Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 6 Jul: As millions of followers and well-wishers around the world celebrated the 91st birthday of Nobel Peace Laureate His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Doon Buddhist Committee in Dehradun marked the occasion by organising its annual clean up and tree plantation drive on a vacant Nagar Nigam site at Panache Valley Road, near the Helipad.
As a tribute to Dalai Lama’s message of “universal responsibility” and environmental conservation, the Committee cleaned the site before planting 91 tree saplings, including native species such as Asoka, Neem, Bamboo, Amaltas, Mango, Timru, and Kachnar. Each sapling was protected with bamboo and green-net tree guards.
To mark the occasion, a vegetarian cake was cut, laddus were distributed, and copies of Sheltering Trees of Interdependence — a short poem written by the Dalai Lama on ecological harmony — were shared with participants.
Welcoming the gathering, Tsering Luding, Vice-President of Doon Buddhist Committee, spoke about His Holiness’s lifelong commitment to nature, stating that translating his teachings on the deep interdependence of all living beings into local action is the most fitting birthday tribute.
Prominent civil society representatives and environmentalists who addressed the gathering were JP Maithani (Chairperson, Aagaas Federation), Manoj Dhyani of Vriksh Bandhan Abhiyan, Naveen Kumar Sadana (Associate Director, Outreach & Advocacy, Waste Warriors) and Kalden Choephel (In-charge of Environmental Activities for the Committee and Co-Director of Exile Creations).
The speakers stressed that the true success of plantation drives lies not merely in the number of trees planted, but in ensuring their long-term care and protection during the vulnerable early years of growth. The coming together of diverse community members around a shared vision of a greener and cleaner Doon was widely appreciated.
Highlighting the profound Buddhist reverence for nature, Maithani shared an anecdote from Heinrich Harrer’s ‘Seven Years in Tibet’ — recounting how construction of a movie studio for the young Dalai Lama in Lhasa was carefully adapted to ensure that earthworms and insects in the soil remained unharmed, reflecting the community’s deeply rooted values of coexistence with all living beings and nature.
The Committee extended its appreciation to local Parshad Sameer Pundir for identifying and recommending the plantation site, and to Bhavishya of Serendipity Nursery for donating the saplings, and expressed sincere gratitude to all contributors, members, volunteers, and well-wishers whose support ensured the drive’s success.
The initiative brought together Chisur Luding Shabdrung Rinpoche (former MP of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile) and members of several Dehradun-based civil society organisations: Making a Difference (MAD) Dehradun, Garhwal Khampa Bhotia Anusuchit Janjati Kalyan Samiti, Waste Warriors, Sakha Trust, Tara Foundation, We Like To Help, Aryan Group, Aagaas Federation, Vrikshabandhan Abhiyan, Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), Sanatan Yuva Vahini, 1 UK, and the Sidh Foundation.
