The Heritage of Trees
Today trees are valued almost exclusively for their role in mitigating
global warming, generating an urgency to plant trees and save forests. Pakistan is proud to be 4th in a
list of hundred countries that have planted the most trees in a year.
But trees are so much more than a tool for human survival. The poet W H Auden wrote “The trees
encountered on a country stroll, Reveal a lot about that country’s soul”
The Japanese closeness to nature is
expressed in the art of tree shaping. Whether full grown trees or miniature
Bonsai, it is a homage to the essence of the spirit or Kodama of each tree has
a specific personality. It can conversely reflect the restraint that has also
come to define Japanese society. Whichever view one takes, the tree is seen as
an art form. A walk through woodlands must be done slowly, without hurry, with
time to observe and absorb its beauty. The 170 trees that regrew after the Hiroshima
bomb, called hibaku jumoku (survivor trees), represent resilience – the return
of life to a devastated city.
The English manage rather than shape their trees in accordance
with their natural growth. They are
valued as emblems of the nation’s history. Druid oaks, Sir Isaac Newton’s apple
tree, a 1000 year old oak with a
hollowed trunk once even used as a tea room, the remains of Betty Kenny, an old
yew tree, said to have inspired the nursery rhyme "Rock a Bye Baby".
The French control their trees into box shapes or pollarding,
arranging them in rows, as a testament to a civilization superior to, what
Comte de Buffon called, the savage nations. Trees were cut, pruned and tended “to
testify everywhere that man has taken full control of that kingdom which God
has allocated him for food and shelter” said the 19th C scientist, Antonio
Stoppani.
The Pakistani nation inherited a number of magnificent trees such
as the 5000 year old Juniper forest of
Ziarat Baluchistan, the largest banyan tree on
the banks of the Chenab river, with over one thousand roots, covering an
area of about three acres, a couple of acres short of the largest Banyan tree
in the world in India. President Ayub Khan sprayed tree seeds all over Islamabad’s
Margalla Hills. Yet trees are used mostly for fuel. Parveen Shakir laments: kal
raat jo eendhan ke liye kat ke gira hai, chiryon ko bohat pyar tha is boorhay shajar
se. (the birds loved the old tree that
was cut down last night for fuel)
Many magnificent old trees of Lahore were ruthlessly chopped down
for the Orange Bus line. Riverine
forests of Sindh were destroyed to root out criminal gangs. And what can one
say of the ghastly treatment meted out to trees in Karachi. Does survival take
precedence over aesthetics? Perhaps Pakistan still views itself as a new
country, with little connection to history before 1947, and finds it difficult
to envision a legacy for future generations.
Trees can have a lifespan several times greater than humans. ‘Witness
trees’ is the name given to trees that have ‘seen’ history played out – from
wars and political gatherings, to memories of childhood. The tree is seen as a
symbol of wisdom, and has inspired artists and poets. Allama Iqbal likens nationalism to a tree - Millat
Ke Sath Rabta Ustawar Rakh, Pewasta Reh Shajar Se, Umeed-e-Bahar Rakh! (Keep
strong communication with the nation, Remain attached to the tree and have
spring’s expectation!) Ancestry is described as a family tree or shajrah nasab.
The Tree of Life and the Tree of
Knowledge are symbols connecting humans to the Divine. Buddha achieved nirvana
under a tree, Jesus addressed people from the Mount of Olives, the treaty of Sulay
Hudaibiya was agreed upon in the shade of a tree. The
Sahabi Tree in Jordan, is said to be where the monk Bahira foretold the
prophethood of the 12 year old Muhammad(PBUH)
Heaven is defined as a garden, inspiring Islamic gardens with
groves of fruit trees and flowing water.
The furthest extent of the seventh heaven is marked by a tree - Sidrat
al-Muntaha. Even Hell has its tree of intense suffering - Al Zaqqum.
Islamic art, architecture and calligraphy reflect the growth patterns of
plant forms. The early Islamic era
created a green revolution, planting fruit bearing and shade providing trees in
urban areas.
Tree planting ceremonies are held all over the world. Tipu Sultan
planted a ‘Liberty tree’ to mark
allegiance to Bonaparte In 1794, in a pact to collectively defeat the British. The
Christmas tree was introduced by the Germans in the 16th century, evergreens
being an ancient symbol of hope in winter.
Stalin established ‘Garden-Factories’ to create a dignified working
space for labourers, with avenues of trees that not only kept the air clean,
but provided a place for workers to rest, and fruit for their children. He had
trees planted in the form of inspiring words, that can be seen today via
satellite images.
The development of pruning tools indicates the importance given to
trees. While the transplanting of mature trees was documented in Ancient Egypt
and Greece, modern tree climbing gear was adapted from mountain climbers, and
the chainsaw, invented in 1830 by a German orthopaedic surgeon, was adapted for
tree pruning in the 1920s. Most Pakistani gardeners have, unfortunately, not
progressed beyond the axe.
Durriya Kazi
January 1, 2023
Karachi
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