Jadav Payeng, also referred to as the Forest Man of India and a recipient of the Padma Shree award, recently discussed his grave concerns over global warming at the Bodoland International Knowledge Festival in Kokrajhar.
He encouraged world leaders to take this into consideration and conduct a global lockdown for a week in order to assist the ecosystem recover its balance.
“I believe that if we can impose a worldwide lockdown for one week each year, the ecosystem’s balance will eventually return. Payeng made this statement during his address on the topic of the Indigenous Knowledge System. “I’m stating this from my personal experience,” he remarked.
He also discussed a letter he had sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, warning him against developing at the expense of nature and urging him to protect India’s forests and green cover.
Payeng also argued for 60% female reservation and stated his hope that India’s new education strategy will bring about change.
The four-day knowledge festival’s themes included gender empowerment, media and communication, peacebuilding, and sustainable agriculture.
Jadav Payeng, also known as “Forest Man,” is an environmental activist and forest conservationist from the Indian state of Assam. He is famous for single-handedly planting and caring for a vast forest on Majuli Island in the Brahmaputra River, which spans over 1,360 acres.
In 1979, at the age of 16, Jadav Payeng began planting trees on a barren sandbar in the Brahmaputra River, which had been left barren by flooding. Over the next several decades, he worked tirelessly to create a lush, self-sustaining forest, nurturing saplings, and protecting the plants and wildlife from poachers.
Payeng’s efforts have transformed the once-barren land into a thriving ecosystem, home to countless plant and animal species, including elephants, tigers, and rhinoceroses. His work has earned him several awards and accolades, including the Padma Shri, one of India’s highest civilian honors.
