Kill bill update
- Team Heritage Beku
- Feb 27, 2023
- 2 min read
Updated: May 1
On behalf of the #HeritageBeku Team and the citizens groups , we thank the Govt of Karnataka for the decision to withdraw the amendment to the Karnataka Trees Preservation Act.
The collective, collaborative energy of the people saw us gather over 65000 signatures in under a week. This was made possible with the jhatkaa.org team who partnered with us at #HeritageBeku
The #greysforgreen campaign that was inspired by the chipko andolan created a heartfelt digital response with many people standing up for Bangalore & sending in black and white images, of which our indefatigable freedom fighter Shri Doreswamy’s was the most poignant .
The powerful silent protest of citizens that went into the assembly proved that citizens are willing to be active participants in a democracy .
We worked seamlessly with ( & sincerely thank) the tweetathon from the Citizens for Bengaluru, revered presence of freedom fighter Shri Doreswamy & Project Vruksha. We would also like to acknowledge Namma Bengaluru Foundation, Citizens Action Forum and The Environment Support Group as well as media who have been relentless in their environment protection.
As we move ahead, we do hope that the elected representatives of government engage with us towards an inclusive development of Bengaluru and the State of Karnataka which does not infringe on our rights to clean air , clean water and a balanced quality of life.
These multiple campaigns that were executed in a matter of a week to a resounding response, shows us the power of what an active, vigilant citizenry can do to not only protect our cities and natural habitat, but all democracy.
On behalf of the trees and the conscious citizens of Bangalore... a heartfelt thank you.
Priya Chetty-Rajagopal
On behalf of Team #HeritageBeku
‘ Kill Bill’ initiative by Heritage Beku refers to a successful citizen campaign in Bengaluru, India, that prevented the passage of a controversial amendment to a tree-cutting law. The campaign, which used a play on the popular movie title "Kill Bill," successfully raised awareness and mobilized public support to stop the amendment, potentially saving thousands of trees.
The Issue:
The amendment would have allowed the government and its agencies to cut down certain tree species without proper permits or public consultation.
The Campaign:
The "Kill Bill" campaign, led by Heritage Beku and other citizen groups, used various methods to raise awareness, including an online #KillBil petition (which garnered over 56,000 signatures), a "Grey for Green" campaign (where people took black and white photos hugging trees), and protests at the Vidhana Soudha (the Karnataka state legislature).
The Outcome:
The campaign's efforts, coupled with public pressure, led to the withdrawal of the amendment.
Links :
Karnataka Tree Protection Act- Amendment – online petition https://www.change.org/p/chief-minister-karnataka-killbill-gok-ktpa-amendment-to-destroy-trees with over 50K signatures , and tremendous push from HB Team & others resulted in the amendment being dropped- the impact is seen in 85% of the potentially lost trees still being safe in Bangalore
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