W

hen I was going through the article '€œJokowi to plant 10,000 mango trees'€ published in The Jakarta Post, three thoughts engulfed my mind, the sweetness of the heavenly fruit, cool and clean air filled with the mild fragrance of mango tree flowers and an astonishing fact that Mughal emperor Akbar is said to have planted a mango orchard having 100,000 trees in it.

It is true that trees unite and bring people of different cultures together. If the plan would have been to plant any other tree it would have made me happy too, but the plan to plant mango trees in the capital city not only made me happy but filled my heart with number of emotions because our lives have been filled with the sweetness of mangoes since childhood.

Eating a mango without cutting is a tough task but all of us have tried and enjoyed eating mangoes like that without bothering about the '€œoops moments'€ in doing so. We thank the Jakarta governor for his efforts to make the city a happy and healthy place for residents and visitors alike.

Mango is the national fruit of India, the Philippines, Pakistan and the national tree of Bangladesh. Whenever citizens from these nations visit Indonesia and come across a mango tree, a smile will naturally appear and will make them feel at home.

In India, the mango is called the '€œking of fruits'€ because of its sweetness and richness in health nutrients. Almost half of world'€™s mangoes are cultivated in India alone. Mango leaves are used to decorate doors of houses on festivals.

Trees are a source of life because they absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen. Trees clean the polluted air by trapping the poisonous gases in their leaves and bark. We are living in the age of cars, factories and pollution, so to downside is the ill effects of chemicals released from these sources, planting trees is not an option but compulsion because trees are natural environmental cleaners.

It is said that trees are teachers, I too believe in this because they selflessly give everything to others without demanding anything in return. Trees provide a canopy to weak and smaller plants which gives a strong message to humanity, that we should always be humble and take care of people around and below us.

Trees should be planted in abundance because they reduce UV-B exposure by about 50 percent which is responsible for causing skin cancer. The governor is correct in saying that trees will reduce air pollution, absorb rain water, beautify the city and they are a habitat to many birds and animals.

The choice of planting mango trees is good and economical because mango trees live up to 300 years or more. The strong tree provides shade, fruits, wood, oxygen and medicines for numerous ailments.

The physicians have a collective view that a normal size mango is more nutritious than butter or almonds. It strengthens our brain nerves, muscles and tissues. It cures anaemia because it has copper in it which is required to produce red blood cells. The carotene content in the fruit helps to protect the body from lung cancer. It protects our vision and keeps our heart healthy.

In the end I would like to say that with so many health benefits, the mango is indeed '€œthe king of fruits'€™'€™ and regarding the governor I would like to quote an English proverb, '€œhe that plants trees loves others besides himself'€™.'€™

Indu Nandal
Purwakarta, West Jawa