Environmentalists advocated an ethical approach to nature conservation with Employment on National Forest Martyrs Day.

Environmentalists advocated an ethical approach to nature conservation with Employment on National Forest Martyrs Day.

RJS forum paid tribute to forest rangers who lost their lives on duty, primarily the 1730 Khejarli sacrifice in Rajasthan.

NEW DELHI :

Integrating environmental protection with sustainable livelihood creation and moving past symbolic plantation drives were the focal themes at a national symposium convened to observe National Forest Martyrs Day on September 11.

The virtual gathering, held as the 646th edition of the positive media series organized by Founder of  RJSPBH Uday Manna , brought together environmentalists, academics, and civil society representatives to deliberate on the theme of universal ecological security. The forum paid tribute to forest rangers who lost their lives on duty, while invoking historical environmental movements, primarily the 1730 Khejarli sacrifice in Rajasthan.

Speaking as chief guest, Rajesh Sharma, founder of the New Delhi-based Prakriti Bhakt Foundation, advocated an ethical approach to nature conservation. Sharma argued that urban alienation from the natural world correlates with deteriorating mental health and self-destructive tendencies among youth. He presented nature devotion not as an alternative to religious traditions, but as a practical discipline to safeguard public health and communal harmony. His foundation has undertaken afforestation initiatives across Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, and Rajasthan, emphasizing that personal engagement with green spaces fosters long-term stewardship.

Addressing the forum as session chair, Dr. Priya Ranjan Trivedi, President of the Confederation of Indian Universities and Chairman of the Indian Institute of Ecology and Environment, underscored the urgency of connecting ecological restoration with formal employment. Dr. Trivedi maintained that appeals for environmental awareness often falter unless supported by tangible economic models, especially for the youth facing widespread unemployment.

Dr. Trivedi pointed to sectors such as structured waste management, apiculture, inland aquaculture, and the broader blue economy as critical avenues for green jobs. He recalled his interaction with former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi following the 1972 Stockholm Conference, which subsequently contributed to administrative consultations with Planning Commission Deputy Chairman N.D. Tiwari and led to the formal creation of the Union Department of Environment in 1980, later expanded into a full ministry in 1984. He also cited the public interest litigation that prompted Supreme Court directives making environmental studies compulsory from primary through collegiate curricula.

Leading the opening address, conservationist R.K. Bishnoi recounted the historical lineage of environmental martyrdom in India. He highlighted that while history records numerous sacrifices for territory and sovereignty, the preservation of nature motivated the sacrifice of Amrita Devi and 362 other members of the Bishnoi community in Khejarli village in 1730 under the reign of Maharaja Abhai Singh of Jodhpur. The villagers resisted the felling of sacred Khejri trees required for lime kilns, adhering to the conservation principles set forth by Guru Jambheshwar.

Bishnoi criticized what he described as a widespread tendency to reduce afforestation to ceremonial events. Drawing upon mathematical estimates of reported planting initiatives, he observed that survival rates remain critically low because saplings are rarely tended after photo opportunities conclude. He called for prioritizing the propagation of native species over exotic plants, citing ecological balances observed during his eighteen years in the Gulf region, where the local Khejri counterpart, the Ghaf tree, was designated the national tree of the United Arab Emirates in 2008. He stressed that native plants naturally sustain indigenous insects, birds, and hydrology without depleting regional water reserves.

In response to a query from participant Dr. Rashmi Choube, regarding individual responsibility, Dr. Trivedi noted that intergenerational education yields direct behavioral shifts, urging households to separate municipal waste at source and actively scrutinize grassroots government schemes that frequently fail to reach rural stakeholders. 

RJS Co-host TRD27 Dr Rashmi Chaube invited in RJS virtual program on hindi divas & Ganesh Utsav on 14th September in the evening.

Webinar convener Uday Manna paid tribute to frontline forest guards and conservation workers who face poachers, timber syndicates, and forest fires. Manna drew historical parallels between ecological duty and the ideals of Swami Vivekananda and Acharya Vinoba Bhave, noting that September 11 also marks the anniversary of Vivekananda’s 1893 Chicago address and Bhave’s birth. He noted that Bhave’s Bhoodan movement fundamentally championed restrained resource consumption, reflecting Mahatma Gandhi’s dictum that the earth provides enough for human need but not for human greed.

Sweety Paul, retired senior manager at the India Trade Promotion Organisation,Bharat Mandapam recounted administrative experiences at Pragati Maidan, arguing that modern infrastructure developments must consciously integrate urban tree cover rather than treating it as an expendable asset.

Those Nature lover attended the webinar were Sunil Kumar Singh, Sweety Paul, Dr. Rashmi Choubey, Neha Shri, Sudhir Godara, Jambhdas Vinod Bishnoi, Mayank Raj, Raja Ram Dharniya, Binda Manna, Arvind Kumar, Om Prakash Dhaka, Ranglal Bishnoi, Akanksha, Arjun Ram Khileri and Shivraj Bishnoi etc.

The organizers announced that subsequent deliberations will focus on civic communication, constructive journalism, and preparations for public interest programs ahead of Republic Day. All Co-host TRD27 members were invited at Podcast Studio - DDN PR and EVENT'S Studio, Noida on 13th September in a Positive talk.