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*******************The man who planted trees ***************
By Vani Balaraman
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Sookanpur was a village in Central India.
No one knew how it got the name Sookanpur.
Sooka in Hindi meant arid and dry !
Sookanpur was one a prosperous village people went a"out their
daily lives with muh gusto.
Blue louds #ormed "eauti#ul patterns in the sky.
There were trees that swayed in the wind "irds hirped and o#ten
s$uirrels played peek%a%"oo amidstthe greenery.
The soil was #ertile and the villagers grew mai&e rie
vegeta"les and #ruits on their land.
'ih soil meant prosperous #armers and in no time the #armers
were ounting their money "ags.
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But slowly as the days progressed the villagers turned
greedy.
Birds that visited the #ields were shooed away.
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The villagers also enroahed upon #orests lands.
They ut down trees and sared away the elephants with loud drums
and dhols.
The village that was one all green did not have trees
anymore.The village resem"led a onrete (ungle.
The limati hanges were severe.Summers were hot aompanied "y
water shortage.
It didn)t rain as muh as it did earlier.The villagers hadn)t
"othered a"out water onservation either.
ater #or new "uildings arrived in tankers .+eople had "egun to
pay #or water.
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,nd one #ine day the only pond in the village dried up.+eople
had "egun to #ight amongst themselves #or water .
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hat urse had "e#allen them - wondered the villagers.
Should they give away a goat in sari#ie -
ould it rain again i# they per#ormed poo(as and kept #asts -
hih od should they appease - wondered the villagers
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Some o# them paked their "elongings and moved with their
#amilies and their #arm animals to a
di##erent town.
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There were very #ew #amilies that stayed "ak in Sookanpur.
Bolaram a #armer was hope#ul that the town would "e inha"ita"le
again.
/Is there a way we ould "ring "ak all the greenery again!0 he
e1laimed .
/e have erred we were sel#ish and kept utting trees down / said
his wi#e .
/I will start sowing seeds and pray to the rain god .
I am sure he will listen i# we are earnest in our attempts /
said Bolaram.
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Bolaram "ought seeds #rom the neigh"oring town and started
planting them everywhere.
In gardens in the hills and on the slopes.
ith his work he inspired more #armers to plant trees.
,nd they together prayed #or rain .
,nd then one night louds gathered in the sky.
There was thunder and lightning.
It rained all night .
The villagers were over(oyed .
The pitter patter o# the rain drops #elt like musi to their
ears.
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Their hard work was "earing #ruits at last.
,s days passed the trees turned green.
The rops grew taller .
2lowers "loomed.
The villagers were delighted . 2or every new lea# that took li#e
they sowed more seeds .
It was e1iting to wath nature take over and over the one "arren
land in her green "lanket.
,nimals ame "ak to the village.
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They #re$uented the watery holes.
3i#e was "ak to normal.
2lowers "loomed and leaves swayed in the wind.
Sookanpur #inally learnt to live in harmony with nature.
ell ! hy should the village "e still alled Sookanpur when there
was a"undane o# greeneryaround-
It is "elieved the wise villagers deided not to hange the name
o# the village .
Sooka 4dry5arid 6 reminded them on what urse would "e#all them
i# they a"used nature.
,nd it "elieved to this day i# you visit Sookanpur the villagers
talk a"out Bolaram and how he turnedhis dream into a reality .
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