Kalam Ko Salaam: Tree Plantation Drive in Schools and Parks

October 8, 2015

A Unique Month-Long Green Drive Dedicated to HE the President of India, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalamji

Pujya Swamiji inspired a very special tribute (shraddhanjali) to the Late President of India, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalamji with a month long plantation drive honouring the Former President for his dynamic, green, extraordinary leadership and divine example. The plantation drive included thousands of trees being planted in over 200 schools, more than 200 parks, launched the plans to plant 1 million trees in Kurkushetra and completed the first month-long plantation with inspiring a series of plantations supported by the Delhi Public School and a huge Green Drive with 1 lakh trees planted in Delhi, the nation’s capital.

Rameswaram to Rishikesh

The plantation drive began with Pujya Swamiji’s return to Rishikesh from overseas, deeply saddened by the news of the physical passing of HE Dr. Kalaamji with whom Pujya Swamiji remembered very fondly. It was also the day of Guru Purnima, when the last rites was being performed in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, that in Rishikesh, Pujya Swamiji inspired a month long plantation drive, which under His vision takes place every year during the monsoon seasonThis year it will be dedicated to the former President of India, with the first trees planted in the land where the former President got a new life, a new message and a new inspiration to live.

Missile Man with a Mission of Change

Several plantations were held in the course of this month to honour the Missile Man of India, the brilliant scientist that Dr. APJ Abdul Kalamji was and under whose leadership the defense and military of the nation was greatly strengthened. Nearly one lakh trees will be planted in the course of the next few months in Kurkushetra in honour of Dr. Kalaam and the one million who tragically lost their lives in the 1947 partition.

The Hon’ble Defense Minister of India, Shri Manohar Parrikar was gifted a beautiful rudraksha plant by Pujya Swamiji in Ladakh, neighboring Kargil in Jammu Kashmir, during the week-long Buddhist Heritage of Festival, also with a special honour and mention of Dr. Kalaam and his legacy whose very spirit was dedicated to the selfless service of the nation.

Plantations were also carried out in Raiwala Army Cant, involving army personnel and their families as a symbol of the beautiful shraddhanjali.

For the Love of Children and Youth

Nearly 200 schools in Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, were engaged and motivated by Pujya Swamiji to carry out tree plantations, many Parmarth Niketanvolunteers went to assist during the plantationsas well. Special plantations to honour the girl child were also inspired by Pujya Swamiji.

People’s President for All

Pujya Swamiji engaged hundreds of communities in the green drive, including extending His support to a beautiful organization in Sharanpur by the name of Crazy Green. Pujya Swamiji congratulated them and said that certainly if there is anything we should be crazy about, it should be for greening and cleaning our communities, and by so doing serving our nation like HE Dr. APJ Kalaam.

Pujya Swamiji also visited Lucknow and carried out tree plantations on the banks of the River Gomti bringing together Hindu and Muslim leaders in the spirit of interfaith harmony, which was one of the most significant messages of India’s former President.

Pujya Swamiji also engaged the National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) Lucknow in the green drive and planted a sacred Rudraksha tree right next to the tree that Dr. APJ Abdul Kalamji had planted years ago in the same location.

Live Simply so that Others May Simply Be Inspired to Breathe: Plantation in Delhi

A huge one lakh tree plantation bringing together interfaith leaders, faith based organizations, service organizations and thousands of people and students in the capital of Delhi, organized by the Times of India and Hero Honda Motors, marked the one month Green Drive.

The green drive is a symbol of the legacy of the Former President of India and the single greatest symbolic action we can take to honour his message and his life is by planting and caring for a tree. A tree, that like him, grows from the very soil of this earth, expands its roots deep into Mother Earth’s womb and with the nourishment and nutrients needed for its survival comes forth as a tree, a tree that gives with no hesitation, no expectation, no vacation and no discrimination. From that tree may we pledge to protect and preserve all of Mother Nature and our entire planet, for they bring us divine inspiration and sustain life, which we honour not just one day but everyday.

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