Wendell Rodricks leads battle to save Goa's coconut trees

Goabased fashion designer Wendell Rodricks has offered to lead an agitation against the declassification of the coconut tree as a palm by the Goa government The Goa assembly during its weeklong winter session approved a law that removed the coconut tree from the list of protected trees which need the forest departmentrsquos permission before being cut and reclassified it as a palmPART OF TREEDITION Picture postcard Goa with the coconut tree as its most enduring symbolThis has led to an uproar in Goa because during the same winter session some more bills which are also seen as being antienvironment were introduced The Minister for Forests and Environment Rajendra Arlekar again during a debate in the Goa assembly last week even went to the extent of saying too much of a green cover is a bad thing while the Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar said monkeys need to be classified as vermin because they destroy crops and fruitsDONT CUT TREES ONLY CLOTH Fashion designer Wendell RodricksThe comments were made during the debate on the Goa Trees Amendment Act in the Goa assembly on Wednesday and Thursday last week Yet it is putting the coconut tree at the mercy of rapacious treecutters The coconut tree is an integral part of the Goan landscape and coconut is part of the staple diet of Goans In fact a fish curry sans coconut is sacrilegeDiscontent brewsThere is simmering discontent about the reclassification It is not only green activists and the opposition that is raising their voice against it but fashion designer and Goa resident Wendell Rodricks too He says In almost every image of Goa there are coconut trees It is symbolic of the state as we depend on every part of the tree for food shelter wooden roofs coir The Goa government has now classified the coconut tree as a palm that can be cut without the Forest Departmentrsquos permission I think any tree that bears fruit is a treeHe adds The real reason for this savage act is to make way for a brewery company that wants to make a plant on a plot that has over 450 coconut trees says WendellArchitect Reboni Saha of the Goa Bachao Abhiyan GBA adds The bill was passed to reclassify the coconut tree under our local tree act because of a clearance to a distiller who wanted to set up industry on orchard land The orchard area has hundreds of coconut trees which need permissions to cut and as part of the tree act a promise to plant new ones to make up for their cutting So with reclassification they do not classify as protected or forest species and hence the person cutting it does not need to replant as is the criteria for felling permissions The GBA is exploring legal options to challenge this lawThe CM and Forests Minister have denied that the Trees Act was changed to benefit anybodyPolitical potboilerYet giving an indication of how this is turning out to be a political potboiler barring members of the ruling BJP politicians activists and environmentalists including Claude Alvares of the Goa Foundation have slammed the reclassification Alvares termed it stupidSome politicians have decided to use the coconut as the symbol of a new political party which is being launched later this month to contest the next assembly elections Supporting those who are hoping to get this decision reversed Wendell says I hope this act is contested and reversedWendell added I will be at the front of the movement to save the coconut tree There is too much thought in Goa at present on matters that are unimportant There has been talk about monkeys being vermin A few days ago the minister of environment and forests said that it is bad for Goa if the green cover is increased That is daft I want to tell the Goa government that God made the green cover the coconut trees and monkeys Not themLike so many others Wendell fears that if this is not challenged then Goa will turn into a concrete jungle If permission is not needed to cut coconut trees naturally there will be more concrete he says