Jamuna Tudu an Indian environmental activist has been awarded India’s fourth highest civilian award the Padma Shri!

Several efforts are being made to protectforests by both the Central and state Government, but Lady Tarzan JamunaTudus fight for environmental protection has stood out. Her decade-longstruggle to preserve the forests in Chakulia, East Singhbhum of Jharkhand has even put her life indanger at times as she took on the mafia head-on, but she perseveres.

38-year-old Jamuna Tundu of Singhbhumdistrict of Jharkhand is known as Lady Tarzan. In 1998, when Jamuna was married toBadaddih Tola, a village in Jharkhand. Jamuna felt that much of the forest isgetting cut around his village. Jamuna asked the villagers to stop cuttingtrees, but no one heard her. Jamuna did not give up and joined the forest mafiato save the forest from harvesting by adding four women.

In 2004, the Forest Guard Committee formed,with 60 women from thevillage connected, seeing active participation from women, men also cametogether. Now there is a group of 300 women, who do not let the forestcut in the area. The whole village ties the Rakhi to the trees. On the birth ofa daughter, there is a tradition of planting 18 plants. At the time ofmarriage, 10 plants are given to the family. This tradition was started byJamuna herself. VanRaksha Samiti members not only tie Rakhis on trees but also take up thebow-and-arrow and file police cases against those who fell trees illegally.

It is a dangerous job and she has survived threats and attacks. But nothing deters her, she says. Saving forests is my job and passion. Theres no place for fear. Ive also inspired many women to join me in the crusade to save forests, which I think was important because it made an impact on rural society and got people talking about our cause, she said.

We at Grow-Trees, congratulate her for this Award and wishing her all the best. In case you too want to support the environment by planting a tree then visit https://bit.ly/2sSOJX5 to plant trees in two minutes and use Grow-Treess TreeCertificate® to greet your friends and family on their birthday/anniversary.