Planting Hope

Buddheswar Ray is a nature-loving school teacher who has single-handedly planted 30,000 saplings so far

- Nabarun Guha

At the time when issues like climate change and global warming are not just mere buzzwords, and are actually threatening to affect the future of mankind, one man in Bongaigaon district of Assam has been silently working on a green revolution. Buddheswar Ray, a school teacher hailing from Tulungiya village in Bongaigaon has been a ray of hope for its residents, planting almost 30,000 saplings in the district since 2001.

The sole motive of his life is to plant trees, and keep the world green for the sake of our future generation. ‘I consider the whole world as my home. We are just so busy with our respective lives that we don’t look at the larger picture. Climate change is a real issue. This is going to affect everyone.’

Humble Beginnings

Ray had always loved nature, but he really started taking action in 2001, when he was a college student. Despite hailing from a modest background, he used to spend his precious spending money on saplings and plant them at public places. He would also try his best to stop people from cutting trees in his area. Initially, people used to ridicule him, but over the years, their attitude changed. Now, many have joined him in his mission.