Last evening, thousands of Mysureans gathered for a candlelight march, mourning the loss of 40 majestic trees, each over 70 years old, felled overnight along a short 300-metre stretch of Hyder Ali Road.

Will this move the authorities? Unlikely. But it will make them think twice next time. That alone makes the protest matter.

But where are our political leaders in all this? Strangely silent.

There’s more to this tree-felling than meets the eye. 

For context, most Mysureans know that Hyder Ali Road runs from the SP Office, past Nexus Mall, through Gandhinagar and beside St. Philomena’s College, ending at Ambedkar Circle.

Now, if the authorities truly intend to widen the entire Hyder Ali Road, did they obtain permission to partly demolish the temple, mosque, cemetery and Philomena’s College — structures that sit along the same stretch?

No. They didn’t.

So, why cut down trees? especially without clearing the more legally and politically sensitive obstacles?

In an attempt to justify this, an MCC (Mysuru City Corporation) executive engineer claimed that most people have misunderstood the alignment of Hyder Ali Road. 

According to his version, it begins at the SP Office, veers onto the JP Fortune Palace Hotel Road, then turns onto Mysuru-Bengaluru Road towards the Fountain Circle.

Even if that’s true, did they get permission to cut into the Police Academy compound? Or alter Nazarbad Mosque, Good Shepherd School, Philomena’s Hostel or the MysoreOne Office?

Again, no.

 So, the question remains: Why were the trees cut first in such a hurry?

This has given weight to the rumour that the trees were sacrificed to create parking and a wider road which could help get clearance for extra floors to some upcoming commercial constructions at the end of the road. 

What else explains why only a 300-metre section was cleared, when the full road stretches over three kilometres — and the remaining stretch is lined with religious sites, schools, shops and homes, all legal nightmares to demolish and politically sensitive?

The unfortunate reality could be that there may be and never was a real plan to widen the entire Hyder Ali Road. The Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP) is simply being used as a fig leaf. 

Meanwhile, the tragic irony is that no political party — ruling or opposition — took a vociferous stand. Not one.

 In Karnataka, when it comes to real estate, all parties are allies. They quietly allow each other to destroy lakes, fell trees and level hills. And they all look the other way, with no serious plan on conservation. Oh! But they do have advice…

“Drink water even if you’re not thirsty.”  This was actually told to us last year by our State Government! 

 As layouts expand and construction booms, more trees will fall  and Mysuru will go the way of Bengaluru — Hotter, drier, unliveable. 

Even more disheartening than the politicians’ absence at the protest was the reaction from some so-called ‘intellectuals.’

I received a flood of e-mails from both sides of the political spectrum.

On the Left, Modi critics sent clippings about trees being cut for the Prime Minister’s visits. On the Right, Rahul Gandhi detractors sent news of forests cleared under Congress rule in Telangana and old reports about trees cut in Mysuru during Rajiv Gandhi’s visit.

To all of them, I ask: Is the value of a tree now to be judged through the lens of which political party cuts it?

Where is the intellect in an intellectual? And what is the logic here? That, because trees were cut for Modi’s visit, so it is okay to cut trees when Siddaramaiah is CM?

The environment is not a BJP Vs Congress issue. It’s not about Modi or Rahul. It’s about us, Mysureans, our shared future and our home.

To those who need a reminder of what silence leads to, I offer these words from Pastor Martin Niemöller, a daring critic of Hitler:

“First, they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out — because I was not a socialist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out — because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me — and there was no one left to speak for me.”

If you don’t speak up now, there may be no Mysuru left to defend tomorrow.

So, protest — not because you’re on the Left or Right. Protest because you’re a Mysurean. This is your home. Protect it.

Last evening a politician told me, “Star of Mysore has turned Mysureans into habitual protestors.”

I say: “As long as law-makers make, breaking the law a habit, we’ll make protesting a habit. When they kick their habit, we’ll gladly kick ours.”

 If Mysuru is to be protected, then Mysureans must Protest.

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