Page 62 - MS Magazine 2025

The fourth and most important thing we can do is to be open with our children.
Most of these crimes are committed by relatives. Parents, for the sake of societal
norms or family honour, often advise their daughters to remain silent to preserve their
reputation. This silence gives perpetrators more confidence.

Parents must listen to their children, trust them when they speak, support them, offer counselling — and
most importantly, be there for them.

We, being the society — we, being the upcoming generation — must unite and consider these issues as
important as eating, sleeping, or any other vital task.
If we do not start with small steps today, the future will be even tougher.
And that day is not far when we will be doing nothing but sitting and crying.

“Teaching your son to respect women is not optional — it is essential for a just society.”

By: Apurva Dwivedi
X A, 7706

A SILENT CRISIS

On 16 April 2025, the Supreme Court directed the Telangana Government to halt the deforestation
occurring in the Kancha Gachibowli forest area in Hyderabad, intended for building an IT park, and
ordered the restoration of the damage caused. This is very good news, but the Hyderabad case is not
the only one.

The Kancha Gachibowli forest covers an area of about 400 acres, which is substantial. However, in
Chhattisgarh, specifically in the northern part of the state on the banks of the Hasdeo River, lies the
Hasdeo Aranya forest, which spans approximately 170,000 acres.

This forest is home to various tribes and communities, such as the Gonds, who have survived on its
produce for centuries. In 2012, the Chhattisgarh state government discovered coal deposits there. To
extract this coal, the government established the Hasdeo Aranya coalfield, removing about 1,898
hectares (roughly 4,690 acres) of forest from Hasdeo.

There were several protests by local communities, but they received little media coverage since this
was not happening in a major city like Hyderabad. Even after 11 years, the protests continue, yet few
people are aware of them.

It is quite an ironic situation that the Supreme Court took just 16 days to stop deforestation in Hyderabad
and ordered the restoration of approximately 100 acres of forest cover.

Yet, after more than a decade, barely any statements have been made regarding the so-called “lungs
of Chhattisgarh,” where over 4,600 acres have been cleared and continue to be destroyed. Isn’t this a
silent crisis?

By: Devansh akran
XII E, 4925

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The Mapsian 2025 Page No. 59