T(r)eeming with joy
   Date :06-Jun-2021

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By Kartik Lokhande :
 
Years ago, the siblings played around a tree and spent some time almost daily on the branches of a big banyan tree close to their house. Other groups of children too derived the same joy. While one group called the tree ‘adda’ (meeting place) as ‘air-conditioner’, another called it ‘hill station’, and still another group called it ‘Aajoba’ due to age of the tree. For, everyone found a ‘cool’ childhood companion in the tree. Years later, all of them have told their children about these fond childhood memories, multiple times. Whenever these children, parents of today, come across a big banyan or mango or neem tree, they recollect the sweet memories when t(r)eeming with joy was routine. They feel happy once again as the first failed attempt at climbing a tree flashes before their eyes.
 
The memory of the first time they climbed a tree successfully makes them feel like a victor. Recollection of how they cried in pain first but later proudly carried the scratches as badges of struggle while climbing or getting down a tree, makes them nostalgic even now. They lived an era when the ‘concrete jungle’ had not invaded the human settlements to the present extent. They still remember how they hid behind the big tree trunk while playing hide-and-seek. Some adventurous ones hid themselves on tree branches and jumped down shouting ‘race’. Even that unparalleled experience of savouring the sour ‘kairi’ (mango), or a sweet guava, or ‘Umbar’ (cluster fig) after blowing away the tiny flying creatures inside, isolates one from all worldly worries at least for time being. Every child likes to watch the seed he/she has sown in earth germinate and grow green leaves. Every child likes to touch the silken tender leaves of a plant. When the tender leaves sway with breeze, child watches in amazement.
 
Every child admires the colours and fragrance of flowers. A child can be seen holding a twig in his/her hand and waving it as ‘magic wand’ from the fairy tales. One can still see children climbing up a big tree and holding ‘conference’ while resting conveniently on solid branches. Even hugging a tree trunk provides them a soothing experience, irrespective of the roughness of the bark. Some of these experiences form the memory bank of children even today. However, many children are getting deprived of these experiences in growing numbers. But, a child’s instinct of forming a bond with Nature is visible whenever parents take him/her to a farm or a forest area. Children instantly get into the natural act.
 
They celebrate Environment Day on any day when they get the opportunity to get closer to Nature. Those who have such experiences with trees grow up and become sensitive to environmental concerns. But, it is for the parents -- who could be policymakers, bureaucrats, activists, businessmen, litterateurs, lawyers, or anyone -- to ensure that children are not robbed of this experience. Worth a thought, isn’t it? n