A nine-year-old girl Elangbam Valentina Devi, has been made the brand ambassador of Manipur. The state government decided to appoint her as the ambassador for the Chief Minister’s Green Manipur Mission, after a video of Valentina weeping over trees being cut down went viral on social media.
A Class 5 student, Valentina had planted two Gulmohar trees by the side of a river when she was in Class 1. A student of Amutombi Divine Life English School, she had been looking after the saplings on a daily basis and they ahd grown into trees. Last week, the two trees were cut down for a project to widen a road beside the river.
A video of her crying as she sees the trees she planted as a small child being cut down went viral on social media. The video has won Valentina much support on social media.
Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh, who is very active on social media responded immediately.
The state forest department has now planted 20 saplings along the road upon her request. The youth club in her neighbourhood has also decided to plant around 1,000 saplings in and around the area to honour her love for trees.
The government has issued an order that all official tree plantation activities taken up by the state are in recognition of Valentina’s love and affection for trees and to generate mass awareness on the need to conserve the environment for one year after the issuing of the order.
A government order also states Valentina will be involved in various government sponsored plantation programmes. She will be involved in various government-sponsored plantation programmes including ceremonial plantations, VIP involved plantations, World Environment Day and Van-Mahotsava. She will be also part of all such advertisements/campaigns which promote increase in green cover in Manipur”.
Via Times of India / Newz Hook / Reuters
