In a small village called Piplantri in Rajasthan’s Rajsamand district, there stands a beautiful forest that tells a touching story of love and change. When Sarpanch Dr. Shyam Sundar Paliwal lost his young daughter, his heart was filled with deep sadness. But instead of letting grief make him weak, he turned his pain into something beautiful for his village.
As the village head, Paliwal saw many problems in Piplantri – there were very few trees, people did not welcome girl children, and there was not enough water. One day, while looking at the empty, dry land near his village, he got a special idea. He decided that whenever a girl child was born in Piplantri, they would plant 111 trees to celebrate her birth. For poor families with baby girls, the village also started collecting Rs 21,000 to make a fixed deposit for the child’s future.
Paliwal went from house to house, talking to village women about making their daughters strong. He asked grandmothers and aunts to take care of the trees planted for their little girls. The village council also started having tree festivals to keep everyone excited about this good work. What was once a dry village with no water has now become a green heaven with 3,51,000 trees of different types – mangoes, sheesham, banyan, and peepal trees are growing everywhere. The government gave Paliwal the Padma Shri award in 2021 for his good work. These days, he is trying to bring more jobs to the village so young people don’t have to leave their homes to find work in big cities. Today, Piplantri is no longer just a village – it has become a Nandan Van, a forest of happiness, where every tree tells the story of a girl child’s birth.
Making the Village Green and Clean
The idea which Shri Shyam Sunder Paliwal was having has started growing like a small plant. He was first talking to the village people and making them understand why planting trees is important. Many villagers were not agreeing in the beginning, but Shri Paliwal was not giving up. He was showing them how trees can be giving multiple benefits. He was explaining that trees will be bringing rain, giving shade, and making the air clean. Slowly, the villagers were starting to understand and support his mission. The village panchayat was making a rule that along with planting 111 trees, the parents of newborn girls were having to sign an affidavit saying they will be taking care of the trees and not letting their daughter marry before 18 years of age.
Saving Girls and Growing Trees Together
Shri Shyam Sunder Paliwal knew that his work was not stopping with just planting trees. He was seeing how people in the village were treating girl children differently from boys. So, he was starting another good practice. The village was collecting Rs. 21,000 from the village people and Rs. 10,000 from the parents whenever a girl was born. This money was being put in a fixed deposit for 20 years. Parents were having to promise that they will be sending their daughters to school and not doing child marriage. The trees which were being planted were also giving income to the village. The villagers were planting aloe vera between the trees and selling aloe vera products. Shri Paliwal was making sure that this money was helping in the development of the village.
A Village That is Now an Example
Today, Shri Shyam Sunder Paliwal’s small idea has become a big success story. His village Piplantri has more than 350,000 trees, and not a single girl child has been married before age 18 since 2006. People from different places are coming to see how this change is happening. Shri Paliwal is always telling visitors that this change was coming because everyone in the village was working together. The trees which were planted years ago are now giving fruits and helping the village economy. More importantly, the thinking of people about girl children is changing. The village which was once having problems with female feticide is now celebrating the birth of every girl child. Shri Paliwal is saying that his daughter Kiran might not be there today, but her memory is living in every tree and every girl child of Piplantri village.
Respecting Women in Indian Culture
Shri Shyam Sunder Paliwal was always saying that India is not just a male-dominated country, but it is a nation that has been giving highest respect to women power. He was explaining how Indians are worshiping Goddesses like Lakshmi, Saraswati, and Kali in every aspect of life. Even during Navratri, people are celebrating the power of female divine energy. He was pointing out that Mother Earth herself is being worshiped in Indian culture, and nature is also being called Mother Nature. Shri Paliwal was proudly telling everyone that India has women in powerful positions – from village heads to the President. He was showing how women in his village were proving themselves by doing excellent work. According to Shri Paliwal, women are working shoulder to shoulder with men in every field, and no family can progress if women in the house are not happy and respected.
Women’s Growth and Challenges
Through his experiences, Shri Shyam Sunder Paliwal was observing that women were facing many difficulties in recent times. He was noticing how some bad elements in society were treating women wrongly and causing harm to society’s reputation. But he was also seeing hope as many people were still respecting and worshiping their daughters. In his village, women were showing amazing enthusiasm in development work. They were proving that they could do big tasks. The elderly women were sharing their experiences with the new generation. Shri Paliwal was saying that when women were getting proper payment for their work, they were showing extraordinary results. They were changing the village by planting trees, making the village green, and promoting natural farming.
Connecting Trees with Traditions
Shri Shyam Sunder Paliwal was explaining the importance of connecting trees with festivals and community. He was telling how trees have ayurvedic properties like giving oxygen, holding water in their roots, making and protecting soil. He was sharing examples like the Peepal tree which gives oxygen for 24 hours, and the Banyan tree which gives maximum oxygen and provides shelter to birds. He was reminding people how their ancestors had connected these trees with festivals – like worshiping Amla trees on Amla Navami, and using Neem leaves in Bhairon temples. Shri Paliwal was trying to revive these old traditions which people had forgotten in the last 25 years. He was not creating anything new but helping people remember the wisdom of their ancestors who had made thirty festivals related to trees.
Future Plans and Training Center
Shri Shyam Sunder Paliwal was proud to tell that the government has opened a training center in his village. The Chief Minister of Rajasthan was wanting this model to be followed in the whole state. The training center, built with a budget of five crores, was having senior officers to train village heads from all over the country. People were coming to learn how a village head can honestly implement government schemes. Shri Paliwal was saying that if village heads are experienced and honest, they can do wonderful work with government funds. He believed that his village is his biggest holy place because many generations of his family were born there and had their last rites performed there. He was working hard to develop his village and was teaching others that when the government gives money for village development, it should be used honestly without any corruption.
Daughters Connecting with Nature
Shri Shyam Sunder Paliwal was sharing beautiful stories about the girls of Piplantri village who were benefiting from his tree-planting program. He was telling how these daughters were coming with love to hug the trees and tie rakhi on them. Through the media, they were sending a powerful message to the world community. These girls were saying that the trees which were giving fruits now were planted by their parents on their birthdays. Just like their parents gave them birth, they were giving life to these trees. Shri Paliwal was proudly watching how these daughters were taking a pledge to protect their trees by tying rakhi. The girls were deeply connected with nature and told their friends, “Look, these trees were planted on my birthday, and now they are making our environment better.” When daughters were getting connected, their parents were also joining the movement. Shri Paliwal was seeing how this emotional connection was creating big changes in the village.
Supporting Village Development Models
Shri Shyam Sunder Paliwal was expressing his concerns about the government land in Rajasthan. He was explaining that every gram panchayat had hundreds of acres of grazing land, which was being spoiled by illegal mining and waste dumping. He was suggesting that if these lands were protected through government schemes like MGNREGA and other programs, they could solve both pollution and unemployment problems in villages. Shri Paliwal was promising that his team was not taking any money from home for this work, nor were they doing any corruption. He believed that if honest and mature village heads came forward, this model could be successfully implemented everywhere. According to him, the key was to treat the whole village as one family, including its people and wildlife.
Tree Plantation and Population Connection
Shri Shyam Sunder Paliwal was proposing a unique idea about tree planting. He was suggesting that for every person in the village, five trees should be planted in five years. In a village with five thousand population, he was recommending that five thousand trees should be planted every year. He was explaining how this should be made compulsory for village heads and government workers. Shri Paliwal pointed out that these trees would be planted on government land using government schemes, giving everyone a right to them. He was strongly opposing encroachment on government land, saying that encroachers were more dangerous than invaders because they permanently damaged the village’s development.
Creating Self-Sufficient Villages
Shri Shyam Sunder Paliwal was emphasizing that village councils should not always depend on government grants. He was suggesting that they should generate their own income. In his village, he was proud that every person was following the principle of planting as many trees as the oxygen they consume. He was teaching people to give back to Mother Earth the same amount of water they use. Through these efforts, Shri Paliwal was showing that if one village could solve its problems, the whole country could do the same. He believed that the only thing lacking was strong willpower from governments and honest leadership from village heads. His message was clear – instead of running after contracts and money, village heads should run after protecting nature.
A Humble Beginning with Nature’s Call
Shri Shyam Sunder Paliwal believes that we must give back to nature what we take from it. As a dedicated village leader, he has shown that the government is not giving but merely allowing people to work for environmental protection. When he started his journey, many village panchayats were crying out for help, but he discovered that the only way to address these issues was through direct action. Shri Paliwal understood that the work needed to be done at the grassroots level, not just through government agencies. He realized that gram panchayats should focus on monitoring and developing villages in a sustainable way. Through his tireless efforts, he has demonstrated that village development requires both environmental consciousness and community participation. His approach has always been practical and focused on results, showing that when people take responsibility for their environment, positive change naturally follows.
From Personal Growth to Community Service
When Shri Shyam Sunder Paliwal first began his environmental work, he did it not just for society’s welfare but also for his own growth. His dedication has brought him great respect in his village, where people now trust his judgment and seek his advice. He humbly acknowledges that this work has blessed not only him but his entire family. Rather than claiming personal credit, he sees his achievements as a way of enriching lives throughout his community. The recognition he receives today comes from years of devoted service. More people are becoming aware of environmental issues and their responsibilities because of his work. His influence has grown so much that the government has recognized his efforts with official positions. Yet, Shri Paliwal maintains that the real reward is seeing people become more environmentally conscious and take responsibility for their surroundings.
The True Meaning of Recognition and Respect
Shri Shyam Sunder Paliwal firmly believes that respect comes to those who work sincerely. He emphasizes that the recognition he receives is not personal but belongs to the work itself and the entire village community. As the village head, he sees himself as merely representing the collective efforts of his people. The respect he gets is actually the respect for the work done by the villagers. When people recognize his efforts, they listen more carefully to environmental messages that were previously ignored. Through his awareness campaign, society has started understanding its responsibilities towards the environment better. His journey, which began at a young age of eleven, has reached great heights. He advises young people, both rural and urban, to work hard and not chase cheap popularity. His message is clear: success comes through genuine effort, not through seeking quick fame.
Rural Development and Environmental Sustainability
Shri Shyam Sunder Paliwal has noticed that village unemployment often leads young people to migrate to cities, changing the village culture. He strongly advocates for providing better facilities in rural areas to prevent this migration. His solution includes providing agricultural connections, animal husbandry schemes, solar water pumps, and opportunities in horticulture. He believes that making villages self-reliant is crucial. The government has good policies for village development, but their success depends on the dedication of village heads, gram sevaks, and local organizations. In Shri Paliwal’s experience, when these groups work together sincerely, problems like unemployment disappear. He points to successful examples in Maharashtra where natural farming and animal husbandry are thriving, and large numbers of fruit trees are being planted. He sees these changes happening slowly but surely, and believes that India’s villages can become model communities for the world to follow through such sustained efforts.
In this way, Shri Shyam Sunder Paliwal was showing that one person’s strong will can change an entire village. His work was not only saving the environment but also changing how people were thinking about girl children. The success of Piplantri village is telling us that when someone has good intentions and strong determination, anything can be possible. Many villages in India are now trying to follow what Shri Paliwal has done in Piplantri, making his small idea grow into a big movement for saving both trees and girl children.
Also Read: Sunil Jaglan: Change Maker of Gender Equality in Rural India
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