Picture courtesy: Interact Club, Indiranagar

By Qamar ZJ



It began as a small idea of just a few kids from Defence Colony in Indiranagar going from one store to another and asking the shopkeepers to remove fairy lights as they are harmful to the trees on which they are hung. However, the idea gathered momentum and several other residents joined in on Twitter. With the Twitter handle of @ichangeindiranagar, this evening’s agenda was also posted online yesterday with this message:

Children will be visiting shops on 100 ft rd tmrw at 6 pm, from Caratlane to appeal to remove fairy lights choking the trees, making them susceptible to bacteria and fungus infections. These are illegal as per Karnataka Tree Act 1972

“The agenda is to visit every store on 100 ft road and explain to them why fairy lights are bad and hand over a letter signed by kids, requesting them to remove the lights,” said Sonalee, one of the parents, two days before the November 15 event at 6pm.

However, while many appreciated the gesture, there were naysayers that only made the residents more determined. “If you keep taking offense for everything, then you will lose the support of residents,” tweeted Vimmy Nair. “It’s also not fair to exploit children to push your agenda.”

The members of ‘I Change Indiranagar’, a federation of resident welfare associations in Indiranagar, HAL 2nd and 3rd Stage, pointed out that the kids were members of Interact Club and this was a voluntary exercise: “Interact Club is a community service club in Indiranagar for youth below 18 years. The children have come together to remind adults that we are the custodians of their future and it’s our duty to care for the environment.”

Vimmy had a reply to that as well: “Even I have been part of Interact Club during my school days and we didn’t participate in social activism but devoted our time to environmental cleanup, help the needy and develop a civic sense. Protesting in front of establishments is like firing a gun using the kids as shields.”



The Indiranagar 1st Stage RWA responded by tweeting: “Then you must know the meaning of civic sense, which btw we adults seem to have none of. Thank god for children!”



What was also contradictory to Vimmy’s statement was that this was a ‘save the tree’ initiative of kids. We are not sure how that does not add up to the ‘environmental cleanup’ initiative she mentions in her tweet.

The Indiranagar shops under the radar include Caratlane, Louis Phillipe, Simon Cater, Bologna, Allen Solly, Van Heusen, Sony, Bhartiya Jalpan, The Marina, Stoner Ice cream and La Cave. The kids will lead the shop tour this evening at 6pm while the adults will stay in the background for any logistical help.

“It is no secret that trees are good for us,” says Sonalee. “The trees on 100 feet road are old. They face the stress of traffic, pollution, garbage, bikers on footpaths, cemented footpath. Just like we would do everything possible to care for our grandparents, we feel removing year-long fairy lights is a tiny step we can take to help the trees we have grown up with.”

WHAT’S WRONG WITH FAIRY LIGHTS?

Nails: Damage the protective bark, which allows bacteria and fungus to attack the trees from inside.

Strangle the tree: Most shops keep the lights wrapped around the tree all year long. This is like choking the tree, especially harmful for young trees.

Unnatural light: The light messes up the trees, the flowering cycle, the birds. Some may argue that trees on 100 feet road are already impacted due to ambient light. While that is correct, the fairy lights are much more concentrated and closer to the tree.

Info courtesy: Interact Club, Indiranagar

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