All World
Gayatri Pariwar

War statistics have revealed that the cost of killing a person in war is increasing more and more with time. In the times of Julius Caesar only rupees five had to be spent to kill a soldier. In Napoleon’s time the expense went up to rupees two thousand per enemy soldier. Data say that during First World War America spent rupees one and half lakh to kill a soldier. In the Second World War the expense went up ten times more.

During the Vietnam War, the average cost to kill an enemy soldier was raised to rupees thirteen lakh. In subsequent wars like Gulf war, Iraq war, Afghanistan war etc. all the previous records have been shattered and billions and billions of rupees have been incinerated for causing destruction. This intense craving for war, akin to that of demon Bhasmasur, is keen to kill and destroy others as well as ourselves. Modern equipment and weapons of war are regarded as great achievements of science but it can be clearly seen how lethal and destructive all these are becoming.

Progression of life takes a lot of effort, but its destruction is much easier. It is possible to burn down the whole village with a match stick, or take away someone’s eyesight with a pin. Human intellect today is weaving its own tale of destruction. Collective destruction may not happen but even then it seems that entire humanity is getting ready for suicide.

The plans for nuclear war are being made for this very reason. Rising population, destruction of forests and the greenery is forcing the atmosphere to warm up and spit fire. Even the sun seems to have got angry over humanity. Some researchers say that the sun is getting cooler and will cause ice to form on the earth and cover it with a white blanket. Another group says that the sun is getting warmer and it will melt all the ice in the poles, raising the level of water in the seas. Climatologists also believe that ice age will return on the earth after some time, but before that climate will get hotter and hotter and burn down the whole earth.

Whichever group’s predictions may come true, it is no less worrying that today’s conditions have deteriorated so much that the future of humanity is in grave danger. Our shortsighted, immature steps are the ones that are responsible for this state. If we take the right decisions even now and begin to walk on the path of respecting nature, it would be easily possible to change these complex circumstances. We would then begin to tread not towards a collective death, but a collective life.