Featuring
Raji Ajwani-Ramchandani
Centre for Policy Studies, IIT-Bombay
In a world of many, much, and more
We seem to have lost the things that matter most
The beauty of the rising sun and shifting wind
The purity of the water we drink
We want fast cars, quick sales, and bigger mills
To keep up with the Jacks, Joneses, and Jills
So we demolish hills to make landfills
That pollute the soil, our food, and push up our medical bills
To get better we spend megabucks on R&D
When the commonsense solution is plain to see
The cures are painless, bloodless, endless
But when doc is through we are penniless
We rise again to chase another trinket before it's too late
A step closer to God's heavenly gates
We say we want, we need, we must save for tomorrow's child
Who has to be better, quicker, and smarter to run that extra mile
We think he needs a big house, a great education, and a good job
But the air he breathes is smog
We want him to wine and dine with nothing but the best
Little do we know his food is laced with lead, his milk with melamine
But it happened in someone else's backyard, and that's fine
We plunder, destroy, and invade for a better future
For that child of tomorrow
Who is our captive prisoner
He can't protest
His trust implicit
Yet we break his faith again, again
For tomorrow's child never knows
He's on a rosy path to the gallows.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This poem is dedicated to Amit and Tarini Ramchandani and was written to convey the imperative of sustainability. As geographical lines blur due to trade and markets, so does the need to view responsible business as a means to ensure survival. It's possible to do well by doing good, what is needed is innovative thinking and a commitment to making a positive difference.
