MATHURA: The man in charge of Jawahar Bagh is sad. This is the first 'basant' (spring) when the trees in his park are leafless and lifeless. Last June, a big portion of this Raj-era garden got destroyed in a clash between cult leader
Ram Vriksh Yadav
's Swadheen Bharat
Subhash Sena
and police.
"I first saw these trees as a child in 1982. They stood tall and young. Ekdum jawan thhey. Ab bagh 35 saal peechhey chala gaya (They have set back this park by 35 years at least)," laments Puran Singh as his eyes scan
rows of fire-ravaged trees
, which are being evaluated before they are chopped down and auctioned.
Singh says 7,000 saplings have been planted since that dreadful day when over 3,500 trees and plants, including those of jamun, neem, mango, teak, amla were massacred.
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