NEW DELHI: Officials in India want to make one thing clear: The tree that President Barack Obama planted here three weeks ago is not dead. It just looks dead.
The peepal tree was awash in leaves when Obama planted it at the New Delhi memorial to Indian independence leader Mohandas K. Gandhi.
By Thursday, though, it was just a single lonely stem. The lack of leaves has been giving Indian officials sleepless nights, with the local media blasting them for allowing the tree to die.
But the reality: Peepal trees often lose their leaves this time of year. B.C Katiyar, a government horticulturist, says it's a seasonal phenomenon, after he and other officials visited the tree and pronounced it in good health.
He says it would send out shoots soon.
Read more
On DawnNews
Comments (46) Closed
Ali
Feb 20, 2015 01:36pm
Why is this such a big deal?
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Naxalite
Feb 20, 2015 01:42pm
Tree Died, but now its back in its 2nd Life.
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Ahmed USA
Feb 20, 2015 01:43pm
Modi needs to water it daily...
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Round the Clock Vigil
Feb 20, 2015 02:01pm
It's bad omen for Modi administration!
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Mohammed
Feb 20, 2015 02:52pm
As will the Modi-Obama love affair! LOL!
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Indian
Feb 20, 2015 03:11pm
Same efforts should be made to keep alive each and every tree worldwide.
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Abhishek Rai
Feb 20, 2015 03:12pm
And am still looking for the news in it.
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Vasudhaiba kutumbakam
Feb 20, 2015 04:13pm
What about tens of thousands tree cut everyday in the name of development ?
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Harmony
Feb 20, 2015 04:31pm
@Abhishek Rai - "still looking for the news in it". Why? Have you ever read something like BBC website for example? All kind of funny tit-bits appear there. So, take a chill pill.
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Harmony
Feb 20, 2015 04:34pm
@Ahmed USA - "...water it daily"? That's what killed it - by drowning.
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citizen
Feb 20, 2015 04:46pm
Wow!!!! Grt news!!!!! Woooowwwwww....
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Alam
Feb 20, 2015 04:52pm
"Chai Patti" good for growth of peepal
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Agha Jan
Feb 20, 2015 05:22pm
Modi should seriously think about using some 'organic' fertilizer.
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Agha Jan
Feb 20, 2015 05:24pm
@Abhishek Rai Keep looking until the poor tree grows new leaves.
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OOuch..
Feb 20, 2015 05:38pm
Don't worry even if get dead,we once gain call Obama to plat it again.
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INDIAN
Feb 20, 2015 06:03pm
i feel truly sorry for you.....
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Nilor Khan
Feb 20, 2015 06:23pm
India can always replace the tree at night which is alive.
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rkn
Feb 20, 2015 06:57pm
Big deal!!
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hrk
Feb 20, 2015 07:10pm
oh oh, no more weapons for you careless lot!
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Adnan Anwar
Feb 20, 2015 07:23pm
sure, I believe it is not dead.
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sagar
Feb 20, 2015 07:23pm
I wonder how this can be news in Pak media?
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glassyman
Feb 20, 2015 07:30pm
Is this worth any iota of attention when people are being blown up and culled by ISIS and Taliban
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lafanga
Feb 20, 2015 07:54pm
"It just looks dead"
Hahaha. Honestly, it's not dead, it just looks that way.
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HAIDER
Feb 20, 2015 07:54pm
Tree dead bring bad karma and misfortune ....
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Nabeel Ahmed (Sialkot)
Feb 20, 2015 08:01pm
Is this even a news??
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Yaqub
Feb 20, 2015 08:14pm
This makes NEWS in Pakistan
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Ismail
Feb 20, 2015 08:53pm
This is a classical example of insecurity feeling about the relationship.
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Pita
Feb 20, 2015 09:07pm
Big deal. Plant another one of the same kind. This is called transplant and in Indian term 'big drama.'
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Ekram
Feb 20, 2015 09:52pm
The tree is dead, so is American-Indian friendship!
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darling
Feb 20, 2015 10:23pm
That shows modi government incompetence it can't even water the plant correctly!
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Zak
Feb 20, 2015 11:11pm
@Abhishek Rai this was news on all indian newspapers, Dawn just picked it up, as it was also covered by BBC.
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Helloworld
Feb 20, 2015 11:22pm
Indian media had nothing better to report.
@AhmedUSA, at least new delhi has excessive water to water even plants!
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Cyrus Ho
Feb 21, 2015 02:27am
Apparently the president is a secret admirer of Green Peace.
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Yasir ALi
Feb 21, 2015 03:02am
Mr Obama can only Plant the tree. Growing is not in his hands.
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Pramod
Feb 21, 2015 04:35am
is it a news come on dawn. get a life.
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asim
Feb 21, 2015 05:27am
relations with USA are also seasonal, so the tree testifies the truth.
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ZAK
Feb 21, 2015 05:40am
@sagar
every thing is news for India centric life
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Nemo the no one
Feb 21, 2015 08:57am
The tree is symbolic and since it had a life, it has to be dead one day today or tomorrow. But the tree of trust will be alive for ever.
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shamain
Feb 21, 2015 02:35pm
I will write a book, a plant that wanted blood
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Mohit
Feb 22, 2015 03:52am
Wow, this is news in Pakistan...
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Murga Mian
Feb 23, 2015 08:18am
A tree dies in India, and Pakistan gets a whiff of it. Did the tree die?
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Murga Mian
Feb 23, 2015 08:20am
@sagar : Slow news day in Karachi!
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Murga Mian
Feb 23, 2015 08:22am
@Harmony : Ouch! It used to be British "tit-bits". Now it is "tid bits" --politically correct!
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Murga Mian
Feb 23, 2015 08:23am
@Nilor Khan : Is the surreptitious new tree, alive or is the night alive?
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Murga Mian
Feb 23, 2015 08:29am
@Ekram: The tree is dead! Long live the tree!
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vijay, Salem
Feb 23, 2015 11:27am
@HAIDER karma is an Indian word . know it's meaning?
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