Virushka: Gift Of God

Apologies in advance because for the next few minutes of your life I am taking the “oxygen” of your soul and taking your mind for a detour from its regular track, i.e. talking about the things different from both Bollywood and Cricket.

Surprised!!!!!!!!!.

Thinking about the contradiction created in the “title” and “introduction”. I admit that the title of this one urges your mind to anticipate and guess their names BUT Without disrespecting the cricketing skills and acting talent of both the “obvious” persons from cricket and Bollywood respectively, Let me come straight directly on point of what actually this article is all about.

Virushka ( actually means “Gift of God”) was the name of the prominent member of the Chipko Movement or commonly known as Chipko Andolan, which started in the year 1973 in the Himalayan regions of Uttarakhand state(part of Uttar Pradesh at that time). Till today it is considered to be one of the most impactful and strongest movements in the process of conservation of forests, not only in India but all across the world.

The foundation of this movement was based on our ‘Father of the nation's idea of non-violence. The belief and practice of this moment come under the principle of “Ahimsa and Satyagraha”, on which Mahatma Gandhi has lived his entire life.

The “OG”(Let me also feel young to use some internet Lingos which are in-trend right now) of this type of movement, which first happened back in the year 1730 A.D. in a village named “Prasanna Khamkar” situated in the state of Rajasthan.

In that movement, a total of 363 Bishnois( people from the Bishnoi tribal community) sacrificed their lives to save Kherji trees. What they did was nothing complicated, they just simply Embrace the trees whenever somebody comes to cut them. And that is the reason why all the activists in this movement were called “ Tree-huggers.

The reason to call this movement the “OG” of all movements is because it was this movement that brought attention and awareness both to the ‘MAINSTREAM” world about the problems and other issues of tribal and Marginalized people they were facing.

The true symbolism of showing not only “love and affection” to mother nature but also “Utmost Gratitude” to protect the mother nature that supplies both Clean water and soil upon which their survival was based upon.

Lacking fodder and firewood and lack of water for both, irrigation as well as drinking purposes (Real “oxygen” for both body and soul) directly impacts the whole of the Living Being's survival which was the primary reason behind the foundation of this movement.

This movement was the true demonstration of the viability of ‘Non-Violence” and what Ahimsa and Satyagraha could do.

This movement was one of the many gifts we have received from the tribal communities.

‘Better late Than never”, I think it's high time to thank our fellow brothers and sisters of our nation from the tribe, show them the much-awaited and well-deserved respect from all of us and a “THANK YOU”.

Draupadi Murmu, the 15th president of our country also comes from this highly respected community. On this decision of our country, I just want to say “ Der aaye DURUST( and I mean every single alphabet of it) aaye.