Mother earth

Marianne Katoppo Jakarta

In Scandinavia, every day of the year has a name. This custom is probably derived from the medieval saints' calendar, which has persisted until modern times. It is imperative in most Scandinavian countries for all good newspapers to duly report the times of sunrise and sunset, and the name of the day.

For example, the 30th of April is "Mariana", and when I lived in Sweden, friends used to call or send cards or sweets on that day. (Unfortunately, it is also the notorious Walpurgis Eve, when witches are supposed to come together and do all kinds things that only witches can do.)

You were, of course, supposed to return the courtesy. It lent a certain charm and warmth to an extremely modern and well- organized society: People had names, they were not just numbers.

Our modern calendars are beginning to look like the Scandinavians'. These global "Days of Whatever" are becoming more numerous. AIDS, Human Rights, World Health, Food, No Smoking, Flora and Fauna, Water, just to name a few. And now Earth Day is coming up.

Of course it is only fair that Mother Earth should get her very own day. The week is already dedicated to the Sun, the Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn (although in English and the Nordic languages, the deities are Tyr, Wodan, Thor, Freya and Loki). Where would we be if there were no Earth?

Gaia, The Blue Planet, Mother Earth are some of the names we have given to our abode. Mother Earth (in Indonesian, Ibu Pertiwi) is perhaps the most common.

Indeed, Earth is our mother who carries us, nurtures us and keeps us safe. But how do we treat her? The "primitive" -- as some commentators now call them -- slash-and-burn cultures acted out of respect for the Earth. Rather than cut her with plows, they slashed and burned the vegetation, and moved periodically to avoid exhausting the land.

In ancient times, conquering armies used to burn the fields, then plow the land with salt to ensure that nothing would grow there again. There are numerous Biblical references to this.

In not so ancient times, it was reported that the Garden Festival could be held near Newcastle in England, a region that had been so polluted for years that nothing would grow on it. Brits carried tons of fertile soil to Newcastle to spread over the desolate land.

Japan was once extolled by the poets as mizuho no kuni Yamato, the blessed isles of Great Peace, with crystal clear waters and rolling fields. This was 1,500 years ago, in the time of the great Kobo Daishi.

Industrial pollution turned some of those crystal clear waters into poison from which no living creature was safe. Minamata and the "itai, itai" disease became infamous all over the world.

In his great epic "Desavarnanna", which became widely known under the name "Nagarakrtagama", the 14th century poet Prapanca sang the praises of the deep forests and the fertile fields of Java, replete with game and wild life.

I do not think there are any Javanese tigers left. Twenty years ago there were only six, and there have been too many reports of foreigners trying to smuggle tiger skins out of the country.

As for the fertile fields, well ... When you next drive out of Jakarta or some other city on Java, see just how many fertile fields you can spot.

In my home province of North Sulawesi, the legend tells us that Lumimu'ut, Mother of all Minahassans, told the earth to keep still, stop quaking, so that her children could till the land and grow their crops. Apparently at the time there were even more tremors than now. But the land was fertile and the waters were clear.

Having arrived at the 21st century, Minahassa now boasts Buyat Bay, with levels of mercury and arsenic poisoning that may set new records. Besides Buyat Bay, there are all those unnamed and unlisted illegal gold mines across the county that are also poisoning the earth, and whose effects are not yet disclosed.

Natural disasters like earthquakes and tsunamis are also ravaging the earth. Apart from those, every so often we hear about landslides, which really could have been prevented but were not, thus resulting in death and devastation.

Consider the garbage avalanche near Bandung, that glorious city of the Asia-Africa Conference in 1955. Perhaps we should ask the delegates to this upcoming Summit to observe a few moments of silence for all those unfortunate people who died in that avalanche. Or are they not supposed to know about it? It is quite a lot to sweep under the carpet.

As long ago as 2002 that same garbage heap was categorized as dangerous, and requests were made to have it removed. However, "there was no funding for this, so it was indefinitely postponed."

I was somewhat puzzled by this. No funding? Even though a major prestigious conference was being planned in Bandung? Who likes to receive guests in a filthy house?

Poor Mother Earth, your children do not treat you well. Earthquakes and tremors are an almost daily occurrence in some parts of the country these days, and eleven volcanoes (including the Lokon on whose slopes I was born!) are reportedly active.

Perhaps you are trying to tell us something, Mother Dear?

The writer is a women's rights activist.