Revitalization of Rivers in India Draft Policy - Isha Guru Jaggi Vasudev

Revitalization of Rivers In India
Draft Policy Recommendation
Volunteer meetings were organized to share information and learning.
In cities, awareness was created through multiple media channels like newspapers,
advertisement on television channels, posters, banners, hoardings and fund-raising
concerts. Greenhands also used Isha music CDs, Sadhguru’s programmes on radio and TV
channels and Isha events to create awareness about the project. (Refer Annexure II, III
and IV for campaign related details)
In villages, volunteers did door-to-door campaigns, public announcements and meetings.
In 2007, Isha Agro Movement (IAM), a sub project under Project GreenHands was launched
to address the concerns facing the farming community in India, especially in the context
of farmer suicides that was happening in India. This movement combined agro-forestry
with organic farming practices. In addition, IAM also provided education programmes.
Greenhands volunteers stayed with the villagers and met farmers. They also worked in coordination
with organizations that were in the field trying to help the farmers. Brochures
were distributed in more than 3200 villages. Isha’s social outreach programmes came in
handy. Isha Gramotsavam (village festival), an event for people belonging to 3200 villages
in the state of TN was used to promote Greenhands. The festival consisted of sports
and games activities (“Rural Olympics”), rural food festival that offered more than 250
culinary preparations, rural cultural show that exhibited native art forms and handicrafts,
a musical programme and a Satsang with Sadhguru. Events like Agri-fest 2007 and “Rural
Olympics” promoted interest at the grassroots level.
Awareness meetings in villages were given much importance. In the meetings with
villages, Greenhands communicated the importance of trees. “The basic energy for
sustenance of life on this planet is coming from the sun. The energy transfer happened
because of the existence of plants and trees. By destroying the trees, we destroyed our
source of food. The kind of food we take in is very important – it is like medicine. It can
nourish us or it can kill us. Self-healing capacity is there in us, it is there in the nature. I
am a diabetic patient since 30. For the past 25 years, I have not taken any medicines. This
self-healing capability is not communicated to the humanity, probably because there is
no money making possibility in human well-being,” said Ethirajulu. Awareness meetings
were an ongoing process and Greenhands believed that these meetings had resulted in
almost 1.5 million people being aware of the project.
Decision makers, like politicians and bureaucrats, were introduced to the project by
inviting them to involve in inaugural and closing ceremonies of planting and distribution
of saplings. They were also given individual presentations about the project.
NURTURE AND DEVELOPMENT
“While on our visits, we saw people – be it tribals or people from other sections of the
society, performing a number of rituals to bring rain. Destroying nature and then doing
Annexures
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