| The Blessing of Darkness
 There was no
electricity in the village. The nights were dark and not much work could be done. But
still, his fondest memories were of his father telling stories by the light of the oil
lamp to him and his brother and sister. Stories of the village ancestors, of gods, and
lands far away and funny ones made up just for them. After that was stargazing. A visitor
had once given him a star map and it was fascinating comparing it with the brilliant night
sky blazing with stars right above. After that was sleep: Pure, uninterrupted and
unadulterated. He once asked his father why the day was bright and the night was dark. His
father had told him,
"The day is blessed with
light and the night with darkness." Why would anyone want to change that?
The Blessing of
Darkness was enjoyed by all of mankind till the early 20th century.
It is still available to 44 per cent of Indians and 55 per cent of the world's rural
population.
Africa is the richest continent in terms of darkness, being enjoyed by 96 per cent of the
population of Malawi,
92 per cent of Tanzanians and 88 per cent of Zimbabweans |
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Power n. 1 the ability to do something.
2 vigour, strength. 3 control, influence, authority; an
influential person or country etc.
4 a product of a number multiplied by itself a given
number of times. mechanical or
electrical energy;
electricity supply. O V. supply mechanical or electrical |
The
Balance
of Power |
Electricity
is power. The power to turn night into day —
like magic. Electricity is energy. Electricity increases the possibilities of what we see,
hear, touch, smell and think. The more electricity you have the more rich and powerful you
become. Electricity offers more choices. The choice to create, nurture and grow or the
choice to consume and destroy.
Electricity is light. Something that makes you see. Electromagnetic radiation that has
a wavelength of 4,000 (violet) to about 7,700 (red) angstroms. Light is nothing but a form
of energy contained in the equation E=mc2, where E=energy, m=mass and c=the
speed of light. It is the Sanskrit tejas, the force of the soul. It is the Yang
that complements the Yin (darkness).
"Tamso ma jyotirgamaya (lead us from
darkness to light)," say the Hindu scriptures.
The
Human Development Indicator (HDI) is not just about
the quantity of wealth, but also the quality of life. A high HDI
ranking of a country shows an uncanny similarity to the per
capita consumption of electricity by its citizens.
Norway ranks number one and is second only to Iceland in per
capita consumption of electricity. USA is ranked seventh in HDI
and ninth in per capita consumption. |
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