lit 5100 lamps
– Photo: Amar Ujala
Expansion
A unique style of celebrating the festival has emerged in Bettiah, Bihar. The case pertains to Barwal Pipra, a small village in Bagaha police district. Where the tradition of celebrating festivals including Diwali, Holi and Rakshabandhan with trees with great pomp has been going on for years. In this sequence, hundreds of people together lit 5100 lamps under the trees and took a pledge to save the trees.
The special thing is that Dr. Neshamani, CF of Bihar’s only Valmiki Tiger Reserve, also joined the villagers and appreciated the initiative of environment lover Gajendra Yadav. In fact, trees and plants are very important for environmental protection amid climate change. Because if there is a tree then it is our breath. Therefore, heart patient Gajendra has created a masterpiece in the field of tree conservation by planting trees.
Let us tell you further that the festival of Diwali is being celebrated in a traditional manner across the country on the basis of religious and mythological beliefs. But in this small village of Bihar, Barwal Pipra, Diwali is being celebrated every year by lighting trees and plants for tree conservation, the aim of which is to maintain human life with greenery. Because till now this young man has planted more than one million trees and he has been protecting these trees and plants for the last 15 years, considering them as his own family, even his wife and children.
Everyone from Panchayat head Abdul Rashid alias Chhote to VTR director Dr. Neshamani and Bihar chief Nitish Kumar have also been rewarded for their work. In the spirit of Diwali, a nursery has been made here at IPS Vikas Vaibhav intersection. Where the Diwali of trees has been made memorable by the police administration including school children as well as army personnel and officers.
Gajendra says that after listening to an environment-related program on the radio in 2003, he got inspiration for tree planting. Since that time, he has been planting trees at various places. In the year 2003 he opened his own nursery. During Diwali, the nursery was decorated with lamps and electric lights. From here he got the idea of lighting lamps under the trees on the roadside.
Earlier, people used to make fun of Gajendra after seeing his love for the environment. Gajendra started planting trees in 2003. But, gradually the people of the village and surrounding areas also got inspired, where plantation is being done on a large scale. Gajendra has been giving the plants prepared from his nursery for free to the Forest Department and MNREGA. Gajendra forms a team with people and plants saplings in SSB camps, temples, graveyards and vacant lands of government departments.
Gajendra has not married yet. They say that plants are our children. Social entanglements will increase after marriage. Because of this my mind will deviate from this work. That’s why I didn’t get married. Gajendra has studied only till fifth class. He says that he could not study due to his father’s disability. Bihar CM Nitish Kumar had honored Gajendra in Hariyali Samagam in 2013 by giving him a citation and a check of Rs 11,000. In 2017, former Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi had also honored Gajendra.
