Till about a few years ago.. my mother and I would go to the neighborhood grocery shop with a neatly written list. He would then pack all the items in newspaper bags, tie them with thin jute or cotton threads to avoid spillage, stack them all in one corner to cross check in our presence. After the formalities are done, he would arrange them in the bags that we took along and hand them over to us. Same with the fruits and veggies shopping. We go to the respective markets, pick what is needed and then get them packed in our bags.
Cut the scene to mid to late nineties.. One would go to a supermarket, pick all that appeals to the eye ( not necessarily to the pocket), get them billed through the automated machines ( ya. Still there are some discrepancies I know).. Pack them in as many bags ( shop’s bags not ours) as we want to bring them home.. Same goes for veggies, fruits, clothes, shoes, bangles what not….
Weddings, functions, birthdays then used to have either banana leaves or steel plates ( to cater to the buffet system) that slowly but surely is replaced by plastic plates ( these are still Ok, reusable), cups, glasses, spoons, bags etc.. making the whole affair really ‘plastic’ with a special title ‘disposable’.
Well so what?? Convention should pay way to convenience… is that right?? What am I complaining here? Nothing.. I would like to believe that everything is still fine.. So what if these bags do not degrade in a million years of time?? So shat if we indiscriminately use these and throw wherever we want or can or even can’t? So what if these get clogged and result in the inundation of our cities? So what if poor stray animals eat them and die? So what even if don’t have a strong solid waste management system in place? These are not new questions to us.. but we need to get the new answers.. or ask some new questions..
Did we not survive without these colorful culprits till as long as we could? Did we not serve food in banana leaves and steel glasses ( to even a thousand people?) Did we not reuse our newspapers to store our grains and food? We did.. so why can’t we do it now?? We should because we care to leave the same earth if not better for our kids and the next generations to come..
2 comments:
I would like to one more point, the Govt. say not to use plastic covers bags, spoon etc... and yes u are very we should not.
The one who sells it needs money to his routine, and will sell them. If not plastic something else to run his life.
My question here is CAN'T THE GOVT. STOP THE MANUFACTURING OF THE SAME, instead of seeking ppl to stop plastic usage.
Govt. is nothing but again we ppl. Even we need strict rules on us what to do and what not to. Like our parents for our discipline did when we are young.
May be that is why earlier they used to say "A King is responsible for every citizen like a father"
Absolutely right. I fully agree with you . Life was beautiful with limited options and bondage among cousins ,aunts and uncles were strong. There was festivity atmosphere in all celebrations all these have become 'past' glories. Now at home or in the restaurants, festival at home or marriage the same food we eat .There is no thrill. It is just monotonous
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