GURUGRAM/New Delhi: Shivi Anand (15) wants you to save jamun, jackfruit and mango seeds this summer. Wash, pack and keep them in your car, and whenever you spot a patch of barren land while travelling, throw these seeds and watch the future grow.“If every person here did this, we could make Gurugram green again, beautiful again, clean again,” said the young environmentalist from Pathways School, addressing a group of students, parents and fellow green activists.On Friday, over 600 students bunked school to gather at Wazirabad bundh – location of a group of life-size art installations created from waste – to take part in the Global School Strike for Climate Change . As the father of one of the participating students asked, “What will the students do sitting in school when there is no clean air outside?”The students took inspiration from Swedish student and political activist Greta Thunberg who had in August 2018 called for a school strike. Thunberg has been nominated for the Nobel peace prize this year.The children made banners out of waste material, on which were highlighted the pressing issues of the day — air pollution, climate change, a proposed road that would have cut through the Aravali Biodiversity Park. There was also rapping, dance performances and a slogan march. Shivi admitted to feeling extremely “charged”, knowing that many people were voicing their concern for the environment.Campaign group Fridays For Future, which is tracking these protests across the world in 112 countries and 1,787 locations, reports that 186 strikes were planned in Germany, 126 in the United States and 123 in Italy. The rallies covered all inhabited continents, and featured events in Brazil, Iran, Japan, India, Ukraine and Russia among other countries. And with Gurugram now officially the world’s most polluted city, students from Pathways, Heritage, Shri Ram and Excelsior American schools turned out in big numbers, along with their parents.One of these peaceful protesters was Arya Dhar Gupta (13). Terming pollution as ‘millennial cancer’, Arya explained that the demonstration was totally aggression and intimidation- free. “We wanted to make a point on how government is pro-development but it should not ignore the environment. Even the United Nations report says India is the world’s most polluted country. All of us signed our hand-prints as a signature to mark the protest,” said this British School student.In Delhi, too, about a hundred students from over 15 schools came out to participate in the strike. At Central Park in Connaught Place, they took turns to speak about the harmful effects of pollution and global warming . They also asked the governments to care for their future.“Instead of talking about how other countries are better, we should start to create a better India. There is plastic everywhere and even the cows eat those,” said a student.Asees Kandhari (15), who called herself a ‘climate rebel’, said, “This is not climate change, this is climate breakdown. We will have to face the worst. You adults have done the damage and need to radically change your ways. We can’t afford to rest until you have done that.”Madhur, a participant at the event, spoke to the children about how she, a pregnant woman, is worried about her future living in NCR. “There’s dust and pollution everywhere. How do I protect my baby when he can’t get healthy air in the city? I request politicians to include pollution as an election issue,” she said.Many students also requested the politicians to bring in new legislation to improve the environment and to improve air quality.“Companies care only for their sales and profit. They are generating a Mount Everest of waste daily. Government has to enforce end producer responsibility and make them responsible for their waste,” said another student named Aditya Mukherji.Many people who came to visit Central Park were impressed by the enthusiasm of the children. Ashish who was at Connaught Place with his friends said that “these students have started a good step by students because our environment is in danger”.

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