‘CLIMATEGIRI’: Children call for a climate emergency at eve of World Environment Day

NEW DELHI: On June 4, in Delhi’s scorching heat, approximately 250 children from various schools gathered at Jantar Mantar in a bid to raise awareness on the pressing issue of climate change, which according to the kids has become so severe that it would be apt to declare it as a “climate emergency”. The children incorporated many performances like skits, dance routines, beatboxing and a solo guitar performance along with the frequent use of slogans like, ‘Don’t waste fossil fuels, don’t be fossil fools’, ‘Planet nahi toh future nahi’ and ‘We are missing a lesson… so we can teach you’, to gather the attention of the masses to their cause.

The change is growing severe day by day as the frequency of natural calamities such as tropical storms, floods and severe draughts has been steadily increasing and the generation today seemed to be in no mood to tolerate the lax attitude shown by adults towards the subject of global warming. “The heat is already far from tolerable,” according to Vishal, a 17-year-old school student, who believes events like these give children a platform to talk about the impeding climate crisis, as it will be affecting them to a greater extent in the coming years. “We live in the capital region of our prospering nation, yet it is one of the most polluted city in the world and we aim to change it, “he added.

‘You’ll die of old age… We’ll die of climate change’, was the strong message conveyed by the children, who campaigned despite the harsh weather, which exceeded 42 degrees centigrade. The event, dubbed as ‘Climategiri’, was inspired by a protest of a 16-year climate activist from Sweden, Greta Thunberg, who called for a global movement of students. 

Children between the ages of 10-17 years coming from various schools protesting the same issue came forth at the event, most of them holding slogans to put out their messages. 10-year old Anjali rightly identified plastic as one of the biggest threat to environment and called for a ban on its use.

Anisha, a student of NP Co-ed Senior Secondary School said, “I want to save my present and my future. I won’t refer to this as a climate change as I believe that the climate has already changed. It is imperative that we act today before the situation worsens.”

The event was executed under the watchful eyes of Brother Steve Rocha, the national convener of the ‘Nine is Mine’ campaign. The campaign believes that “Child rights abuses anywhere are a concern for children everywhere”…(sic) and is based around the objective of pitting the children of the country first by ensuring a total share of 9 per cent of the GDP for them, 6 per cent for education and 3 per cent for healthcare.

Brother Steve believes that the ordinary people are responsible for keeping the governments accountable for the fulfilment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“We prefer calling this a celebration. We’re still celebrating the earth at the moment even though we have only 11 years to celebrate because after that the damage dealt by climate change would be irrevocable. It is okay for us to ignore the call for climate action, but for children it is a matter of life and death.” said Brother Steve when asked about the motivation for the protest. Under the ‘Nine is Mine’ initiative, the children have undertaken the task to fulfil the SDGs 2, 3 and 4, all of which directly or indirectly concern them.