The chief of the electricity board also wrote in favor of getting rid of the tree. He justified his position by noting that the tamarind tree’s branches often brushed against the power lines, interrupting the power supply and plunging the entire town into darkness without any warning. He also added that it was always hazardous to have a living tree at a spot where so many power lines crisscrossed, and that he had long ago given the municipality his professional opinion on the matter. His views and his photo took up half a page.

The implicit conclusion of the report submitted by the committee that the municipal chairman M. C. Joseph had asked Umaiyorubagam Pillai to head, to inquire into the theft of the tamarind harvest, was that they could not find out for sure who did it. But the committee’s report said that there was sufficient evidence to surmise that Khader’s store sign had been broken when the unidentified vandals threw stones at the tamarind tree that was owned by the municipality, the same municipality that also collected taxes on store signs. Therefore, the report suggested, the best course of action to ensure such unfortunate incidents did not occur in the future would be to cut down the tree.

The report came up for debate in the municipal council. Kambaramayanam Ananthan Pillai was the only person who spoke in vehement opposition. “This town is a holy place, and the tamarind tree is sacred to it,” he said. “The tree might be mute, it might also be maimed, but it is still a living thing.” He also warned that people who needed no other reason to cut down the tamarind tree besides the fact that it was only a tree might one day also suggest we get rid of the disabled and the maimed. He called them crude materialists. When he cited the work of botanist J. C. Bose to argue that trees were indeed sentient beings, and when he launched into a sweeping rendition of old Tamil poetry to show how the Tamil people had long worshipped the tree as divine, the council marveled at his scientific knowledge and his command of Tamil literature. He ended his speech by saying, “If you are really keen on wiping the mark of auspiciousness off a married woman’s forehead, go ahead. May God forgive you.”

After debating the matter for two days, the council passed a resolution in support of cutting down the tamarind tree.

Khader was thrilled to read the Travancore Nesan that day. He read the full account of the municipal council’s debate twice, as well as the council’s final resolution in support of cutting down the tree. He was pleased that, in this matter at least, he was able to defeat Dhamu.