What Is In Half A Rupee?
By Anitha S
30 October, 2013
Countercurrents.org
I am 6 years old. I live in the city of Thiruvananthapuram with my mother who is an advocate. A few days back, I had a strange experience. After school, I usually come home and play or watch cartoons till my mother comes. That is when our usual talk about school and homework starts. That day she came home early and in an excited way started getting dressed to go out. She dressed me up too and somehow I knew it was a special event we were going to. We went to a place near the Railway station soon after one of the best liked hotels in the city where we get dosas and baturas. I saw a group of people under a big Ficus tree around which a cloth was tied. There were many people there with postcards talking to each other, some were writing on the cards and others were pinning the cards on to the cloth.
On the way, my mother had explained to me that we were going to meet a group called the Tree Walk working to know more about trees and also to protect them. She said that the particular event we were going to a program called HALF A RUPEE FOR TREES. She showed me a 50 ps coin as I was about to ask if trees cost only so much. She then took out a postcard and asked me to read the cost stamped on it. As we reached the venue, a girl in her teens came near and asked me if I wanted to write a message to save trees. She told me that some people are planning to cut the two trees there. I looked up and saw the nice green leaves and branches of the Ficus. There was also another tree with yellow flowers and brown seeds which is called Copper Pod growing very close to the Ficus. My mother was writing on a card and I signed on it before pinning it onto the cloth tied around the tree.
I stood by watching the people who were gathering by the tree. The autorickshaw drivers from the auto stand all came to get a card and write. How I wished I could read … I only know a bit of reading. The cards that came from various schools had pictures drawn on it of trees and birds. There was one person who came with his little brown dashund dog that was very friendly. I was afraid the dog might get run over by the buses and cars that were speeding by. Three boys from a nearby school joined and I heard them inviting the Tree Walk friends to their school to speak to more students.
As the sun set and darkness spread, we took all the postcards from the cloth and put them in a reed basket. There were 2 people who untied the banners and also made sure that it was neatly folded and packed. There were some who started counting the cards- when the number was announced everyone clapped. I was also happy to hear that within 2 hours 520 cards were written in favour of trees and shade. We walked through the dark and crowded road in front of the Railway station to the post office and posted the cards. I was very sad then and had tears in my eyes. This was because I had seen a bat coming close to the Ficus tree. I thought of how lost it would be if the tree is cut- this made me cry. What a terrible thing to lose your home all of a sudden.. When me and Meenskshi put the cards into the box, everyone clapped loud.
The Tree Walk has also been having programs like THE SIGNATURE TREE when they would tie a piece of cloth around a tree marked to be cut and invite public to sign on it. My mother said that if I wake up early by 7 am , we could join the walks. So the next Sunday I got up early to go for the walk.We had a nice time in a huge campus full of trees. The walk called the GREEN SENTINELS introduced many big trees. There were 45 participants including 10 children. I climbed trees along with them and liked the view from atop a tree.
I want to plant a tree when more rains come. But I have so little space in my house. Maybe my school will allow us to do that. Tree Walk has many ideas to plant more trees in the city. I wish to be part of it. I also want to bring more friends for the Walk.
Niranjan in conversation with Anitha.S on 27.10.2013 after the Green Sentinel Walk in Tagore Theatre Complex, Thiruvananthapuram. For details of Tree Walk contact 94470-78113 or [email protected].
Photos- By Veena and Suresh
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