Urdu students tie rakhi to trees, vow to protect them

Chamarajanagar: Every year, students of the Government Urdu High School in Kollegal used to hold their eco-club activities by organising seminars and quiz among other programmes,

But this year, their science teacher Salma Siddika decided to make it a different affair and made the students tie rakhis (raksha bandhan) to trees and take a vow to protect them by treating the trees as their brothers.

As many as 39 students of the school who are members of Sundarlal Bahuguna Eco-Club  tied rakhis to trees on Saturday and vowed to protect them.

The programme was organized in association with forest officials with Deputy Conservator of Forests, MM Hills Wildlife Sanctuary Yedukondalu too participating.  “We bought 30 rakhis and students tied them to trees at the Tree Park, Aranya Bhavan and those in the vicinity,” said Salma Siddika.

Tying rakhis is a practice among Hindus wherein a sister ties the rakhi to her brother asking him to protect her.

Salma Siddika was browsing the internet to find innovative ways to hold eco-club activities and came across rakhis being tied to trees in some parts of the country. She then conveyed the idea to headmistress Vasundhara and got it approved.

Headmistress Vasundhara said that as rakhis are associated with religious sentiments, students will try their best to protect the trees in their surroundings. Participating in the event, DCF Yedukondalu told Deccan Chronicle on Sunday that a green movement should begin with a vow to protect trees and added that students by tying rakhis, will be in a position to plant saplings in their vicinity and also care for them.