Vanamahotsava, the Great Festival of Trees

Akham Bonbirdhwaja Singh *

Planting a tree during World Environment Day 2012 function at IBSD Bioresources Park, Haraorou, Imphal on June 5 2012
Pix - Atom Samarendra

The world is at an important juncture. The Development and civilisation are taking over the nature and wilderness. They are overtaking the regenerative capacity of the nature. Very little of our wilderness and natural forests are left. The forest ecosystems are destroyed everywhere for new settlements. The wildlife habitats and wetlands are converted in to fisheries and agriculture land.

We have lost 869 plant and animal species forever, 16,928 are at the threshold of extinction. Our earth is warming up, becoming hotter by the day, the air is overladen with toxic gases, which can make each one of us sick. The dangers of climate change are looming large. Our rivers are full of silt and pollutants.

The population is increasing at an alarming rate, ready to consume all the natural resources. The productivity of the soil has been extended to the maximum to feed six and a half billion mouths. Just think for two seconds, it is really frightening. So what should we do? Something has to be done; there must be something which we all can do. That is how, Vanamahotsava, a peoples' programme of tree planting, is an omnibus solution everybody can participate in.

What is Vanamahotsava?

Vanamahotsava is a great festival of forests and tree planting. It can be literally translated as great festival of forests. The great festival of forests implies forest conservation, and even in 1950s, forest conservation meant planting lots and lots of trees. So now, it is known as festival of trees. It is similar to the Arbor Day of US and Australia, Greening Week of Japan, Tree Loving Week of Korea, New Years Day of Trees of Israel and so on.

They are celebrated in many parts of the world, may be on different days due to climatic differences. In India Vanamahotsava is a weeklong festival being celebrated all over the country in the First week of July every year with message to plant more trees to create forests? It is a festival which each one of us can take part or celebrate. We can be a part of a larger celebration or can initiate a celebration anywhere. It does not require elaborate arrangement to observe this day.

Tree seedlings are distributed free of cost for this auspicious occasion. What is this great festival of trees, one may wonder. Jawaharlal Nehru said, "is a special occasion of which we should take advantage by planting large number of trees". The importance of trees has been understood by many, and hence celebrations are observed in many countries under different names.

When to celebrate?

Vanamahotsava is to be celebrated from July 1 to 7. It is celebrated in July because; July is special month for trees and tree planting. Anything we plant during July grows. It is so for other crops too. In first week of July, monsoon is there all over the country and the festival can be celebrated in all parts of the country. So, the plan should be to plant as many seedlings as one can during this period.

Who started ?

The concept of Vanamahotsava is known to have been first initiated by (Late) Kanaiyalal Maneklal Munshi, the then Union Minister for Food & Agriculture in the year 1950, because official and regular celebration started in that year. But it appears that the idea had already been conceptualised alongwith freedom movement and independence, because in July, 1947 a mass tree planting drive was conducted in Delhi in which the national leaders of those days all took part.

It was also called Vana Mahotsava. But, it is beyond doubt that it was this great leader who took forward this movement and popularised it, and since then it is celebrated all over the country. He was a great politician and environmentalist and a great writer too.

The relevance of festivals like Vanamahotsava is increasing by the day. It was the vision and wisdom of this great leader that the issue of environmental degradation was made a national concern knowing well that unless timely action was taken to prevent & restore, it might go beyond human control & would threaten the survival of any living organisms on this earth planet.

While survival & development of human being is important, it is also equally important to preserve the nature which is the only source of oxygen and other essentials required for our living. We have to leave nature to nature, by offsetting the pressure on natural forests to plantation forests. By planting more trees, we can save our natural forests, which are essential for our survival.

What is to be planted?

What should we plant in Vanamahotsava? It would be wise to give a little thought on what is to be chosen. If planting is to be done on a large scale, experts' opinion may always be sought. When we plant in our homesteads and school premises we plant ornamental and fruit bearing trees. Now the trend is to go for evergreen species.

The roadsides and urban parks are good sites for planting. The small medians of Manipur and Indian type are not suitable for tree species, that place is more suitable for floriculture than forestry species. Ornamental Trees with thick canopy with heavy foliage is better in urban areas to check the smoke and dust and to give shade from heat, and we can use evergreen varieties like
Karpur (Camphor Tree),
Bokul (Bullet wood),
Heirangoi (Pithraj Tree),
Bottle Brush,
Cupressus (Himalayan Cypress), etc.

For Ornamental flowering trees, we can use
Gulmohor (Flamboyant Tree),
Panggong (Flame of Forests),
Chahui (Indian Laburnum),
Chingthrao (Orchid Tree),
Leihao (Champak),
Khagi Leihao (Pagoda Tree),
Nageshwor (Iron Wood),
Kurao (Coral Tree),
U Thaonam (Rain Tree),
Spathodea (African Tulip Tree),
Jacaranda etc.

For moist sites, we can use
Jarol (Queen's Flower),
Jam (Black Plum),
Shilleima (Malabar Plum),
Tolhao (Hollock),
Uthum Naraobi (Bishop's Wood) etc.

For barren and drier sites, we can use
Uyung (Oaks),
Ushoi (Needle Tree),
Acacia (Earpod Wattle),
Tairel (Red Cedar),
Pareng (Alder), etc.

The Fruit Bearing trees such as
Yongchak (Tree Bean),
Heitup (Wild Crab Apple),
Harikokthong (Monkey Jack),
Harikhagok (Bael),
Heinou (Mango),
Theibong (Jackfruit)
can be used in many places.

We have to choose our plants as per our requirement. The list is not exhaustive; the local forest offices maintain lists of seedlings they have raised for this purpose.

Conclusion

We have seen a lot of enthusiasm in this festival. The tempo has picked up in the last one or two decades. There are clubs, organisations, schools, colleges, institutions, Government and non government organisations, private individuals all joining the movement. Sometimes, we cannot wait for the designated week also, overwhelmed by the enthusiasm. But let me tell you, planting is easy; it is tough to make it grow.

We have been planting millions in the past 63 vanamahotsavas, but very few are surviving. So we should plan for protection also, could be tree guards, material fencing or social fencing, we have to look into this aspect. Jawaharlal Nehru said "It is not enough to plant; we must take care of them, tend them and look after the young saplings with affection and tenderness."

He added, "I am sure, it has done me much good to be near these magnificent trees. There are many reasons why we should plant trees. For economic reasons we want them, as well as to protect the soil, but I like them for almost humane reasons for I look upon them as friends and they soothe me. It is easy to cut down a tree but it takes a long time for it to grow."

So the observance of Vanamahotsava, should not be limited to planting seedlings, but should include the protection and making the trees grow. That could be the true celebration. The children should be taught how to love the trees and what are the means of protecting them.