Pune:

In an age where open space is more valuable than gold, the thought of losing the hills, which are omnipresent as one drives around the city, is a horror which one will have to accept unless something drastic is done immediately.

Anu Tideman, a jazz artist from Pune, informed me one afternoon that she was going to attend a protest to save the hills in the city from destruction and asked me if I would be interested in joining the group. I have spent most of my life in the city and had spent much of my college days trekking in the hills around Pune.

Fist of fury
The very thought of a few buildings coming up in the place of the verdant hills stoked enough fury for me to attend. This was the first time that I was getting involved in my capacity as a writer in a social cause and I was apprehensive. This was put to rest by the atmosphere under the clear blue canopy of the new born summer evening, the heady feeling of creativity and music that reverberated from the nearby hills.

Citizens’ Initiative Against Deforestation (CAID), formed to protect the hills and slopes from de-reservation, has been actively gaining support from the people of Pune who wish to have the hills as a monument of the past. Shekhar Bhonagiri, who heads CIAD, explains that the Pune Municipal Corporation has chosen to absolve itself from protecting the hills and has, instead, followed the logic of having concrete buildings instead of the slums that might otherwise come up.

He says instead of making efforts to conserve the hills and keep them alive, the administration has chosen to take the easy way out. He adds that if tomorrow the administration feels that the Shaniwar Wada, the seat of the Peshwas, is difficult to maintain they might consider razing it to the ground and build a shopping complex in its place.

Taking the fight to the citizens has proven to be a blessing. In the first public outburst since the Development Plan (DP) was made available, hundreds of children, elder citizens and youngsters gathered on 2 February 2003 to register their protest. Eminent artists like Murli Lahoti and Vaishali Oak converted a bare canvas into a work of art tentatively titled as ‘How much is enough?’ Lahoti explained that art is close to nature and this was his way of sending a message to the people that they are concerned about the city that they live in.

In the midst of the mela-like atmosphere was a French professor, Tristan Suvauchelle, who is visiting Pune. He was filming the whole event on his own initiative. He said he could identify with the sentiments since France too has been facing the same problems with depleting forests reserves falling prey to the bogey of development.

Fighting tooth and nail
Another corner had a group of musicians calling themselves Cryptic Blues, who were playing protest songs much in the tradition of the famous bands the world over who have lent their support to causes like anti-war efforts. This spontaneous support from all over is a result of an extensive email chain that was started to inform the people of the cause. The effort paid off when total strangers volunteered to get signatures against the plan and stood in the midst of the crowded Laxmi Road, coaxing old ladies and passing rickshaws to stop and sign the form.

The immediate effect of the protest on 2 February was that the Congress Party climbed down from its earlier position of no compromise to that of issuing a press release stating that a final decision would be taken after consulting veteran environmentalist Mohan Dharia. Earlier the Congress had not only refused to identify that certain hills had been thrown open for development in the new DP, but also refused to agree to consider any plans for taking the citizens into confidence.

The protestors have claimed that all the measures that are being taken by the politicians are merely to show the people that they are concerned. A few have gone on to say that there is anxiety in the minds of the politicians after the success of the campaign on Sunday and hence the attempt to pull wool over the eyes of the people. There are also initiatives that are being taken to file public interest litigations against the administration in the Bombay High Court.

CIAD plans to have another protest on 16 February 2003 when a human chain would be formed on one of the hills at Vetal Tekdi. Shekhar is sure that the fire that he has initiated would spread all over the city and people will step out of their homes to protect the last remaining pieces of heritage that truly belongs to the city.

Whatever the outcome of the protests, and the efforts of the people, it is still early days as far as the hills are concerned. These hills have stood for thousands of years and have become landmarks in the conscience of the residents. As an added measure, efforts should be made to declare the hills as heritage sites so that they are spared the cancer of urban development.

Nair, a Pune-based writer, is a regular contributor to The Times of India and The Indian Express. He was an active theatre person and has written several short plays. His first book, Vignettes, a collection of poetry, was published by Crystal Dreams Publishing, US. Nair’s first novel, Chatroom Blues, has just been published. He can be contacted at