Agartala (Tripura) [India], June 5 : West Tripura Lok Sabha MP and former Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb on Wednesday joined World Environment Day celebrations at Vivek Nagar Ramakrishna Mission, Agartala. He highlighted India's age-old connection with nature and the environment.
"Today is World Environment Day. As a citizen of this country, I take pride in the fact that tree worship has been practised here for many generations. While foreigners are only now realising the importance of protecting greenery, for us, this is nothing new," he told ANI.
Deb asserted that India, guided by the principles of Sanatan Dharma, has always championed the protection of nature and all living beings. He noted that many countries now look to India for environmental inspiration.
"The world has entrusted us with the responsibility of planting trees. I have travelled across Europe and seen that there isn't as much greenery there. People from abroad come to our country to witness wildlife. To see lions, they have to travel all the way to Africa," he added.
Encouraging people to take personal responsibility, Deb proposed a unique suggestion: "We celebrate our birthdays every year, but we should also plant at least one tree each time. If someone is 60 years old and has planted only seven trees in their lifetime, that should change."
The celebration at Ramakrishna Mission aimed to spread awareness among students and the public about the importance of environmental conservation, aligning with this year's global theme of restoring land and combating desertification.
Earlier in the day, Tripura Governor Indrasena Reddy Nallu urged people to plant trees in their homes and avoid the use of plastic on the occasion of World Environment Day.
"Today is World Environment Day. Tripura is a green land, a green state. We must always strive to maintain this greenery and take the state even further on the path of environmental progress. I would like to tell the people of the state to avoid the use of plastic. I urge everyone to plant trees in their own homes," he said.
Tripura joined the global movement with renewed commitment to environmental preservation. Known for its lush greenery and natural beauty, the state marked the day with an appeal to its citizens to protect and sustain its rich ecological heritage.
In a message to the people, a call was made to maintain Tripura's identity as a "green land" and to further advance its environmental goals. Emphasising the need to reduce pollution, residents were urged to stop using plastic and adopt eco-friendly habits. (aNI)