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The Forest Man of India

I remember watching the news when I was little with my grandma and seeing all the horrible things being covered in the channels. As a kid I didn’t really understand why people needed to resort to violence or anything unjust for that matter. Things just seemed to get worse with all the pollution and everything we’ve done to our home planet. But quickly I realised that there are people working to save us as well. These people who took the initiative, the heroes that don’t need a cape to be one. Here’s Jadav Payeng, The Forest Man of India.

Jadav is a 65 year old man commonly known as The forest man of India. He was given this title in 2010 by the Government of India on World Earth day for doing what you can consider a huge feat. He turned a barren land about 1300 acres into the currently lush green Molai Forest. The forest that now attracts over 80% of the world’s migratory birds according to wildlife experts. Jadav started this journey that took him close to 30 whole years in 1979 spending everyday taking care of his forest. When asked about him he says “People want to know my story. I tell them I just plant trees, and I’d like all of you to do so. Trees are the lifeline of the forest. They don’t just give us shade and oxygen. They feed birds and animals and balance our ecosystem. If there is no life left, what is the use of all the advancements we have made?”.

As a child, Jadav met Jadabesh Barua, an agricultural scientist, who used to give him saplings of paan leaves to be planted, and 25 paise. “In those days 25 paise bought close to 1.5 kilograms of groundnut and it made me happy. Barua one day took my hand and said ‘plant trees and they will take care of all of us’. So after seeing his beloved Majuli (Where his forest is located) turning into a desert he started his life long campaign of turning the once barren land into a forest whose beauty is beyond words filled with it’s unique wildlife.

That was how Jadav Payeng, a hero who made it his responsibility to save what was his beloved hometown. In the end his commitment and passion towards planting trees is what made him so great and a hero.