Referring to Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said here on Tuesday that due to heavy rains in different parts of the country in the last one month, there had been loss of lives. He said that playing with nature would not save us from its adverse effects. Plantation is a good endeavour and Amrit Vatika will help us join with the environment, he added.

The Chief Minister expressed these views at the inauguration of Amrit Stambh under the Meri Mati-Mera Desh campaign at Amrit Vatika on Tuesday. On this occasion, he also inaugurated the campaign to plant five crore saplings in a single day in the state on the Independence Day under the Vriksharopan Jan Abhiyan-2023 by planting saplings of Harishankari in Amrit Vatika.

The chief minister said everyone was getting an opportunity to join with a new determination and a new enthusiasm, the comprehensive action plan for the next 25 years to realise the vision of a developed India inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “It is the duty of every citizen to work for society and the nation,” he said.

While congratulating the people of the state on the 77th Independence Day, the chief minister said that on the occasion of August Kranti Diwas, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called upon every Indian to take some resolution in the first year of Amrit Kaal between August 9 and August 30.

“In order of this resolution, various programmes are being organised. Various programmes like Meri Mati-Mera Desh, Mati Ko Naman, Veeron Ka Vandan have started,” he said.

Yogi Adityanath said that the date of August 9 was associated with the freedom movement of the state. “On this date, we all got an opportunity to associate with the anniversary of the Kakori train action. On August 9, 2023, Mati Ko Naman Veeron Ka Vandan programme was started from Kakori. The establishment of the Amrit Stambh is in accordance with the resolve of the prime minister. Lucknow Development Authority has selected the place for setting up the Amrit Stambh in Mankameshwar ward on the banks of river Gomti in Lucknow. This Amrit Stambh accommodates the number 75 in various forms. Whether it is the Amrit Kalash or the height of the Amrit Stambh, the height of the corners, all these are linked to the number 75 in one way or the other,” he said.

Chief Minister Yogi further said Amrit Vatika also called upon every citizen to join with a new resolution in the centenary year of the country’s independence.

“When the country will celebrate the centenary of its independence after 25 years, at that time this Amrit Vatika and this Amrit Stambh will remind all of us of the resolutions of the Amrit Mahotsav of independence. It will be an opportunity for us and for the coming generations to know, hear and see what resolutions were taken, what programmes were completed and with what sincerity and with what commitment it was taken forward in the year of Amrit Mahotsav of Independence. This Amrit Stambh and Amrit Vatika will continue to inspire us to move forward with the upcoming action plan,” the chief minister said.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that the Amrit Vatika was a part of the series of discharging one’s duties honestly. “There can be different excuses for the construction of Amrit Vatika. In India, the worship of nature has been recognised since ancient times. Three sacred trees were added as Harishankari (peepal, banyan, pakad). It has been an eternal tradition to develop Nakshatra Vatika by planting saplings in the name of 27 different nakshatras and Navagraha Vatika by planting saplings in the name of nine planets. Trees are the medium to connect us all with nature and the divine. When nature will be safe through these, then the grace of God will also remain on all of us. We will be free from any kind of calamity,” he added.

The chief minister said that the prime minister had spoken about ‘Panch Pran’. “To make India developed, it is necessary that we feel proud of our heritage and get freedom from the mindsets of slavery. At the same time, there should be a call for unity and integration by all of us. Unity and integration in the form that not North, South, East, West, caste, creed, religion, region and language but Mother India is paramount for all of us. We all should have dedication for the motherland.  This is our priority. Faith and worship should be secondary for us. It may be our personal matter, but ‘salute to the soil, salute the heroes’ should be our resolve. It also serves to connect us all in the bond of unity and integration,” he added.

The chief minister said that civic duty was most important.

“Often we talk about our rights, but get distracted from our duties. The prime minister took a pledge to celebrate the Constitution Day on November 26, the date of adoption of the Constitution. On this occasion, the civic duties were discussed in the legislature. While associating with civic duties, discharge those tasks honestly in the field in which we are working. This will be our tribute to the motherland,” he added.