Celebrate ‘Vrikshabandhan’ With Us On Rakhee Say These Children

When will grown-ups wisen up?

School children circle a ‘Pilkhan’ tree in New Delhi

(Photo courtesy: Bhavreen Khandari)

(This story was first published on 12 August 2019. It has been reposted from The Quint’s archives on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan)

Hema from Delhi’s Pahar Ganj has fought to save a banyan tree from being felled illegally in 2019 and her message is clear. Let’s promise to protect our trees every year, just like we promise to look out for our siblings. Trees give us life. We need them, she says.

Two years after they protested against tree felling planned in Sarojini Nagar and six other government colonies in New Delhi by doing a “Chipko’’ or hugging trees to save them, a group of school-going children tied a Rakhee to the ‘Pilkhan’ tree that survived in 2019 and still stands amid the debris of a demolition drive.

School children form a circle around a “Pilkhan’’ tree in New Delhi. They had saved it from being felled in a demolition drive last year.

“Given Delhi’s’ toxic air levels it is difficult to believe that large scale demolition of well built flats and massacre of thousands of trees is considered&nbsp; development. So we celebrate “Vrikshabandhan” and tie <i>Rakhees</i> to trees who are our saviours. Hope the government can hear us and save trees today tomorrow and forever.”

Asheer,&nbsp; Student, 15&nbsp;

“Every year, just as sisters tie Rakhees to brothers who in turn promise to protect them we will celebrate Vrikshabandhan and pledge to protect trees because trees give us life.”

Hema, Student

School children tying a Rakhees to protect a tree

A bond for ‘life’, Vrikshabandhan

“For the last two years children have been greatly influenced by the citizen protests around the chopping of trees in Nauroji Nagar, Sarojini Nagar and other GPRA colonies. Amongst the primary sufferers of air pollution they joined the protest movements by tying threads around trees and asking the government to protect the trees which in turn protect them.”

Bhavreen Khandari, Environmental Activist

With her ‘’ School Strike For Climate Change ‘’ campaign, sixteen-year-old Swedish climate change activist Greta Thunberg has inspired young people from around the world to speak up for their right to a healthy planet. Her calling is echoed by these children in the capital whose unique message to protect the city’s green cover has already helped save trees around the city.