Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and his wife Lakshmi Puri planted two saplings on World Environment Day, 5 June 2026, joining Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam (One Tree in Mother's Name) campaign to honour their mothers through afforestation.

Context

Sharing a Sanskrit verse on the selflessness of trees — 'Chhaayaam anyasya kurvanti tishtanti svayam aatape' (They give shade to others while standing themselves in the scorching sun) — Puri described trees as 'life giving' and 'central to Indian virasat, culture, civilisation and traditions.' He invoked the concept of Vriksha Mata, the philosophical tradition within Indian thought that reveres trees as maternal figures, and noted that Indian folklore has long depicted trees as animated, speaking beings.

The minister planted a Mango sapling in memory of his mother, Sardarni Bibi Kundan Kaur Ji, and an Ashoka sapling in memory of his mother-in-law, Smt Malati Desai Ji. He described both women as 'empowered, inspirational and educated' individuals who shared a 'common love for nature, gardens and environment.'

Policy Backdrop

The Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam initiative is a government-backed afforestation drive that encourages citizens to dedicate tree plantations to their mothers, weaving personal tribute into a national climate goal. The campaign is part of India's broader commitment, made at COP26 in 2021, to achieve net-zero emissions by 2070, with forest and green-cover expansion identified as a core domestic action.

Since 2014, the central government has run recurring plantation drives on World Environment Day that deliberately invoke traditional Indian reverence for trees, seeking to boost public participation by framing afforestation as both ecological necessity and civilisational duty. Puri noted that this is not his first such gesture: he has previously planted Rudraksh, Bel Patthar and Peepal saplings on similar occasions.

Stakeholders and Impact

The campaign draws in ordinary citizens, state forest departments, and public figures alike, creating a participatory model for urban and peri-urban greening. By publicly naming the saplings after specific women and invoking the idea of Matru Chhaya (a mother's protective shade), Puri's post reinforces the campaign's dual message: personal remembrance and collective environmental responsibility.

The integration of cultural motifs — Sanskrit verse, Bhartiyata, Vriksha Mata — with contemporary climate messaging reflects a deliberate communications strategy aimed at making afforestation resonate across demographic and generational lines.

What's Next

Attention will now turn to progress reports on sapling survival rates under the Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam campaign, which will determine whether the initiative translates symbolic gestures into measurable green-cover gains. Any new forest-policy announcements ahead of the next UN Climate Conference (COP) will be watched closely as India seeks to demonstrate momentum on its 2070 net-zero pledge. Puri expressed hope that the saplings planted today 'will also grow into nurturing trees that will benefit the future generations with their Matru Chhaya.'