Environmental protection has traditionally focused on measurable pollutants such as contaminated air, polluted rivers, toxic soil, excessive noise, and hazardous chemicals. While these remain critical concerns, an equally important but largely ignored form of environmental degradation is silently spreading across both rural and urban landscapes – the degradation of environmental aesthetics. Whenever I reflect on my childhood in the village, I realise that one of the greatest luxuries we possessed was not electricity, but the enchanting beauty of the night.

Artificial lighting was almost absent, except for the faint glow of kerosene lamps inside a few houses. After dinner, a handful of people, particularly service holders and educated villagers, would gather near a house to exchange their day’s thoughts. Students quietly studied under kerosene lamps, conscious that fuel was precious, while most families retired early and rose with the dawn. The night belonged to nature, families and quiet reflection. The sky seemed immense, filled with stars; the sounds of crickets, frogs, birds and rustling leaves created a natural symphony.

There was little incentive to compete with neighbours in displaying wealth. Education, character, hard work and relationships commanded greater respect than extravagance. These memories make me wonder whether, in our pursuit of modernity, we have forgotten the value of darkness itself. Today, the village night is changing rapidly. Powerful floodlights, laser beams, giant LED screens and high-powered loudspeakers can transform social and religious functions into spectacular displays. A celebration that once brought people together can become a public demonstration of prosperity.

A few decorative lamps may create warmth and beauty; but when hundreds of lights, elaborate structures, extravagant feasts and powerful........

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