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A Tree Grandmother

By Anitha S

21 December, 2013
Countercurrents.org

I am Nivedita, 10 years old living in Thiruvananthapuram. I live with my mother, sister and grandparents. I love plants and animals- with 2 turtles, several chicks, a big tank with fishes , my life is full. In the backyard of my home there is a compost unit maintained by my grandfather. I like to watch that from my window because Crow- pheasants come to eat the worms. The fishes in the tank attract the patient and silent Kingfisher too. The lush green Jamba tree is now full of juicy fruits that I eat as soon as I return from school.

A couple of days ago something happened in my life that turned things topsy- turvy.I had till then decided to be a dog breeder as I love dogs a lot. But now I am not so sure. I am sure you are all curious to know what happened to me to change this strong decision. My mother came home early from work that evening and took me to a program called “Grandmother Tree Beckons” under a huge Raintree in Palayam soon after College of Fine Arts. I was happy to see that the tree was adorned with festoons that had messages from the tree itself about its specialties. There were many garlands around the tree- I too got one that I tied onto the tree. The posters of 15 grandmother trees in different parts of the city made many think about the value of such trees. The group which had organized this is called Tree Walk- the emblem has a tree with 2 legs attached to it. I really liked the energy that this logo generated. It took me some time to relax- but I found that there were other kids too. The adults too were smiling and friendly and there was an air of love and sharing there.

But very soon, I understood that it was not all celebration and happiness. The tree, more than 70 years old was under threat from a big private textile company. The Tree Walkers were shocked and angry that as part of the pre-inauguration arrangements, the illumination bulbs were nailed on to the tree in a cruel way. I was so happy to learn from there that the High Court of Kerala had recently banned flex boards and advertisements that damage trees. This judgment came after the Court received a submission from a group of school students in Moovattupuzha. Quoting this, the Tree Walkers demanded the textile owners to immediately remove the nails which they did. I am so thrilled to know that children like me can also bring about change to make the world a better place to live in.But still as we looked up at the green umbrella like canopy of the Raintree, we wondered what more shocks and tormenting its living bark and branches would have to face in future. When would the company start feeling that the branches are blocking the view of its glass windows where lifeless mannequins stands coaxing us to come in and buy? Would they realize that the precious oxygen that the tree produces every second is more worth than the cost of the glass and steel used in the building? Would they be willing to listen to the fact that the coolness the tree generates under its generous shade which brings the temperature down by 6 degree centigrade is priceless in comparison to the guzzling air-conditioners inside?

I made friends with a girl Meenakshi who told me that all the buildings near this modern high rise were old and part of the historical landscape of the city. The War Memorial opposite this is a dedication to those who lost their lives in the First World War. The State Central Library, the College of Fine Arts, the CSI Church, the St.Josef’s Cathedral are all buildings with unique architecture standing here since 1800s. The whole place is like a Heritage zone. There are lots of trees there too- the huge Myrobalan, the Spanish Tamarind, the Tree Jasmine, the Jamun and so on. Since that day, I have started looking up at trees whenever I go to school.

I was pleased that there was a cake with TREE WALK written on it. Meenakshi held the cake and I cut it. I thought it was a wonderful idea to dedicate a cake to the grandmother tree. We all got a piece which though small created an atmosphere of sharing and joy. I was sad to know that Varghese and Shylaja who have been running a teashop under this grandmother tree’s shade for the past 25 years have been evicted from here to clear the area for the textile shop. They too joined us on that evening having lost their make shift shop with gas cylinder, stove and utensils. I felt that both trees and humans are under threat as the power of money and strength dominates. The lottery seller, newspaper vendor and footwear seller who joined the Grandmother Tree program shared their travails having lost their livelihood space. I understood that Tree Walk is not talking about trees alone. They are also raising the issue of people living in the city pursuing small livelihoods for whom common spaces like this Raintree’s shade are working spaces. For them this piece of land under the tree is as expensive and valuable a showroom as the textile company’s newly inaugurated glass and steel one.

Now did you get a sense of why my resolve to be a dog breeder has changed. I now want to be a person able to work for the protection of all living beings including humans. My mother explained to me that by protecting the tree, we are actually preserving spaces for people like Varghese to carry on honest and simple lives and livelihoods. Imagine the city without shade and trees, without a cobbler who will repair your broken shoes, without a teashop which offers a free glass of cool water or a refreshing tea. It would be a terrible and unsafe place to live…hence the change in my decision. I am now all prepared to join the Tree Walk on 22.12.2013 when we will search for more grandmother trees starting from this grand old Raintree.

Photos:Suresh and Paul

(Anitha.S in conversation with Nivedita and Meenakshi after GRANDMOTHER TREE BECKONS program of Tree Walk on 18.12.2013. For more details of Tree Walk contact [email protected])



 

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