Calling all past and present senirams (aka Romeos) of Guwahati! The time has come for you to leave your legacy, not just as the city’s most committed romantics, but as the green guardians of Guwahati.
Yes, it’s time to trade in your legendary wooing skills for a bit of tree-hugging heroism and we’re here for it. There’s a new damsel in distress—the 200-year-old trees that have lined the road around the historical Dighalipukhuri for generations. By the way, Dighalipukhuri once served as a naval yard for the mighty Ahoms—and it’s also where I first learned to swim back in my school days.
So, grab your banners, dust off your dramatic gestures and get ready to save the ancient leafy witnesses to your heart-throbbing love sagas. Now, it’s your turn to step up and save these guardians of green from the axe of "progress."
The plan? The city wants to build a flyover and in the process, uproot these majestic old trees that have been around longer than even your most enduring crush. And who better to take a stand than you, the tireless loiterers who’ve strolled or zoomed past below the leafy canopy innumerable times for a fleeting glimpse of that one student from Handique Girls' College?
Picture it, dear senirams, a city without these trees. Where would you strike that nonchalant pose as your crush walks by? Where would you peer wistfully from under the shade of lush branches, as if lost in a universe of unspoken romance? Unthinkable, right?
And here’s where it gets juicier. Some of the very officials giving the thumbs-up to chop down these ancient giants were once Guwahati’s original senirams themselves. It’s almost tragicomic. The same high-ranking decision-makers who now sign off on tree-felling were, back in the day, much like you.
But don't worry! Years of loitering and longing have prepared you for this exact moment. If you can hold your ground while waiting for a glance from your crush, surely you can stand firm for a cause worth fighting for. Instead of hoping to catch a girl's eye, it’s time to catch the attention of the authorities—and make them think twice about turning this green haven into a concrete flyover.
And yes, let’s get real for a second. The Noonmati-Dighalipukhuri flyover project has reportedly kicked off without sufficient environmental checks or public input. Felling these old trees doesn’t just threaten Guwahati’s heritage and biodiversity, it turns up the urban heat dial just when the city needs its natural coolers the most. We all want progress, but not the kind that comes at the cost of our green spaces, our history and our quality of life.
Whether you're a romantic, a realist, or both, it’s time to stand up for our city’s natural treasures. After all, true love – whether for a person or our planet – is always worth fighting for.
Disclaimer: This is a satirical piece meant for humour and awareness.