‘Give us clean, fresh air to breathe’: Bengaluru teen writes in open letter to PM Modi

Team Udayavani, Dec 27, 2023, 11:43 AM IST

Representative image (Source: PTI / file)

Asmee Sapre, a 13-year-old from Bengaluru, penned an impassioned open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, imploring action to safeguard children from the perils of escalating air pollution.

Suffering from asthma and dust allergy herself, Sapre’s poignant plea resonates with millions facing similar health challenges across the nation.

Shared by the Twitter account ‘Warrior Moms,’ the letter and accompanying video captured Sapre’s fervent appeal for clean air, emphasizing the need to expand the discourse on air pollution beyond Delhi. The tweet, under the hashtag ‘#BachonKaHakSaafHawa,’ called for a collective acknowledgment of diverse Indian cities and towns grappling with analogous environmental challenges.

In her heartfelt letter, Sapre articulated, “Breathing in pollution-free air is the basic right with which every life is born on the earth,” echoing the sentiments of countless Indians desiring an environment where clean air isn’t a luxury but a norm.

Citing the stark impact of reduced human activity during the pandemic, she highlighted the noticeable improvement in air quality, underlining the potential for transformative change with concerted efforts.

“While we may have a quick escape right now, I am afraid, in the future we will not. However, we are not, as many people believe, at a point of no return. As we saw during covid-19 pandemic quarantine when everything was shut down and there were much lesser sources of air pollution, in just a year or two, the air around us was so much cleaner,” she wrote in the letter.

These heartfelt messages from the children of #Pune, struggling to breathe in a city that most of us thought had the cleanest air are signs that #AirPollution has no boundaries and is spreading its wings;

These words must be heard and acted upon! @PMOIndia pic.twitter.com/XSc4QMxoFn

— Warrior Moms (@Warriormomsin) December 19, 2023

Drawing attention to measures individuals can adopt, Sapre underscored the pivotal role of government intervention, advocating for comprehensive schemes to educate citizens and stringent regulations to realize the vision of a healthier, pollution-free nation.

“I do hope you will consider this open letter to be not only from me but from millions of other children who have the right to breathe in fresh air and look up to you to provide them with a better tomorrow,” Sapre concluded, amplifying the collective plea for a better, breathable future.

Sapre’s impassioned appeal is part of a broader initiative, the ‘My Right to Breathe’ campaign, wherein numerous children have penned similar letters to Prime Minister Modi. Their unified voice seeks urgent action and policy measures to ensure a cleaner, safer environment for generations to come.