By Irudhaya Jothi
Kumarghat: The diocese of Agartala, which covers the entire state of Tripura in northeastern India, observed July 4 as “Green Sunday” in response to Pope Francis’ call to protect environment.
“We have been celebrating ‘Green Sunday’ for the past four years,” said Bishop Lumen Monteiro of Agartala, who distributed saplings at St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Kumarghat in Unakoti district, the state’s second oldest Catholic parish.
On an average the diocese has been planting around 26,000 saplings annually, he said.
The Holy Cross prelate also said the “Green Sunday” program is the diocese’s response to “Laudato si” (Praise be to you), Pope Francis’ second encyclical that critiques consumerism and irresponsible development, laments environmental degradation and global warming.
The May 24, 2015, encyclical, with a subtitle “on care for our common home,” also calls for “swift and unified global action.”
Bishop Monteiro said the diocesan celebration aims to preserve, protect and promote the mother earth. “This year we have planted 9,000 saplings in all parishes,” he added.
The Kumarghat parish, managed by the Holy Cross Fathers, distributed more than 300 saplings to lay people and religious.
The Church observed the Green Sunday in collaboration with the government’s forest department every year.
District Forest Officer V K Jayakrishna, who joined the bishop in planting a fruit sapling in the parish compound, expressed happiness to become part of the program and encouraged people to plant more trees every year.
Jayakrishna cited available data to show that Tripura has 74.49 percent forest cover. “In reality, the state’s forest cover is well below 30 percent,” he added.
St. Joseph Sister Sarojini Pradhan, who received a lime sapling, promised to plant it and take care of it.
The Kumarghat parish also celebrated the feast of its patron Saint Paul on the occasion. It is some 135 km north of Agartala, capital of the northeastern Indian state.
Holy Cross Father Lancy D’Souza, the parish priest and vicar general, said Tripura faced serious ecological problems as many trees in forest have already been cut for furniture and for ‘jhum’ cultivation.
“Many plants and animals are not available now due to change in the environment and reduction of forest area,” the priest explained.
Bishop Monteiro, who was the chairperson of Caritas India, the Church’s social action wing, regrets that tribals have forgotten their ancestors’ traditional knowledge on vegetation and medication. “Now is appropriate time to ensure the biodiversity, otherwise we may not be able to revive it in future,” he warned.
According to him, many young people from Tripura have migrate to other Indian states to ensure a secured future.
“The education has given them freedom, but escaping the reality of Tripura is not a sustainable solution,” Bishop Monteiro says.
The prelate wants people to protect and promote Tripura’s biodiversity.
The forest for the tribals is the major source of food and medicines.
They cultivated rice and various vegetables by the jhum cultivation. A survey has revealed that about 6 percent of the forest land is used for jhum cultivation, a main reason for the destruction of biodiversity.
‘Jhum’ cultivation is shifting agriculture mainly practiced in hilly areas. It involves clearing land followed by several years of harvesting or farming until the soil loses fertility.
Once the land becomes inadequate for crop production, it is left to be reclaimed by natural vegetation, or sometimes converted to a different long term cyclical farming practice.