Intimacy banned at Botanic Garden

HOWRAH: After the rape of a girl at Indian Botanic Garden (IBG) in Shibpur on Sunday, the authorities have decided to put a blanket prohibition on “objectionable intimacy” on the premises, apparently to prevent any untoward incident in garden. Besides, the garden authorities will instal more CCTV cameras on the premises.
Announcing the new ban, Botanic Garden joint director Arabinda Pramanik said, “There is a board near the entrance that lists out activities prohibited within the garden, such as smoking, drinking and damaging trees and plants.But the writings have faded. The board will be repainted with the list of prohibited activities, and we will include our latest decision on objectionable intimacy. Unlike earlier, the prohibited activities will also be printed on tickets.” After Sunday’s rape, the garden security staff caught two couples in alleged compromising positions and handed them over to police.
The garden authorities clarified that they were not against the entry of couples but implied that the should remember “it was a public arena and not their bedroom”. “The Botanic Garden is a research arena and not a park. Many confuse it with a botanical garden. It is a place for conservation of rare trees and plants and research on them. It is not designed to be an entertainment zone. But because it has, for long, been a picnic spot, we don’t want to stop entry of visitors,” Pramanik said.
“But we would rather that the garden and its rich resources be used for education than for enjoyment. Rare species of trees and plants collected from across the world are here. It is also home to rare species of birds, butterflies, animals and even snakes. The garden presents a tremendous opportunity for visitors to gather knowledge on nature. But unfortunately, only 10% visitors come here for education and 90% for recreation. This can’t continue,” he said.
Pramanik added that research, which was their main aim, was hindered as the authorities would be busy with visitors. “Moreover, visitors often tear rare plants and trees, and disturb the bio-diversity of the garden,” he added.