can you expect healthy child from a sickly mother and father? This is biologically a proven experiment. In the same vein, can you expect healthy dwellers from a sickly mother earth? You can comfortably expect crippled, suffocated, dehydrated or malnourished dwellers in an unhealthy Mother Earth.

Is it better to treat the sickly mothers so as to produce healthy children or wait to treat the sickly children after birth? What measures have been taken up by the Government, Public leaders, Religious Gurus or the NGOs? Hope more commitments are arranged for these needy mothers. Sickly Mothers and unhealthy Mother Earth need help.

Suitable environment provision: Conducive educational environment produces teaching and learning culture. Not just pointing out mistakes of learning institutions but proactively providing a conducive environment is the work of the Government and all of us because we are the Government. From schools and college do arise future mothers.

Provision of schemes for expectant mothers and dietary support is one way of saying "we love and care for you mothers". The Government of India has enough schemes for would-be-mothers and mothers if the concern authorities care to sincerely provide them.

If the children (population) of today are corrupt and selfish, the source has a big share of responsibility and blame. Don't they? Can you pluck fig from peach tree? Never. So, healthy mothers produce healthy children (physical, mental, psychological, emotional and spiritual).

Some recent achievements by mothers and ladies: Hanan Al Hroub, a Palestinian primary school teacher from a refugee camp won One Million Dollar Global Teacher Prize for her outstanding contribution to the profession of teaching and helping children overcome trauma with play. Ms Hroub runs the Samiha Khalil High School in Al-Bireh, Palestine.

Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of National League for Democracy (NLD) party is leading Myanmar after 53 years of military rule since the military coup in 1962.

Dr Amrita Patel was conferred with the prestigious 2016 Mahindra Samriddhi India Agri Lifetime Achievement Award for her contribution in the field of agriculture and to increase productivity and rural prosperity. She has served as the Chairman of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) form 1998 to 2014 and played an important role in the implementation of NDDB's Milk Operation Flood which was the world's biggest dairy development programme that had transformed India from a milk-deficient nation into the world's largest milk producer by surpassing the USA in 1998.

In honour of International Women's Day celebrations, Air India AI 73 on 6th March 2016 flew the all-women operated historic 'world's longest non-stop flight from Delhi to San Francisco. The flight travelled a distance of around 14,500 km in nearly 17 hours. The entire flight operations from cockpit crew to cabin crew, doctor, customer care staff, ATC (Air Traffic Control) and the entire ground-handling were handled by women. The flight was under the command of Kshamta Bajpayee and Shbhangi Singh, along with First Officers Ramya Kirti Gupta and Amrit Namdhari.

On the occasion of International Women's Day, INS Mhadei, the Indian Navy Sailing vessel with all-women crew of naval officers aboard, completed their maiden voyage from Visakhapatnam to Goa. The theme of International Women's Day 2016 was Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step it up for Gender Equality.

These are but few women who have achieved laurels as mothers and ladies. Kudos to them. I think we have ended with a positive note with the spectacular achievements of our proud mothers and daughters. We still have more to achieve and conquer to stabilize the environment around us.

Conclusion: Let us remind ourselves again: peaceful mothers beget peace loving children. Let us respect Mother Earth, for from her we have and move our being. Can a mother forget her baby or the child within her womb? I don't think so. The earlier we realize our misdeeds to Mother Earth, the better for us.

Else, we become just part of history and future archaeologists to discover us some thousands of years later how we misbehaved with the Mother Earth. We decide to live or live miserably while we are alive. Let's nurture healthy Mothers and love Mother Earth.