A social media influencer from Baramulla district of north Kashmir is seen frequently exhorting his followers on social media platforms to refrain from environmental pollution and offers solutions for a greener world.
Mir Bilal, an eco-conscious influencerhails from a town surrounded by a chain of undulating mountains. He works as an English language trainer, besides being a freelance writer. He holds a degree in journalism and mass communication from Bangalore University.
He would be aptly defined as a language trainer/freelance writer turned eco activist owing to his love, care, and compassion for nature.
A passionate environmentalist, who considers preserving nature a human, ethical, moral, and religious responsibility has a huge fan following not only in Kashmir but in other countries also.
Bilal told Rising Kashmir that he always consider himself fortunate enough to be living on a chunk of land called Kashmir, replete with breath-taking natural grandeur. Going to the nearby mountains for a quick jaunt is what he loves the most.
“I feel as if some strange strings of love connect me to nature in general and to the mountains in particular. Going to the mountains make me feel liberated from the mediocrity of this world. The mountains have so much to offer to a nature lover like me,” Bilal added.
Accentuating the merits of being in the lap of nature, Bilal said that the physical, psychological, and emotional health benefits of going to the mountains instill a sense of tranquillity in a person and a strange positive energy which makes one to appreciate the pulchritudinous creation of Allah (SWT).
He has been exploring the natural beauty of his hometown for a decade now. Initially, while going to the mountains, he would often feel disappointed to see the beautiful surroundings strewn with litter that mostly included non-biodegradable waste like plastic bottles, polythene bags, and wrappers. It would instil him dread to see the natural splendour of his surroundings die in agony.
It so occurred that he decided to record short videos and post them to social media, mostly Facebook, in order to educate his community and the local administration about the negative impacts of destroying the environment and other natural resources.
“I drew the attention of the people and the administration towards it and at times earned the substantial consideration of the local administration in tackling the menace,” Mir told Rising Kashmir.
His attempts to draw people’s attention to environmental issues have occasionally failed but the reaction by adminstration and eco aware people has been enormously great.
To halt the creeping demise of the mesmerising beauty of his hometown, he keeps making short videos about various environmental issues and uploads them to Facebook.
Recently, he went to the market where he saw roadside drains littered with rubbish. He instantly recorded a short video and sincerely requested the local administration to provide dustbins to the shopkeepers so that they could discard the litter safely.
“The following day, the local administration had placed trash cans in the market. Through my videos I urge both the administration and people to safeguard the planet by participating actively in environmental friendly movements,” he stated.
Many people have even begun to like and support his beliefs and opinions because of the way he lives an environmentally conscious life, which causes people to reflect on their errors.
“I want my fellow beings to converge towards a common goal and collectively work for the betterment of the environment,” he adds.
