A tale of two trees

Time of India

01-05-2025

Whilst travelling in Garhwal hills near Lansdowne , recently I was again attracted to the beauty of the pine trees ,uniformly spread over the hills. The smell of pine in addition to its look is distinct. There is variety too in pine , I was amazed to see a pine spread out like a Mango tree at one place , though most are of conical shape. However if one examines the utility of this seemingly beautiful tree it is limited. It secretes gum( resin) from its trunk which sadly remains wounded with axe marks to stimulate secretion.
The 'Resin' is used in preparation of tar for road construction, the wood is used in making of furniture but is of lower variety and no match to Teak, Saal or Shisham etc. The thin leaves are of no use to cattle and shed regularly to create a slippery layer which is dangerous in hill trekking , specially when wet. Moreover it consumes lot of water. In contrast is the grey oak/Indian oak tree commonly called 'Baanj' which is also found in these heights, it does not bear any fruit ,carries ordinary look, gawky appearance, its leaves are of dull green colour, to add to its woes is its name 'Baanj' referred in North India for women who are unable to bear children. An insulting term , uttered in loud whispers by jealous friends, ambitious Mother-in-laws and spoilt Sister-in-laws ( Nanads ). This is burden of feudal India where women were (are?) considered as commodities , primarily for producing children and if any one failed even owing to biological inadequacy of her husband the poor lady carried the burden of being referred to as 'baanj'.
However despite its dull look it is preferred by the villagers and community at large as it is a rich source of water. It retains water in its roots and it is common to see a small but regular water stream near a cluster of 'Baanj' trees. It is a saying in hills that where ever you see baanj there will be water. Its leaves are also eaten by cattle .Compared to 'Baanj', pine consumes a lot of water and the initiators of this disastrous practice in hills were the Britishers. They encouraged growth of pine as it looked beautiful and its wood was utilized indiscriminately in timber trade using the rivers in hills for transportation . Despite being innovators in Science their sense of environment was grossly faulty. Pine tree though was existing in these hills along with other tree varieties but it was the English who increased its plantation for ,it is said that if one plants pine in an acre area soon it expands to five! In comparison Oak grows slow . Once the English had set their eyes on these lucrative trees they set factories to process resin for tar for road construction . Large tracks of slopes near Dehradun and Kalsi were cut to send wood for rail track etc during the first world war! The hills are barren still as new trees find it difficult to grow in slopes. Even 'Meera Bahen' whose Ashram was situated near Rishikesh had complained to the British Government for their policy to encourage plantation of 'Pine ' instead of other productive and harmonious variety of trees .
The nature's analogy restores the belief that 'beauty is but skin deep', but we tend to glorify appearance ! Akin to the two variety of trees that dominate the landscape of Uttarakhand there are two varieties of people , cultures , ideology , outlook and economy too! The 'oak people' live in the villages , scantly populated and yet aspiring to emerge out of their daily sweat and toil . They may add marginally to GDP but are sentinels of the borders .
The 'pine people' live in safe towns where 'buzz and business' prevails and which we are converting to 'smart cities' , where concrete is sought and worshipped. The 'Oak economy' is the village economy which once survived on 'money orders' of the soldiers to home and family and now sustains on the income of their fathers and husbands who work in distant cities . There are villages of prosperity in agriculture turned around by consistent hard-work and perseverance , but few . The 'pine economy' is built on the cutting of hills to make large hotels and highways and destroying the few cities which were earlier quiet and peaceful stations to retire and spend time with friends. The villages which expected attention when the new state was carved out of Uttar Pradesh are ignored and abandoned , some are called 'ghost villages'.
The 'oak culture' is the culture of the region , the language of the region , the song of the region , the dance of the region – sweet and scarce, and soft and serene , not loud and all pervasive and incessant which has creeped and seeped from distance far.
The heart and soul of the hill state rests in the villages snuggled in inaccessible locations. There is a simple and robust feature of Uttarakhand represented by the officers and soldiers of the Garhwal Rifles and Kumaon Regiment ; there regimental centres are located in Lansdowne and Ranikhet. The society and culture of the villages which feeds these centres is much influenced and dependent on these Regimental centres and it is the dream of the vast majority of young men to join the Armed forces . Their needs are few and limited and the love for the Armed forces is sincere and runs deep.
The beacon of hope, the moral compass and figure of veneration are the women who reside in these villages ; distant , remote , far away from the metal road, still seen carrying grass for cattle or wood for fuel on their head . They nurture their hardy boys and girls in difficult circumstances . They suffer separation, distance , loneliness , cold, remoteness , vagaries of weather , scarcity , social contact and yet they smile as you pass by and consider you their own , never are suspicious of your intentions . These women who are the guardians of hills are akin to those oak groves which provide wide branches stretched like protective arms , as if to convey that 'we are with you in thick and thin'. Women in hills tie sacred thread around trees to seek their blessings and protection , but they never tie the thread around the pine tree!
The speed of the 'pine economy ' is fast and it conquers its neighbours and all that opposes on the way . An elite , well fed and well bred are its sponsors as it looks for quick and easy gains . This is evident and visible in 'religious tourism ' where air services , ariel trollies are being launched and the foot-tracks since yore which bear the footprints of our ancestors and seers are untraceable . Pilgrimage is being considered as an achievement to 'tom -tom' rather a path to purity and salvation .
The 'Oak youth' seek education in schools and colleges near their villages , mostly Government schools with modest and moderate means . They seek higher education in Government universities and join the Army of unemployed. The 'Pine student' manages to obtain admission in privileged and popular private university on the basis of the loan which their parents have obtained with difficulty . They somehow complete their education under the constant threat of EMI lapse and join private firms at modest salary . Many flood the urban streets of Uttarakhand and wait for their good fortune to smile .
There are people who participated in the 'Chipko movement' and for the formation of 'Uttarakhand' and those who recently came out in streets and halted cutting of trees in New Cantt in Dehradun . There are also people pursuing the fast 'four lane express highway' between Dehradun – New Delhi reaching in two and half hours by cutting thousands of trees on its way . To sum it up , the 'pine road' is a mirage unattainable . The 'oak road ' is the Truth road of trust and worthiness . The songs of Narendra Singh Negi and 'Girda' are its Record keepers and oral history , it desires little and takes little but gives in abundance.
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Views expressed above are the author's own.