Trees ingrained in our cultural fabric: Principal Secy

Jammu, July 18: Brij Mohan Sharma, Principal Secretary of the Department of Culture, Friday underscored the profound cultural and ecological significance of trees, declaring them “an inseparable component of our culture and heritage.” He was speaking at the launch of the plantation campaign “Bhulle Bisre Rukh-Boote” held at the Abhinav Theatre Complex in Jammu.According to a statement issued here, the initiative, organised by the Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages (JKAACL) in collaboration with the J&K Forest Research Institute (FRI), seeks to revive traditional plant species rooted deeply in the cultural memory of the region. Sharma, the chief architect of the campaign, was joined by Dr. O.P. Sharma “Vidyarthi” — renowned environmentalist, Dogri writer, and former Principal Chief Conservator of Forests — widely celebrated for his “Tree Talk” initiative. Harvinder Kour, Secretary JKAACL, highlighted that the campaign’s goal is to re-establish people’s emotional and cultural connection with native trees that are gradually vanishing from public consciousness. The event drew active participation from senior officials across the Culture Department, JKAACL, and the Forest Research Institute. Dignitaries symbolically planted trees of cultural relevance, reinforcing the campaign’s core message. Speakers jointly emphasised the need to conserve traditional flora, many species of which face neglect or extinction. The campaign bridges environmental conservation with cultural revival, positioning tree planting as a living act of heritage preservation.