Tree? Don't bamboozle me!

Is it a tree? Is it a shrub? Is it a weed? No, it is a grass silly!  We learnt that Bamboo was one of the fastest growing grasses in the world when we were in the fifth standard.
But the Law in India says that the bamboo is a tree, for heaven's sake. And the Law is an Ass!
The British, wily as they were, promulgated the Indian Forests Act (1927), and classified a scientifically recognised grass as a tree. the reason was probably that you could get a hell of a lot of revenue from the bamboo.

With 1500 documented uses of bamboo as food item, building material, utility material, as medicine and even fabric, Bamboo is one of the most useful plants available to mankind.

Apart from this mindboggling range of products, Bamboo has other properties which make it invaluable to us.

Most importantly bamboo ois the poor man's wood, but all the retrograde laws  and taxes bar the poor man from access to bamboo.

Inthe North East of India, the flowering of the bamboo is an event that leaves its mark on an entire generation. It is said that when the bamboo flowers misfortune comes. Read about it here
In Sikkim, in Shillong, in Assam, and in Jharkhand, I've sampled different delicious dishes with bamboo as the base ingredient. 

The Supreme Court has clearly stated in its ruling that Bamboo is to be treated as a grass, but the IFA has not been amended. Getting the grass off the 'tree' list will actually help in the better growth of bamboo.

So please follow the link, read the online petition and sign the appeal to save our bamboo forests and plantations, so that bamboo becomes freely cultivable and available.
Bamboo is not a tree petition