By Ashu Satvika Goyal
Dehradun, 14 Aug: Six Tabebuia saplings were planted at the Nakshatra Vatika at Raj Bhawan, Dehradun, in the presence of Uttarakhand Governor Lt Gen Gurmit Singh (Retd), during a programme organised by Gaurav Bharti Shiksha Sansthan to mark the plantation of 1.25 lakh (125,000) saplings since 2011.
The 15-year environmental initiative has been undertaken in memory of late Sardar Gurcharan Singh, Founder-Director of Sardar Bhagwan Singh University, whose legacy is associated with education, environmental awareness and community service.
The Governor lauded the institution’s efforts, describing sawa lakh as an auspicious number. He said the campaign reflected environmental conservation, social participation and public awareness, and stressed that saplings must not only be planted but also protected and nurtured. He thanked the organisers and participants and said he would encourage such initiatives.
Suhird Pal Singh, Chairman of Gaurav Bharti Shiksha Sansthan, said the plantation drive has extended beyond the institution to villages and settlements across the Doon Valley, schools, roadsides, temples and household courtyards.
The occasion also saw citizens from education, performing arts, sports, agriculture and public life submit a memorandum proposing that Tabebuia be declared the Memorial Tree of Dehradun. Alok Ulfat read out the memorandum, which proposed Tabebuia as the designated species for commemorative plantations. The proposal suggested linking the initiative with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” campaign and observing plantation around Harela. It highlighted Tabebuia’s flowering on bare branches and its suitability for urban areas, describing it as hardy, moderate in water requirements, non-invasive and deep-rooted. The memorandum proposed plantations in urban areas, roadsides and institutional campuses, with a long-term vision of flowering Tabebuia avenues across Dehradun. It also sought the Governor’s recommendation to the State Government and civic authorities for declaring Tabebuia the Memorial Tree of Dehradun.
Poet Avinash Malasi reflected on the emotional significance of planting trees in memory of loved ones, saying, “A tree planted in memory is a silent act. It asks for nothing, makes no announcement, and lives for a much longer time than the person who planted it.”
A framed photograph of the Tabebuia tree was presented to the Governor by Suhird Pal Singh and Ashu Satvika Goyal, symbolising the vision of giving Dehradun a distinctive tree associated with remembrance and renewal.
Those present included Zorawar Singh, Alok Ulfat, PK Meharishi, Kudark Singh, Lalit Badakoti, Deepak Upadhyay, Jasvinder Singh Sudan, Manvendra Pratap Singh Bisht, Kapil Sanghi, Avinash Malasi, Swayamsiddh Mahapatra and Swati Dobhal, Dehradun Municipal Corporation corporator, among others.
The plantation was a gesture of remembrance and a hope for a blossoming valley of Tabebuia in Dehradun.
