Monday, October 10, 2011

Roots of Plants and Roots of Corruption

Roots of Plants and Roots of Corruption
Over the weekend I was uprooting some of the plants grown on pots over 3 years.
They are wilting due to lack of space and dry weather. 
In spite of watering, they looked unhealthy and the roots were not enough to overcome the excess of evaporation and dehydration.
When a plant is in a pot they are like prisoners.
Roots unable to grow deep looking for water they have to survive on surface water.
If I forget to water for three days they will be near perishing state.
In addition I have cut the main root that come out of the pot.
I am not a fan of bonsai but cutting the main root (so that I can pull the plant out of the pot) is a way to stop them growing (it is my bonsai method) excessively but it makes them to grow side roots that go round the pot and fill it in no time.
One of the pots a weed had got in and had deprived the pineapple plant all of its resources not only water.
In fact Pineapple plant was rotting on its stem and broke into two when I pulled.
Pulling out the weed was difficult it had its main root coming out  through a hole in the bottom of the pot.
I take these roots as fillers of new pots once they have dried out and  they keep the soil and filling spongy for the new plants.
Studying root behaviour has become a new hobby.
Even though we do not see roots unless one uproots  as edible food or as yam they do a yeoman service to the plant.
Till the rain comes they go on search for water.

But what about the root of corruption.
They also hide like roots.
They are so deeply hidden we do not know that the guy/girl is corrupt or not for sure.
But there is one sign that we an see in them.
Unlike plant that wilt away deprived of water, the roots of corrupt are plump and luxurious.
They do not wilt.
They thrive while others are struggling to make ends meet.
Using the roots to describe corrupt is a gross injustice to roots of nature  that try hard to survive in adversity.
Roots of corruption thrive in spite of adversity.
That is the way we can identify the corrupt.
Now that we have elected all the politicians and look at them carefully over the next 2 to 3 years who become plump in spite of their small emoluments.
How they thrive is a mystery to me when we are just struggling to survive.
We never see their roots of corruption.
They are so deeply rooted and hidden from the public eye.