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Is Mumbai in danger of environmental ethnic cleansing?

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Moeena Halim
Moeena HalimJun 18, 2015 | 13:29

Is Mumbai in danger of environmental ethnic cleansing?

Why must religion enter every sphere of life in India? It's all peachy when it comes to saving what is considered precious and sacred, but the real danger is in the sense of exclusivity it perpetuates.

The latest threat is to a certain group of trees in Mumbai. Hanumant Raje, a Shiv Sena-nominated member of the Tree Authority, wants the BMC to plant only "Hindu trees" that are considered holy and sacred such as the peepal, banyan, sweet lime, ashoka, tamarind and so on.

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But what does that mean for the other trees? Are we going to see an environmental ethnic cleansing? The rain tree, the most commonly found tree in Mumbai, is certainly an exotic species and can by no stretch of the imagination be considered sacred. Except that it is much adored by the city's green groups and has been providing shade across the cities avenues for over a century. These trees are already in danger of dying off, something that hasn't been missed by activists who are fighting wholeheartedly for their survival.

And what of the beautiful gulmohar? Will its flame orange flowers, which paint the city saffron every summer, be its saving grace? Probably not; for its roots cannot be traced to ancient Indian culture or to the pages of the epics. It is after all, originally from Madagascar.

Don't get me wrong, I'm equally fond of the so-called sacred trees. The peepal is in fact one of my favourites. I've spent countless hours staring at the peepal tree outside my window, admiring the variety of birds it is home to. Whiskered-green Coppersmith Barbets, considered to be the bird of Mumbai, flock to the tree every morning. They come in such large numbers that it surprises me when people in Mumbai tell me they don't know what a Coppersmith Barbet looks like.

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There's no doubt that we need more peepal, more banyan and more Arjuna trees in the city. In Mumbai, the number of Arjuna trees, an extremely useful one to the world of ayurveda, can be counted on our fingers. An avid proponent of ayurveda once told me he was glad people didn't know how beneficial it was to us, or the sole Arjuna tree in Juhu wouldn't be able to survive much longer.

That trees in Mumbai need greater attention is a given. I can only hope that it will not be restricted to a particular faction.

Last updated: June 18, 2015 | 13:29
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