The emphasis being laid on encouraging commercial cultivation of tulip flowers in Uttarakhand has elicited response from those active in the social, cultural and environmental spheres of Uttarakhand. The activists opine that the intention behind facilitating commercial tulip cultivation to generate income for locals may be good but before starting on such a venture, the state first and also vitally needs to focus on protecting the remaining traditional flower species and other wealth of its native flora which was once an integral part of society in the mountain state of Uttarakhand for religious, medicinal, food and beverage, cultural and even commercial purpose to a limited extent but has been on the wane for some years now with some even facing extinction in the future in absence of timely efforts.

The Uttarakhand governor Krishan Kant Paul has been taking a keen interest in various aspects of his gubernatorial office. On Wednesday, he planted tulip bulbs in the Raj Bhawan estate. With the intention of ascertaining the scope for commercial cultivation of the tulip in Uttarakhand, the governor had in the previous year also planted 150 tulip bulbs at Raj Bhawan. The blossoming of these tulips about two and half months later during the spring season gave a boost to the commercial plantation concept, according to the official statement from Raj Bhawan. The tulip bulbs imported from Holland were made available to Raj Bhawan by the Rashtrapati Bhawan. This year, about half a dozen varieties/shades of tulip have been planted in the Raj Bhawan with the plants expected to bloom in about 60 to 75 days. Since the tulip is grown in cold regions, its farming should be encouraged in the mountainous areas of Uttarakhand found suitable to boost income generation, according to the Raj Bhawan.

However, those active in the field of agricultural, environmental, social and cultural activities in Uttarakhand for decades now, feel that though the tulip plan may be well-intentioned, it is more vital to focus on the native flora species—some of which are threatened--  with the fragile Himalayan ecology being affected by factors like indiscriminate exploitation of natural resources, unscientific explosive detonations for construction of ill-planned motor roads and apathy towards the need for preserving the unique wealth of Himalayan biodiversity in Uttarakhand.   Suresh Bhai of Sarvodaya Andolan and Save River campaign, among other initiatives, criticised the idea while stressing on the vital importance of preserving the existing floral wealth of the state. “There is a tendency in some parts of the establishment not familiar with the native aspects of the state to forget the existing wealth of flowers and varied plants in Uttarakhand, some of which are now threatened or even extinct. The wealth of Himalayan biodiversity in Uttarakhand, the flowers and other floral aspects with traditional, cultural and environmental presence in the state need to be attended to and preserved before taking up cultivation of foreign species,” he stressed.

Noted environmentalist Anil Prakash Joshi opined that the tulip idea may have been conceived considering the plant’s  conduciveness for plantation in the state and potential for income generation from it. However, he stressed that there is no dearth of other plant species growing and also being cultivated in the state like geranium, wild rose and eclipta flowers, which along with varied native floral wealth also need to be focused upon.