Kolkata, April 22 : One of the Padma Shri awardees this year is Dukhu Majhi, an environmental activist from a tribal community in West Bengal's Purulia district, whose main passion in life is planting trees.

For Majhi, the award is not just a recognition of his lifelong endeavour to plant trees and encourage others to do so, but also an inspiration to carry forward his mission.

It is often said that a small statement of wisdom acts as an eye-opener to inspire anyone to take up a noble cause as life's mission. And this happened with Majhi too.

'A word of wisdom from an Englishman that in the future, there would be a lack of oxygen in the air unless more and more trees are planted became an eye-opener for me. Since then, I made planting trees the mission of my time,' Majhi said.

Majhi also said that his mission to plant trees, which he has been pursuing for the last 12 years, was not prompted by the greed for recognition.

'Frankly speaking, I never expected the Padma Shri award. But at the same time, this award is an inspiration to carry forward my mission more passionately,' he said.

/IANS