To honour those martyred to save trees,DSF plans Amrita Devi Shahid Van

With a view to instill a spirit into the young minds towards saving trees and to honour the 363 people led by Amrita Devi of Rajasthan...

With a view to instill a spirit into the young minds towards saving trees and to honour the 363 people led by Amrita Devi of Rajasthan,who had achieved martyrdom for saving trees,state Directorate of Social Forestry (DSF) has decided to celebrate the day by planting trees in the 363 patches of land and name them as Amrita Devi Shahid Van.

These 363 ‘forests’ will be created across the state. In Pune,it will come up on the premises of the State Reserve Police Force in Wanavdi,where 363 Shami saplings will be planted. The function will take place at 10 am on Sunday.

Speaking about the concept behind this move,director,Social Forestry,Prakash Thosre said,”In the Khejarli village in Rajasthan,363 people including their leader Amrita Devi stood against the royal decree to chop down trees long back in 1730. These people belonged to the Bishnoi community,who consider it against their religious tenets to cut trees. They opposed the royal force,who had come to fell the trees,but got killed for saving them.”

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He said that it is the same spirit and sentiments towards trees that needs to be instilled in the future generation so that more Amrita Devis are created in the society.

Every year,Khejarli village commemorates the day by organising a fair.

The Social Forestry Department is going to organise similar programmes in other districts,where 363 Shami saplings will be planted. On Saturday,stalls for selling Shami saplings had been put up at various places.

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