The Mysore District in - Charge Minister Shobha Karandlaje has told the press in Bangalore yesterday that the government has passed an order prohibiting cutting of trees for widening the controversial Lalitha Mahal Palace road in deference to the wishes of some NGOs and in view of the opposition for such tree-felling by the public.
In so passing the order, no doubt arbitrarily, the government seems to have ignored the opinions of 17 City Corporators and two MLAs amongst whom is S. A. Ramdas, BJP MLA, in whose constituency the road is located and another Congress MLA Tanveer Sait, apart from another section of the public.
The Government’s decision no doubt is final, unless it is challenged in a Court of Law and the Government’s decision is reversed. In such an eventuality, the government can say it will not make the four - lane road at all. Happiness for those “special” lovers for tree.
Now, regardless of what the BJP Government has decided and whether the aggrieved party in this controversy is going to a Court of Law for relief, certain questions stare us in the face.
Question No. 1:
Why did the authorities undertake the preliminary works like the box - type concrete drains on either side of the road, the four - lane width bridge etc., costing crores of rupees, without first obtaining permission from the Government to fell trees (that are needed to be felled) to construct this four - lane road?
Question No. 2:
How are the authorities going to build this four - lane road without felling a single tree?
Question No. 3:
Is it going to be a zig - zag road like the one in San Francisco, America, Lombard Street, known to be the world's crookedest road, also known as “Crooked Street”? Only then can this road be built without cutting a tree and you will have to drive skillfully between the trees. Of course, like the Lombard Street, it's going to be great fun for our fun-loving rich boys. And most of our NGOs opposed to tree - felling are from a rich background.
Question No. 4:
BJP Government's decision to ask the authorities to build the four - lane Lalitha Mahal Palace Road without cutting a single tree is like the Pharaoh of ancient Egypt asking Israelite slaves to make bricks without straw. But the BJP government should also remember what the leader of Israelites, Moses, told the Pharaoh in retort: “If you shall want us to make brick without straw, we shall want you to build your city without bricks”. Now the people of not only Mysore but also those who use this road should ask, “If you want this road to be built without felling trees, then we want you to build our city without roads”.
After all, according to our own Law Courts, “driving is a dangerous activity” and, therefore, in case of accidents the driver alone is responsible and not the victim, even if there is a contributory negligence on his part.
And yes, why do we need such broad roads? Pedestrian roads [footpaths] are good enough; they are environmental - friendly and also safe for humans. Motorable roads are dangerous. Motor vehicles cause sound pollution, spew carbon - monoxide which is bad for human health and lungs and also cause accidents.
Our NGOs who are opposed to felling trees to make public roads should now take up the cause to ban all motor vehicles on our roads and work to popularise the use of Jatkas (Mysore Jatka is world famous anyway and it may attract tourists who may land in Mysore in parachutes), bullock - carts and cycles. As a first step, to set a personal example, these NGOs may forthwith park their cars in the garage as a show piece or scrap them (selling means enabling the purchaser to use it on our roads) and be seen on our clean, eco - friendly roads full of trees riding on bicycles (wearing dhotis or pants or sarees or jeans) or in jatkas with roads spread with horse droppings or bullock carts with dungs on the roads. And finally let me conclude with what Osho Rajneesh has to say of those NGOs who are dogmatic, blinkered and though "convinced against their will, are of the same opinion still."
After all, “reasoning” is like our watches, each believes his own. That’s why many miss the trains, buses and aero planes! Did you get me Steve!?
Now to Osho Rajneesh:
The answer to the question whether trees are important or humans depends on a given situation.
