It is a known fact that of all the sources of happiness known to man, nature is the biggest. Even amidst the cries that we are drifting away from our roots or exploiting nature beyond limits, it is undeniable that each person seeks solace from nature. But imagine if we could give life to what gives us life? Here’s a team of nature enthusiasts that is giving a concrete shape to this ‘green’ idea and encouraging people to be part of it, for almost a year now.
‘Namma Mane Namma Mara’ is a non-profit green campaign initiated by a team led by Avinash Kamath — a media person, Gururaj Sanil — a snake expert and Raviraj H P — an entrepreneur. It all started when Avinash, a member of this cohort, spent a day with the legendary Saalu Marada Thimmakka at her residence. He says that he returned with a heavy heart as the fabled environmentalist lived under extremely harsh conditions. He and his like-minded friends impulsively ran a campaign named ‘Neralu Neravu’, through which they collected a commendable amount, which they presented to Thimmakka.
After serving its purpose, the campaign ceased to exist. But Avinash recalls that at that very moment, another ambition came into life, just as impulsively as the previous one. A discussion with Gururaj about the pitiable conditions of cities and the concern-evoking levels of deforestation gave motivation to start a pro-nature drive. They decided they would continue their work under the same banner.
Avinash and Gururaj were soon joined by Raviraj and a few others, and the idea was given a concrete form. Initially, the members invited people to contact the team over telephone in case they were interested in developing a green patch at their house or work premises. The team would visit the location in order to determine the type of saplings that would suit the topography, and later come up with a proper plan. The idea worked out and it has become popular now.
All that they expect from the caller is a promise that he or she would take good care of the saplings and later, a picture for evidence. The reason the team chose to plant saplings at house or work premises is because they felt that people would devote some time and effort to tend to the plants. The team ensures that every sapling serves its purpose, and unless they are sure that the caller could take care of the plants, they don’t include the person in the initiative.
Very soon, the campaign caught the attention of people and the team started getting calls from hospitals, offices and schools in Udupi and Mangaluru. Without any external support, the team has been planting saplings since December last year and has successfully planted thousands of saplings in Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts. “The campaign is participatory and invokes a sense of responsibility in everyone. It’s time the team extends the programme to other districts too,” says Divakar Hiriadka, who has planted saplings in his house through the programme.
The journey of Namma Mane Namma Mara crossed its first big milestone in September 2016. A hearty decision of giving out an acre of land for the creation of a non-commercial forest was announced by Lakshmikanth Rao, a businessman from Palimar, Udupi. The idea was to build a non-commercial forest by planting 1,001 saplings of 101 species. At least 101 people planted saplings simultaneously, each stating a purpose of their own. It saw the participation of a large number of people from different sectors of the society.
The team is not just planting saplings, but also imparting the culture of revering nature in all generations. To join them, call +91-9986220255, or leave them a message on their Facebook page ‘Friends for Nature’.