New Delhi, 21 February 2024: A kind plantation drive brought together the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Dr. Mohan Yadav; Former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shri Shivraj Singh Chauhan; and Guide of Heartfulness & President of Shri Ram Chandra Mission Rev. Daaji together at an environmental summit called ‘Paudharopan Abhiyan’ at Ravindra Bhavan in Bhopal on Tuesday. The plantation drive stems from former chief minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chauhan’s vow three years ago that he would plant one sapling every single day. Through a collaboration of Forests by Heartfulness under the aegis and keen guidance of Rev. Daaji and the Govt. of Madhya Pradesh, millions of saplings have been planted in various districts across the state to afforestation and replenish the green cover. Other dignitaries at the plantation drive included the Hon’ble Deputy Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shri Rajendra Shukla; Hon’ble Minister of Labour (Govt. of Madhya Pradesh) – Shri Prahlad Patel; Member of Lok Sabha – Shri V. D. Sharma; Smt. Malti Rai – Mayor; Dr Anil Prakash Joshi – Environmentalist, Green Activist, and the Founder of Himalayan Environmental Studies and Conservation Organization (HESCO); and renowned lyricist Shri Sameer Anjan.
Hon’ble Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Dr. Mohan Yadav ji spoke on the importance of trees and their spiritual significance. “By employing minimalistic resources, we should cultivate a lifestyle that is conducive to the environment. There are kinds of powers in the world that stem from the ‘sanskaras’ of force and power. Wars have also stemmed from ‘sanskars’. India on the other hand has the propensity to serve the world – the one good example is that of producing Covid vaccines and supplying them to the world in time. India believes in humanity and peace. When it comes to greening and energy conservation the Govt. of Madhya Pradesh will do all that we can. We should dedicate green spaces and encourage solar panel usage and prevent single-use plastic.”
Former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shri Shivraj Singh Chauhan ji said, “By 2050 average temperatures would rise by 2 degrees Celsius causing the glaciers to melt going by the rate at which plants are being felled. Climate change is a major challenge we all are facing now. Hon’ble PM Modi has advised that we must follow a lifestyle that can save the environment. Planting a tree and safeguarding a tree are the two ways one can save the planet. Three years ago on the occasion of Narmada Jayanti, I had taken the vow to plant a sapling every single day. It is possible to plant saplings in such large numbers only with the cooperation of Govt. and society. Treebanks and green spaces must be created by the Govt. in Gram Panchayats as well. Secondly, green energy must be the focus. Each household must install solar panels and save energy. Single-use plastic usage should be prevented.”
Hon’ble Deputy Chief Minister Shri Rajendra Shukla ji said, “As a state with a population of over 8.5 crores, if each individual in Madhya Pradesh plants a tree, it can transform the state. We must adopt renewable energy. Along with development, if we don’t care for the environment the development will only see a downturn. I appeal to each of you to plant a tree to bring the change.”
Rev. Daaji – Guide of Heartfulness and President of Shri Ram Chandra Mission said, “We began with transforming a 2000 acre hill at Shivgarh first with creating ponds. My first footsteps in making forests have been from Madhya Pradesh. The Govt. and people of Madhya Pradesh have supported us in this. Out of 52,000 villages of Madhya Pradesh, we covered 42,000 villages where we also taught meditation as a multilayer approach in society. Meditation raises our consciousness and intuition.” He shared his thoughts on using certain plants and products at certain times of the day owing to their levo and dextro rotatory properties which is aligned with our rishis’ beliefs in harvesting and using them. In MP we propose to create various pockets that can treat various conditions like anxiety, depression, and other conditions. It is not only the feeling of plants but also the lack of civic sense that leads to pollution. Awareness is very necessary. We can learn a lot from plants – one of their qualities is generosity and humility. We must learn from plants what we can give and contribute to mankind. We should begin teaching children to plant a sapling right from school every year and also make it a mandatory project to secure admission to higher education. Sandalwood trees can boost economic growth. Heartfulness is ever ready to serve not only Madhya Pradesh but everywhere in the world.” Rev. Daaji also gave a glimpse into ‘Spiritual Anatomy’ his new international bestselling book.
Forests by Heartfulness and its volunteers have been actively participating in various plantation drives organised by the Govt. of Madhya Pradesh in association with Heartfulness for the past couple of years. As a result, lacs of plants have been planted with the purpose of landscaping and serve as oxygen banks in Ratlam, Bhopal, a biodiversity zone of 90 acres on a hill slope in Omkareshwar, a rocky hill of 25 acres successfully afforested with more than 90% survival rate among others. Work is also in progress in Shivgarh with 2,000 acres of degraded forest land to be afforested by 2025. The City Forest project aims at planting over 50000 plants on the 42-hectare land. Yet another plantation drive by the aforesaid organisations will achieve an 8-lac saplings plantation in Shivgarh close to the City Forest. An official inauguration of the project by the dignitaries from the Government of Madhya Pradesh – Forest Division and Heartfulness took place in the first week of April 2023. The forest has a variety of plants ranging from miniature forests, dense forests, Miyawaki forests, cactus gardens, butterfly gardens, medicinal forests, a cycle path, acupressure paths, a meditation center, and a community center in the proposal.