The trouble with politicians entering into a mass movement is the inevitable politicisation of the issue. The Save Aarey campaign, that has been run by dedicated environmentalists and media for many months now to protect nearly 2,300 trees from being felled to make way for the Metro car shed, seems to have been hijacked by political parties, namely, Shiv Sena, Aam Aadmi Party and the BJP. The Congress, which has been reduced to a non-entity in the city, has thankfully not lent its voice to the “It’s My Campaign” brigade.

Admittedly, political awareness and intervention helps a mass movement more than anything else. For one, the right people get heard. For instance, until Shiv Sena’s Aaditya Thackeray paid a visit to Aarey last week, the chief minister, Devendra Fadnavis had no inclination to listen to people’s organisations. Once the younger Thackeray entered the fray, it became a matter of who will take credit for listening to the people. The CM has now appointed a panel to look into alternative spots for the car shed (see Page 1).