'In world of propagandists, be Tulsi Gowda not Greta': Abhishek Singhvi hails Padma Shri

Rajya Sabha MP Abhishek Singhvi showered accolades on Tulsi Gowda who was conferred with the prestigious Padma Shri award on Tuesday, November 9. A total of 119 distinguished individuals were awarded for their services in discreet fields. Gowda, a 72-year-old environmentalist who is popularly known as 'Encyclopedia of Forests' was also amongst the awardees. 

Taking to Twitter, Singhvi shared a picture of her receiving the honour. Alongside, he quipped "In a world of propagandists, be a real change agent". He took the phrase a step further by likening the "propagandists" with Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg. "In the world of #GretaThunbergs, be a #TulsiGowda!," he wrote. 

Tulsi Gowda: Encyclopedia of forests and Padma Shri awardee

Many people described Gowda's photo of her receiving the prestigious Padma award as the 'image of the day'. In an iconic image that warmed netizens' hearts, PM Modi was seen clasping the woman's hand and conversing with her. Gowda can be seen walking barefoot in the Rashtrapati Bhavan's Durbar Hall, pausing momentarily to greet Prime Minister Narendra Modi before proceeding to receive the award from the President, according to videos and photos that have leaked online.

Tulsi Gowda's work history 

Tulsi Gowda, 77, has worked for the Forest Department for over six decades, planting saplings and maintaining nursery facilities. She is a member of the Halakki tribe and is known as an 'encyclopaedia of forests' due to her extensive knowledge of trees and herbs. Gowda, a native of Karnataka's Honnali hamlet, had planted around 30,000 seedlings. Gowda accepted the Padma Shri award barefoot in the Rashtrapati Bhavan. She is a member of the Halakki Tribal of Karnataka.

Her family and work with the Forest Department 

Her father died when she was just two years old, and she was born into an impoverished family. She began working at a local nursery with her mother when she was a small child. Gowda never attended school and married when she was only a teenager. Gowda has actively contributed to environmental protection by planting thousands of trees. She started as a temporary volunteer with the forest department, where she was recognised for her commitment to environmental preservation. Later, she was offered a permanent position in the department. She retired after 15 more years at the age of 70.

Image: Dramsinghvi/Twitter/ANI