The Murder of Nature and Human Arrogance: Should Our Children Be Punished for Our Sins?

"Every life is of equal value."

You will find this sentence in every religious scripture, in the preamble of every constitution, and in every book on moral education. For centuries, we have made laws. If one human kills another—whether a child, an elderly person, a woman, or a man—there is a provision for the harshest punishment. Life imprisonment. The death penalty. Society demands this justice, and sometimes, it is seen to be done.

But now, apply that same principle to nature.

Does that giant banyan tree, which has been giving you oxygen, shade, and fruit for hundreds of years without asking for anything in return, have no value? Does that river, which quenches the thirst of millions of living beings, have no life? Does that forest, which prevents floods and brings rain, have no right to exist?

When a builder takes a bulldozer to that banyan tree, is it not murder? When a factory pours its poison into a river, is it not mass genocide? And if it is, then why is that murderer not hanged?

⚖️ Why Does the Law Fall Silent When Nature is Murdered?

No leader or government has ever clarified that only a human life is precious, and a co-living being's is not. No constitution has granted anyone the right to destroy an entire ecosystem and walk free simply by calling it "development."

So, why this double standard?

Because we have limited the definition of "life" to Homo sapiens alone. We have made speciesism our religion—a belief where humans consider themselves the center of the universe and everything else as their property. And this is our biggest lie and arrogance. We have appointed ourselves judge, executioner, and owner—all three—and in our own court, we acquit ourselves every single time.

🗑️ But It's Not Just Builders and Corporations—You and I, We Are All Criminals

Here is where we all live a massive lie. We think the destruction of nature is only caused by big corporations, governments, builders, and industrialists. We consider ourselves innocent. But have you ever stopped to think that you, too, behave like a murderer every single day?

• You, who throw an empty packet of chips from your car window onto the street.

• You, who, in the name of worship and religious rituals, toss plastic bags, flowers, garlands, and offerings into our sacred rivers and valleys, thinking that God will answer your prayers.

• You, who sweep all the household dirt onto the street or into the drain every morning, so your home stays clean while the rest of the world becomes filthy.

• You, who endlessly consume vast resources solely for your own comfort, pleasure, and show, without ever bothering to know where that product came from, or how much destruction it caused somewhere else.

We have all collectively dirtied our land, rivers, and air. We have committed this crime together. So how can we possibly consider ourselves innocent?

👁️ The Most Dangerous Are Those Who See, Hear, and Understand Everything—But Do Nothing

And then, there are those who are perhaps the most guilty of all. These are not people who are unaware. These are people who have become numb. They know everything. They know the glaciers are melting. They understand that plastic is killing the oceans. They even know that if they changed their habits, change could happen.

But they do nothing. They avoid taking action. Why?

Because they are afraid their immediate show-off and comfort will end. They fear that if they give up their SUV, their social status will diminish. If they don't buy the latest phone every year, they will be labeled "backward." These are the very people who soothe their conscience with the lie of "What can I alone do?", and then continue destroying their own lives in the same manner.

These are the most dangerous. Because an unaware person can be awakened, but no one can awaken someone who is pretending to be asleep while being wide awake.

🌍 A Court That Will Not Remain Silent—Nature's Court of Balance-