Comment

The trees of Mumbai have to be spared twice over: from the evil developers who want to cut them down mercilessly and from the innocent, ignorant do-gooders who will deflect attention from the real issues by getting into gimmicky antics. The evil developers — and this includes politicians and civil servants — are of course shameless in their pursuit of tree-chopping. In fact, the minute they see trees and forests, they feel an immediate need to rip them up and pour concrete in their place. This may be some deep-rooted genetic problem.

According to the old BBC television programme, Goodness Gracious Me — a series of spoof skits on the Asian community in the UK — whenever people of Indian origin buy a house with a garden, they immediately dig up the garden and pave the ground. Clearly, developers suffer from TDD or Tree Destructive Disorder. This is an international problem with developers of all origins, though. “Suburbia is where the developer bulldozers cut the trees then names the streets after them,” said Bill Vaughn, American columnist. Look at the newer parts of Mumbai. The whole of the new Link Road, which starts at Andheri and is now a series of shopping malls and fancy apartment blocks, is severely short of trees. An outdoor ad for a new supposedly posh building called ‘Whispering Palms’ or some such had not a single palm tree in the accompanying pictorial representation. The palms whisper in your mind, perhaps, as it counts the amount of money you spent to be “posh”.

No question that trees must be saved.But we also need intelligent ways to save them. Sunderlal Bahuguna’s Chipko Movement had women villagers of what is now Uttarakhand chaining themselves to trees to prevent them from being cut. It was a community effort, a commitment, life and death, to a cause.

It is a travesty to call an effort of a few people tying pieces of cloth to a few palm trees on one Mumbai road a “Chipko movement”. This is a gesture which will come to nothing. There are a number of reasons for this. The Haji Ali ‘beautification’ plan is not a new scheme. Therefore, there has been enough time to plan a proper campaign. Several members of this tree movement could have done some reading up about transplanting — which is possible, though expensive. If alternative beautification plans with the trees included did not wash with the authorities — was such an effort even made? — then alternative uses of the trees could have been suggested. Benches made from the wood, carrying the legend ‘Made from the brave palm trees which once stood here’ to be placed once the plan is over? A 24/7 relay protection system where residents use satyagraha to stop them from being cut? Legal action? Frankly, tying pieces of cloth on trees is so flimsy an action that it insults them as much as hanging signboards on them does. Truth be told, the Haji Ali beatification is a ridiculous scheme full of Zodiac signs or something. Clearly, IAS officers and politicians should be banned from making any aesthetic decisions at all. But that is another matter.

More significantly, it may make sense to start a practical campaign to add to Mumbai’s trees. Summer is a good time to choose the trees and the areas which need help. Palms of all kinds, obviously. The Gulmohur, a somewhat pointless but very pretty tree, is now in bloom. When placed next to the Copper pod with its yellow flowers, it looks spectacular. The Pride of India is now covered in purple and pink. The bhendi, a hardy native tree with its papery yellow flowers? Mumbai’s once signature rain tree, majestic and wide spreading with its delicate pink flowers? The tall Spathodea campunalata with its gorgeous bright orange tulip-shaped flowers? The fragile but delightfully fragrant frangipani or plumeria? The iconic banyan and peepul and the rest from the ficus family? You can start small, on your own street.

Email:b_ranjona@dnaindia.net