New Delhi, 2019: The National Capital saw hundreds of young faces who took to the streets and marched from Lodhi garden to the Ministry of Earth Sciences and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to kick-start the weekly climate strike on September 20, 2019, in sync with rest of the world.
This march included students from various schools and Universities of the capital carrying plaque cards that read “Aab ki Baar Pollution Pe Vaar” and “You will die of old age, I will die of climate change”
On September 27, the students met again for the second wave of the strike, just four days after Greta Thunberg’s speech at the United Nation Climate Action Summit. The protesters marched with the same rage as the 15-year-old during her speech. Her words “How Dare You?” were visible everywhere.
Greta Thunberg, a 16 years old Swedish climate activist started a school strike against the climate change in August 2018. She is now a global icon for climate activism and started a movement called ‘Fridays for Future’ and millions of youth across the world joined it. She recently delivered a speech about climate change at the UN Climate Action Summit.
Delhi University, student, Jayashree Narzary, who was part of this strike feel that its time for action. She said, “We are enraged because no one is talking about it. People behave as if everything is alright. It’s not the time to sit and think about it anymore, rather act upon it. “
Another student present for the strike said “I believe that students and young people can bring the change, that is why we are here today. We are also coming with innovative ideas for our college to replace plastic and will soon go to the principal with proposals regarding the same. “
This strike was a part of Global climate strike, September 20-27, 2019 where a record 7.6 million people took to the streets all across the world. It is being called the biggest climate mobilisation in history.
By Amisha Sharan