My last write - up about the huge roadside banyan tree that walked to a safer place thanks to human will and effort drew many responses from nature and tree lovers from across all corners of the globe. All of them without exception felt that this should be the kind of effort that should be made to save our trees, especially the ones that are fully grown and therefore of great ecological value. But even where there are people with a will to join such efforts, funds are the biggest problem in undertaking such jobs as all such ventures cost a great deal of money.

Some people have suggested that whenever road widening is taken up, instead of mercilessly chopping them down, all fully grown roadside trees should be moved to the edges of the widened roads. They feel since this process will not entail any transportation costs and will only require a crane and an excavator to shift the trees a few yards, it can be included as an essential part of contract that is awarded for road - widening.

In fact, the proposed widening of Mysore - Nanjangud road can become a small example of such an experiment. At least then, this road which has now become notorious for having taken the highest number of human lives, can perhaps as an atoning compensation become famous for having saved the lives of some trees. But most things are easier said than done, as what makes ecological sense to environmentalists may fail to make financial sense to governments who tend to look upon such expenses as wasteful while looking the other way and senselessly wasting millions chasing mantras like “Raja Margas” that make millionaires out of khadi - clad mantris.

Talking of corruption at high levels, I am convinced that we are right now at a stage where the cuts and commissions in government projects are at their highest. The solace that we can draw now is that things cannot become worse because if they do there simply will not be any money left for the actual works after the mandatory deductions! Corruption seems to have become the hallmark of our existence as Indians and there seems to be no real will even on the part of citizens to weed it out for the simple reason that it comes in handy when we wish to bend rules to our advantage.

It has today become the most lucrative “Low investment, Low risk but High return” business in our country as chances of getting caught and convicted are very remote and penalties are simply too mild. For instance, just see what sentence one official who has been convicted for his crimes has got recently in our city. He has been asked to pay a fine of Rupees Sixty Three Lakhs for his misdeeds and in the event of his being unable to pay the fine, he has the option of undergoing imprisonment for just three short months. Now, which criminal will not think it sensible to keep the ill - gotten money intact and sleep away three months in a cozy cell at government expense?

However, there seem to be some souls amidst us who are not yet disheartened by the sorry state of things around us and still nurture hopes of correcting the system. One such home - grown person, Dr. R. Balasbramanyam, founder of Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement, better known to most of us simply as Balu, plans to go on a fast in our city on the fifth of this month to draw the attention of our advocates to the Lokpal Bill 2010 which desperately awaits the approval of a select committee before it can come into force. Now, for the benefit of those who do not know what I am talking about, this Bill is aimed at making every person irrespective of his or her rank, including the Prime Minister, accountable for all acts of corruption. It will enable citizens to sue all government functionaries without the need for obtaining any prior approval from any authority whatsoever.

It was first envisaged way back in 1966 and was introduced in the Lok Sabha to send a strong deterrent signal against corruption in high places, but was turned down, clearly indicating that our rulers themselves were not sincere about cleaning up their acts. The most shameful part is that since 1966 it has been rejected by our Parliament not once or twice but five times. I hope my soft - spoken but iron - willed friend & former student Balu's fast will help us steel our resolves to weed out corruption and support the approval of this Bill at least this time. I hope we will not let his efforts become just another case of April Fooling.