Thursday, June 13, 2013

Kallor Balan shows the way

At a time when global talks find no constructive solution, nor do we as responsible citizens do much to protect our environment, people like Kallor Balan have shown the way.

Having planted over four lakh trees in thirteen years, Balan has proved that protecting the environment not only and undoubtedly requires a limitless love for mother earth, but also a strong will to work and lead a life in that direction.

A man of short stature with a full beard and a green ribbon tied on his forehead, Balan takes extreme pride in the fact that his deeds are going to be a blessing for the generations to come.

Apart from planting trees during monsoon, he provides butter milk and drinking water to the thirsty in a busy market in Palakkad, totally free of cost during the hot and humid summers, thus making him a round-the-year social servant.

As a way to spend my birthday, I decided to go with Balettan (as people affectionately call him) to plant tree saplings along the road sides and other patches of unoccupied land. At the end of two days, we were able to plant over 100 tree saplings.


While at work I could sense the love that people gave out, more so when the tree sapling was planted near their work place. There remain not even an iota of doubt that we love trees and would like to enjoy all of their innumerable benefits. Perhaps the only issue that remains is how much can each one of us do to sustain and proliferate the existence of trees on earth.

Let the 'Balettan' in each one of us be evoked!