Nainital, Nov 2 (PTI) With much of the attention on the new Delhi-Dehradun expressway centred on its roads and improved connectivity, environmentalist Peepal Baba has quietly been creating a green corridor along the stretch, claiming to have already planted "40,000 Sheesham trees" and another "four lakh" planned for the next year.
Armed with seeds, saplings and a shovel, Swami Prem Parivartan, popularly known as 'Peepal Baba', said he prefers a quieter form of activism, often working under the cover of darkness to transform barren stretches of land into green spaces.
Unlike those who protest against the felling of trees, he believes environmental destruction can be countered through the simple act of planting trees. His mission has seen him and his team of over four lakh volunteers plant and preserve more than 26 million trees across 226 districts in 21 states.
"Everybody is talking about the new roads that are coming to Dehradun. You don't know, I have already planted 40,000 trees. Very soon you will be able to sit in the canopy, you will be sitting in the shade," he said at the just concluded 11th edition of "Himalayan Echoes festival" on Saturday.
Recalling his efforts to seek permission from authorities for plantation along the highway, the 61-year-old said officials told him they could not formally approve the initiative but were familiar with his way of working.
"I did go to them. They said, officially we cannot give you permission, but we know your style of working, so there is no use talking to you. Have a cup of tea and go. And if you have any problem, this is my phone number," he said, recalling his conversation with an officer.
He said that nearly four lakh more trees are planned along the Dehradun highway during the February plantation season.
Peepal Baba said he preferred going for plantation drives over participating in protests, describing how he and his team often worked through the night to create green spaces.
"I don't do all this protest because I am busy preparing. I buy my seeds, I buy my saplings, I arrange for the transport and at 10.30 at night we are digging. By 4 o'clock we have done it," said Peepal Baba, who is also the author of "Ghosts on Peepal Trees: My Journey from Folktales to Forests".
By morning, officials often discover the newly planted trees and question who had undertaken the work, he said.
"The morning the officer wakes up and he says, 'What the hell? Who did this?' So, of course, they call us, 'Why have you done this?' We say, 'You pick it up'," he said.
Explaining his approach to resistance, he said environmental work should be pursued with patience and without confrontation.
"I am telling you, all my life, 51 years, I have worked on the ground. Nobody dares to stop you. But do it nicely. Be gentle. Don't abuse. Don't protest," he said.
He urged people to view environmental conservation not as a burden but as an opportunity to create something meaningful and beautiful.
"As long as you live, make it meaningful. As long as you are there, plant a beautiful garden. You work for a garden for two years, and the garden will take care of you for the next 20 years," he said.
He also stressed the importance of protecting heritage trees and natural forests, comparing the loss of an old tree to the irreplaceable loss of an older generation.
"How can you replace a grandfather with a little child? Not possible," he said, referring to the felling of heritage trees and old-growth forests and attempts to compensate for their loss by planting thousands of new saplings in the name of afforestation.
The two-day boutique literature and arts festival, "Himalayan Echoes", focuses on both literature and art. It featured an eclectic list of speakers including best-selling author Amish, Bhutanese novelist Chador Wangmo, author-entrepreneur Mridula Ramesh, Swiss author Benjamin Viatte and mythologist Sunita Pant Bansal.
The festival came to a close on Saturday.
(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)