Morning walk Vignettes. - I cry for my tree.
आपटा पान
This is a leaf from what we call in Marathi 'आपटा' (Apta) tree. कठमूली या झिंझोरी in Hindi, otherwise known as Bauhinia racemosa,
At Dussera time this leaf assumes tremendous significance. As per Indian Mythology, these leaves are supposed to represent GOLD.
On Dussera day, people below the poverty line and maybe above it are seen with huge heaps of these leaves at almost every chowk and traffic signal. I am sure these branches and leaves must have been plundered from apta trees wherever they were found, to be sold here
People pay and get a fistful of leaves or a mini branch full of leaves. As per tradition, they use these leaves to make a gift of gold to friends, relatives and people of acquaintances, on this Dussera Day.
It is now a couple of days after Dussera.
In my morning walk, I am greeted by a sight of a totally denuded apta tree treated with extreme violence. See photo
The sight brought to mind visions of an innocent girl violently raped, ill-treated and left to die in a deserted field. Here was my Apta raped, violently treated and left to suffer. No FIR will be filed, no investigation will be done. No one will be punished. No one will even mourn what all such trees have suffered this Dussera Day.
Nature only gives. My trees are no exception. Even in this adversity, my tree is still offering a thing of beauty of its pink flowers to the world and onlookers to behold. (See right of the tree along the top of the wall in the photo).
Flower to the right centre of the tree along the wall top.
I am filled with rage at those who did this to such a magnificent tree. Feeling of rage is quickly overcome by sadness at the cruelty of humans to all of nature and environment.
My heart cries. I feel helpless.............
Can we all collectively do something?
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