‘We take so much from Earth,but what do we give back?’

The sweet smell of pine and deodar trees remain fresh in the mind of singer Mohit Chauhan, who grew up amid these bounties of Nature. And it is these memories that kept him company while crooning The Earth Hour India anthem. Composed by Shantanu Moitra, the song highlights how now is our biggest chance to act towards building a safer, better future.

“I grew up in the hills of Himachal Pradesh, forests and rivers have served as inspiration for my music, too. I used to take my guitar on my week-long trips to jungles and make music there. The sweet silence of a forest, the smell of pine and deodar trees as well as wild herbs make you inclined towards it. By singing the song, I’m happy to have contributed to Earth Hour in my own way,” says Chauhan.

The singer who is known for songs such as Masakali (Delhi-6, 2009) adds, “I’m the kind of person who values our Nature, wildlife, forests, mountains and rivers, and I find it important to work in a direction where we are making our Earth a better place to live in. It’s where we get all our resources from. It’s great to be part of the anthem. And I hope the song’s message gets through to people, especially to younger people.”

Respecting Nature automatically translates to better health, ease of living and mental peace, feels the singer. And praising the anthem on its melody, composition and lyrics, he opines, “We all have to come together to save the Earth, and we must ask ourselves: We take so much from Earth but what do we give back?”

Ask what is it about music that is a strong call to action, and Chauhan replies: “Music is the soul of fine art, for me. Sabse zyada aatma jisse judi hoti hai, voh sangeet hai. Chahe aapko shabd samajh na aaye, chahe shabd ho bhi na. For instance, if a shepherd is playing the flute, it touches your soul. It’s a universal language. Sangeet se sukoon aata hai. We’ve tried to use music to put our message across for climate.”

Starting with the 2020 lockdown, the artiste and his family were involved in feeding dogs, a practice that continues till date. For Chauhan, these acts add to his larger appeal for a compassionate society. And delving into the spirituality of caring for Nature’s beings, Chauhan says, “Being in Nature makes you feel closer to God. Any good deeds you do will come back to you. Compassion is extremely essential in today’s world, whether for nature, animals or humans.”

He even appeals that while observing Earth Hour, apart from switching off power for an hour, it’s important that the “young generation leads its lives and goes on to make policies keeping climate change in mind”.

Author tweets @siddhijainn

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