bio diversity
The ‘Cherry Blossom Story’
Besides inspiring a plantation drive with message of sustainable development, read and to
know how these attractive flowers are redefining friendship between two nations
BY BIOVOICE CORRESPONDENT
MULTIMEDIA
C
A Must See Documentary
Credits: Institute of Bioresources & Sustainable Development (IBSD), Department
of Biotechnology, Government of India.
herry Blossom is the flower of
any of several trees of genus
Prunus, particularly the
Japanese cherry, Prunus
serrulata, which is popularly known as
Sakura in Japan and is part of
Japanese life and culture. It Japan has
been planting the cherry blossom trees
in several countries to spread the
message of peace and strengthening
of bilateral friendship. Given the rapidly
growing ties between the ‘Land of
Rising Sun’ and India, the India surely
had to be on their next list.
Therefore, India became 28th nation
and Delhi became the first city in India
and 38th city in the world to hold a
joint India -Japan Sakura plantation
ceremony in February this year. The
thought process behind the initiative
was of Professor Dinabandhu Sahoo,
Director, Institute of Bioresources &
Sustainable Development (IBSD) based
at Imphal in Arunachal Pradesh.
The ISBD which is a national institute
of the Department of Biotechnology,
Government of India has launched
India’s first ‘Cherry Blossom Festival’
and started planting thousands of
Cherry Blossom sapling to spread what
it says, the message of peace,
tranquillity and friendship, to promote
sustainable development in the
country.
“We have decided not only to use these
unique bio-resources to bring peace
and happiness but also to promote
ecotourism in India especially in the
North-Eastern, in a bid to usher socioeconomic development of the region,”
said Dr Dinabandhu Sahoo who is on
deputation from the Department of
Botany, University of Delhi adding,
“We will continue with our efforts to
highlight these unique gifts of nature.”
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