Governor of Goa Shri P.S. Sreedharan Pillai has urged the youth to preserve and protect the environment and hold steadfast to our ancient traditions and carry on the rich legacy of trees established by our ancestors.
The Governor was addressing at the symposium on the traditional trees of India ‘Vriksha Vygnanika Sadassu’ held at Raj Bhavan, Dona Paula recently.
The Governor said today, “The youth below 35 years constitute 30% of our population and these youth particularly the college students are a huge precious pool of resource for the country known as the demographic dividend.” Quoting Mahatma Gandhiji, the Governor said, “The earth, the air, the land and water are not an inheritance from our forefathers, but on loan from our children, so, we have to hand over to them as handed over to us.”
The Governor said after taking charge as Governor of Goa in July, 2021, he had the occasion to visit Partagal Mutt in Canacona Taluka to pay his respects to His Holiness Swamiji who informed him about the existence of thousand-year-old a banyan tree in the sacred precincts of Partagal Mutt.”
The Governor said, “Our Mother land Bharatvarsha from time immemorial expounded that plants are sentient beings, though their faculties are dormant, dull and stupefied. The Rig Veda and Atharva Veda note consciousness in plants. Our ancient findings on plant consciousness are now accepted by the world as true.”
He added, “Shri. Jagadish Chandra Bose, the Indian scientist, discovered over a century ago that plants possessed a nervous system similar to animals. Shri. Bose became the first to use the term ‘Plant Nerve’. Before J.C. Bose, Mr. Augustus Waller from London claimed that he had reported ‘the phenomenon of vegetable electricity’. Shri. J.C. Bose’s first experiments went to proving plants had life. He invented the machine ‘crescograph’ – (A crescograph is a mechanical device that measures plant growth, and was invented by Indian scientists Shri. Sir Jagdish Chandra Bose in the early 20th century) and through it he convinced the world the screams of agony of a fresh cabbage while it was being boiled in water. He demonstrated it before Royal Society of London in 1901.” The Governor further said, “Nobel Prize winner George Bernard Shaw – (Irish playwright), who was a vegetarian, is said to have wept during witnessing the screams of agony of a fresh cabbage while it was being boiled in water by Shri. J.C. Bose. Now, under the leadership of evolutionary scientist Prof. Lilach Hadany, of Tel Aviv University proved more and more things scientifically and world accepted the theory put forwarded by Shri. J.C. Bose about one century ago.”
“In ancient India, our sacred scriptures such as Vedas Puranas and the Itihasas have elaborately explained and eloquently described the importance of trees in the life and culture of people,” he added.
The Governor expressed happiness over the participation of a large number of students for the symposium on the Traditional Trees of India covering all aspects of the subject rightly from Ancient India to modern Scientific Achievements. He said, well known experts participating in this symposium will present their valuable study papers on nature, trees, plants, etc. This symposium, he said, would enlighten the participants on various aspects of these subjects.
“Let us reaffirm our commitment for the preservation and protection of our natural environment and pledge to dedicate ourselves to this noble cause,” the Governor asserted.
As part of the symposium- aimed at creating awareness and deeper understanding of the importance of trees in the life and culture of the people of India, experts including those from Goa presented papers on traditional trees of India.
Five books written and compiled by the Governor were also released on the occasion. The books are ‘Cuncolim’ which is a compilation of information on the Cuncolim revolt, ‘Kaavi Art’ which is on the exclusive heritage murals from Goa, ‘Icons of my Literature’, a book on the prominent personalities views on the Governor, ‘Vikshit Bharat’, and ‘Canacona’, which is a book about the Governor’s experience at Canacona taluka during his Goa Sampurna Yatra.
Dr Kumud Sharma, vice president, National Sahitya Academi, who was present on the occasion expressed her happiness at being able to be present to witness the release of 5 books of the Governor, whose count of books that he has written is now 230. She commended the trilogy books on Goa, all penned by the Governor, namely, Heavenly Islands of Goa, Heritage Trees of Goa and Discovery of Vaman Vriksha Kala ( which is on Bonsai -art of potted trees).
She marvelled at the diverse range of subjects that the Governor had written about and said that this documentation of information would be beneficial to the future generations.
Present at the inaugural were Chairperson of the National Biodiversity Authority, Shri C. Achalender Reddy, Vice-Chancellor of Goa University, Prof. Harilal Menon, ex-Secretary of the Kerala Sahitya Academy, Shri Paipra Radhakrishnan among others.
