India, Dec. 28 -- A hundred years ago, American lawyer and jurist Benjamin N Cardozo said that "history, in illuminating the past, illuminates the present, and in illuminating the present, illuminates the future". Let's discuss our smoggy present in the context of Cardozo's statement.

The past few days have seen people in Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi and western Uttar Pradesh coming together for the Aravallis after the Supreme Court of India passed a judgment on November 20 that only the hills that are 100 metres or higher would be considered a part of the hills. The order was based on the government's stance that a clear definition for the ranges was needed to formulate developmental policies. Those who disagreed with the government and th...