Peepal Baba
{{Short description|Indian environmentalist}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2024}}
{{Infobox person
| image = Peepal Baba, 2019 (cropped).png
| alt = Peepal Baba
| caption = Peepal Baba, in 2019.
| birth_name = Azad Jain
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1966|01|26|df=y}}{{citation needed|date=March 2019}}
| birth_place = Chandigarh{{citation needed|date=March 2019}}
| nationality = Indian
| education = Masters in English Literature and Journalism
| known_for = Give Me Trees Trust
| website = {{URL|https://www.peepalbaba.org/}}
}}
Peepal Baba or Swami Prem Parivartan is an environmentalist who along with his team has planted over 20 million trees in 202 districts across 18 states in India. He was born to a doctor of Indian Army on 26 January 1966 in Chandigarh, India. His English teacher inspired him at the age of 11 to plant trees in 1977.{{Cite web |last=Badodekar |first=Komal |date=5 June 2020 |title=Environment Day : Peepal Baba has planted and conserved over 1.25 crore Peepal trees |url=https://groundreport.in/environment-day-peepal-baba-has-planted-and-conserved-over-1-25-crore-peepal-trees/ |access-date=1 August 2023 |website=Ground Report |language=en-US}} He is the founder of Give Me Trees Trust which was later registered as a non-governmental organisation in 2011. He took asceticism in 1984 from Osho Rajneesh, who gave him the name "Swami Prem Parivartan". Now he also is an inspiration for others interested in the Nature.
Early life
Peepal Baba was born on 26 January 1966 in Chandigarh, India as Azad Jain. His English teacher inspired him at the age of 11 to plant trees on Range Hills Road at Kirkee Military Station in 1977.{{citation |title=We Should Not Be Talking About Smart Cities, We Should Be Talking About Smart Villages: Peepal Baba |url=http://www.businessworld.in/article/We-Should-Not-Be-Talking-About-Smart-Cities-We-should-be-Talking-About-Smart-Villages-Peepal-Baba/06-06-2020-194526/ |work=Business World |date=6 June 2020 }} He planted his first trees on 26 January 1977 in a hobby club in Pune. Since then he has been planting trees.{{citation |title=Bottled fresh air is harmful for your lungs: Peepal Baba |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/gk-current-affairs/story/bottled-fresh-air-is-harmful-for-your-lungs-explains-peepal-baba-1401303-2018-12-03 |work=India Today |date= 3 December 2018 }}
He completed his master's degrees in English literature and journalism.{{citation |title=Meet Peepal Baba, the indefatigable tree planter, on UN World Environment Day, 5 June 2018 |url=http://www.coastweek.com/4122-Kul-Bhushan-Peepal-Baba-Planted-Twenty-Million-Trees-and-Still-Going-Strong.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180629073558/http://www.coastweek.com/4122-Kul-Bhushan-Peepal-Baba-Planted-Twenty-Million-Trees-and-Still-Going-Strong.htm |url-status=usurped |archive-date=29 June 2018 |work=coastweek.com |date=5 June 2018 }} His father served as a doctor in the Indian Army.
Career
He took asceticism in 1984 from Osho Rajneesh, who gave him the name "Swami Prem Parivartan".{{citation |title=Several trees across Delhi and counting |url=https://m.hindustantimes.com/delhi-news/several-trees-across-delhi-and-counting/story-6AHmKWM63kaRUdnLaVkzgJ.html |work=Hindustan Times |date=27 January 2013 }} He founded the Give Me Trees Trust in 2010 after years of planting trees independently on his own. He later got it registered as a non-governmental organisation in 2011.{{citation|title=Van Mahotsav Special: A Story Of Peepal Baba, The Man Who Has Planted Over 20 Million Trees|date=4 July 2018|url=https://swachhindia.ndtv.com/van-mahotsav-special-story-peepal-baba-man-planted-20-million-trees-22352/|work=NDTV}}
During the period of COVID pandemic, he and his team continued on their mission to plant trees following social distancing norms.{{citation |title=कोरोना संकट के बीच पीपल बाबा का 'पेड़ लगाओ अभियान' जारी |url=https://www.lokmatnews.in/india/peepal-babas-tree-plantation-campaign-continues-amid-corona-crisis/ |work=Lokmat News |date=20 May 2020 }} Within a period of around 43 years, he and his team has managed to plant 20 million trees in 202 districts across 18 states of India.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.peepalbaba.org/ Official website]
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Category:Indian environmentalists
Category:People from Chandigarh
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