SUKHIN CHAWLA AND FRIENDS

Location: Ropar, Punjab

Ankita Sharma, Sukhin Chawla, Dalvinder Singh and Ajay Singla

We were on our way to a friend’s wedding when we came upon a beautiful village near Ropar in Punjab. There was greenery all around. It was very ethereal and mesmerizing. There were fields of sugarcane, maize, rice, etc. There were poplar trees all around. They are grown in this region for wood because they grow quickly. Their wood is soft, white and of uniform texture and well suited for various industries. They can be harvested in 8-10 years, and can help with reforestation.

We stopped the car and I asked my friends to hug the poplar trees tightly and be TREE HUGGERS. It was a very calm and relaxed place free from pollution and noise. We could see God in the trees, fields, birds and grass. Every moment was great!

Sukhin Chawla is a 24 year old proud Punjabi who works as a TV Presenter in Doordharshan in India. She is pursuing her dual masters in English Literature and Agribusiness from Punjab University, Chandigarh. She will be doing her last two semesters at the University of Melbourne in Australia. In addition to getting her friends to hug trees, she tries to raise awareness and get people to be more environmentally friendly. She hopes to build a tiger sanctuary in the future. She believes that anything is possible if “we have trust and faith in ourselves”.