Noted environmental activist T. Shobheendran, who initiated thousands of youngsters to the world of nature conservation and inspired many others with his unyielding passion for social forestry initiatives, died of cardiac arrest at a private hospital in Kozhikode city on Thursday night. He was 76.
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For more than three days, he had been under treatment for age-related ailments and uneasiness. Despite his ill health, this septuagenarian was an inevitable part of the city’s green movements and campaigns for the cause of nature. After his retirement as professor in Economics from the Zamorin’s Guruvayurappan college, he initiated various unique programmes and campaigns to improve the participation of students in planting trees and its conservation.
With his passion for always riding a green-coloured motorbike apart from wearing green attire and cap, he emerged as a one-man army for his self-declared mission to “save earth”. Even before the entry of government machinery with focussed campaigns for afforestation and social forestry, Prof. Shobheendran who was fondly called ‘Shobheendran Mash’ had managed to travel miles ahead with his pioneering social interventions for the cause. He was later part of the State Wildlife Board and the National Afforestation and Eco Development Board as a member.
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Environmental activists who worked closely with him remembered that it was the campus of Guruvayurappan College that first witnessed his passion for afforestation initiatives. Under his leadership, about 100 acres of barren land around the campus had been turned into a green space with over 5,000 trees. Since then, he had been constantly associated with the planting of hundreds of saplings along the road and other barren public places.
A winner of State Government’s Vriksha Mithra award in 2007, he was part of numerous nature camps and trekking activities organised for youths to sensitise them on various conservation activities. The National Service Scheme (NSS) volunteers in various schools and campuses were the majority who collaborated with this retired professor to steer their social campaigns for nature. It was his initiatives that led to the formation of campus and city research centres for planning and implementing various afforestation projects.
Members of the Kerala Prakruthi Samrakshana Samiti recalled that his relentless fight against river bank encroachments and water pollution had prompted government functionaries at various times to come up with strong actions. They also remembered him as a true champion for nature who ignited thousands of people with his relentless conservation activities and social campaigns.
The leaders of various socio-cultural and political organisations in the State condoled the death of the renowned environmental activist. After public homage, the cremation would take place at 4 p.m. today. He is survived by wife M.C. Padmaja and children Bodhi Krishna and Dhyan Dev.