Parks Do Matter

Sun was setting and a beautiful hue of orange against the grey sky made a pretty picture. I was admiring this view from the balcony when I heard the fracas. Unusually a murder of crows was fighting with a flock of swifts. The crows threatened to kill the swifts if they didn’t vacate the trees. The desperate swifts were no push over and swiftly moved from branch to branch. The wise old owl who got disturbed by the din and noise came to enquire what was the ruckus all about. The crows explained the situation that the trees belong to them since the Ramayana times. They nested, bred and grew. Now the swifts were trying to encroach upon their dwelling. Swifts for their part swiftly questioned that tree such as this belong to all fauna. Crow cannot claim monopoly over it. They further explained that they too had some trees on where they lived. But the humans with their never-ending greed had cut off these trees for their metro project and they had to scramble away and find a new shelter.

The wise owl knew he had a problem in hand. Both the arguments made sense. It was very much like the human problem that had caused a great schism in the national psyche. It was the humans with their senseless greed was bent upon destroying the earth. Owl knew the ants, bees and the butterfly would also support the swifts. But for crows and swifts to live together? He thought of the two groups of  humans fighting yet again in the country he lived.

He then announced that let crows provide temporary shelter for the swifts as they have become homeless now. We need to petition the humans and create a sanctuary for the trees. We need to start the “parks do matter” movement among human beings. Some of them are sensitive to bio-diversity and care for birds, bees and butterflies.

Temporary truce got agreed to by the warring factions and crows laid a condition of no breeding till that time. Swifts readily agreed. When we are trying to survive where is the question of sex coming into play? they said.

Owl that evening flew down to the leader of the bird watchers club and briefed him about the incident. Mustaq Ali who was the grandson of the famous Salim Ali stroked his goatee and agreed it was a genuine problem. Immediately he put up a message in Twitter and soon like-minded people were twittering like birds. The mayor too was also an avid bird-watcher and whenever time permitted, he would do go on a bird-watching trip. He realized that it has been some time since he did it and got shocked to see the twitter. He readily messaged that the problem was genuine indeed that without birds and bee life, buzz would be gone out of human life too.

When the mayor called for a Sunday meeting that week, there was a huge turnout of not only humans but birds, bees and butterflies. The insects too lined up. It was a spectacle and the photographers had a hay day. The meeting made big headlines in the news and social media and support came from all over the world. Musk with elan announced his support for “parks do matter” movement and decided to earmark 0.5 % of his share holding in Tesla. Not to be outdone Jeff Bezoed some of his shares too. When Azim heard the news with prem he too made a substantial donation for the cause. Rahman was quick on his tune and together with Javed and the nightingale (Lata) herself composed a twitter song and released in You-Tube. Overnight it reached a million hits and still kept going.

Mayor, Mushtaq and well-meaning citizens got together and floated a trust called Parks Too Matter and the central government in a rare gesture of good will granted FCRA within a week. The Trust became eligible to receive both Indian and foreign donations. With money in the kitty the Trust began reclamation of barren areas, parks, lakes, periphery of grounds of colleges and schools by planting trees. Resident Welfare Associations chipped in planting trees and plants within their campuses. By summer song of the birds could be heard everywhere. Insects and Bees were buzzing too.

In a comical consequence some mischievous two-wheel drivers had a spark and started a ‘parking too matter’ movement and crossed over the signage ‘no’ in the 'no park' signs put up in the city. Within a few nights all no’s from the 'no- parking' signs disappeared in the city much to the chagrin of the city authorities. They issued statements that this movement was parking up the wrong tree. With parking signs everywhere, city virtually came to a halt because of the jams.

Birds, bees, butterflies and insects wondered what had gone wrong with the humans now?