Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Union Agriculture Minister and former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan is going to celebrate his 67th birthday on March 5, 2026.
Before the occasion, Chouhan, dearly known as ‘Mama ji’ made a heartfelt appeal to the public. He requested his people to plant a sapling instead of sending him gifts this time.
He made the request with a video post on his official social media handle on Friday. Through the video, he tried to draw the public’s attention towards the actual purpose of life.
He said, “Priya bahno-bhaiyon aur bhanje-bhanjiyaan…Hamara jeevan kisliye hai? Vo kaise safal aur saarathak hoga? Vo saarathak hoga kisi acche uddeshya ke liye jeene se. Paryavaran ka sanrakshan mere jeevan ka ek pavitra uddeshya raha hai aur isliye main roz ped lagata hoon….(Dear sisters, brothers, and nephews and nieces…What is the purpose of life? Life becomes meaningful when we do something good. Protecting the environment has been a special purpose for me, and that’s why I plant trees every day.)”
'Send me pictures of planted sapling'
He further continued, "My birthday is on March 5. Usually, people celebrate it with flowers, shawls, coconuts, or hoardings. This year, I have a special request - please don’t bring anything. Instead, plant a tree on my birthday and send me a photo. That will make my birthday meaningful.”
“Please plant a tree - not just on my birthday, but on your birthdays too. Will you join me?,” he concluded.
Chouhan fond of greens
Noatbly, Chouhan, completed 5 years of 'One Plant Per Day' on February 19 and celebrated the milestone at AP Shinde Hall, Pusa in New Delhi.
The programme aimed to turn his personal pledge into a nationwide green movement.
During the celebration, Chouhan directed that all departmental programmes start with tree planting.
He also requested people to post photographs of planted trees instead of giving him gifts during welcomes, and introduced ideas like a Tree Bank and the ‘Ankur’ platform.
