Saplings distributed as prasad

Our Correspondent

Raikot, June 24

An environmentalist family of the region distributed saplings of fruiting and shade trees among friends and relatives, who attended the antim ardaas and bhog of the head of the family, at Gurdwara Gill Patti Gurusar, Sudhar village, near here.

Social activists Santokh Singh Gill and Jagdev Singh Gill said the saplings were distributed to keep the memory of their 80-year-old father Ranjit Singh Gill, who was a nature loving man, alive.

“We decided to distribute saplings as ‘prasad’ among people who attended the bhog ceremony of our father as he had always stopped us from cutting trees from fields. Those attending the ceremony were allowed to take more than one sapling. We wanted that only those persons should take the saplings who would not let the saplings die,” said Santokh Singh Gill. He added that the event was arranged with the help of Shital Parkash, an environmentalist from Raikot.

He appreciated that even youth and children had showed enthusiasm towards popularisation of the project that would facilitate greenery in the region. “Though the state government is providing saplings free-of-cost, yet, a majority of people are not visiting nurseries to collect saplings due to one or the other reason,” said Gill.

Appreciating the gesture shown by the family, Prabh Deep Singh, DPRO, Ludhiana, said, “It was a novel idea liked by everyone present there. The plants were kept in a tractor-trailer at the exit gate of the gurdwara, where the condolence meeting was held. Those coming out after taking ‘prasad’ were offered saplings by the family of the deceased.”

Social activists appreciated this step and advised others to do the same.