My name is Meliotus Indica. I am sure most of you would be having a quizzical look on your face after reading this. And rightly so. Why should anyone bother to know about a lowly creature- a weed. At the outset I declare that I have broken all ties with cannabis, the high-status weed. Fame has got to its head and it avoids mixing-up with its brethren (especially after it got legalized in some countries). Though I am also known as Indian sweet clover, my relations with you guys are on the bitter side. If you notice a teeny-weeny plant with clover shaped leaves invading your lawn- that is me.
Calling someone a weed is akin to ‘gandi gaali’. But we are not taking it lying down. The Association of Marginalized Herbs has passed a resolution declaring humans as the actual weeds of planet earth. They wreak havoc on innumerable creatures wherever they settle. The way they have divided the landmass into their private properties is the biggest scam on earth.
I do get amused by the reaction of the brown sahibs or the brown memsahibs once they discover me amongst the blades of grass. I am given a ‘kacha khaa jaane wali’ look- as if I am a trespasser in a secret nuclear facility. Then they think about the bad impression I am likely to create on the guests who visit their home. The frustration is taken out on the gardener who is given a warning- get rid of this weed soon or we will get rid of you. The gardener curses me too. If the lawn is small, he plucks the clovers but if it is big, he has no alternative but to use weedicide. So, the soil gets poisoned just for ‘show’. Anyway, I have got my strategies of bouncing back. Mere paas dharti maan hai!
The only humans I count as my friends are the botanists. One of them revealed to me that the concept of lawns was brought about by the British colonists who wanted to recreate the lawns of their motherland (grass is a natural vegetation of temperate and humid Britain). However, in the hot climate of our country, lawns and golf courses are a misfit. They are perennially thirsty (of course I also get watered inadvertently in the process!) and a major contributor to the water crisis in some cities and states.
The so-called weeds aren’t as useless as they are made out to be. Clovers fix nitrogen in the soil and the nectar is offered to the bees without extracting a fee for the service. We have animal rights activists as well as the protectors of trees and forests. I wonder why no one stands for us. Is it because we aren’t cute like cubs and puppies? Of course, we can’t lick humans like the dogs do. Also, we don’t have the impressive personality of a tree. In fact, If I was a herb or a shrub having striking flowers, I too would have received special care and also got featured in social media posts.
As a humble weed, I have a humble request. Please have gardens which promote bio-diversity. Miyawaki forests can be planted even in small plots of land. Reserve the manicured look for the hands!