With an aim to restore the traditional rice varieties, Isha’s Save Soil Movement will organise a grand ‘Traditional Indian Paddy Festival’ on 30th July in Trichy.

A press meet was held regarding this, at Trichy Press Club, yesterday (July 28th). Explaining details about the festival, the field coordinator of the Save Soil Movement, Shri. Muthukumar said, “More than a thousand farmers from all over Tamil Nadu are expected to participate in this festival that is going to be held in the SRM Medical College campus in Trichy. Pioneer organic farmers and agronomists from Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Telangana will be advising the farmers. The program is designed to transform farmers into entrepreneurs and not just producers.”

The list of pioneer farmers joining the festival includes- Smt. Bhuvaneswari, the woman farmer from Kerala who has won various awards for traditional rice farming; Shri. Srikanth, the Telangana farmer who recovered 120 rice varieties and Shri. B.K. Devarao, the farmer who cultivated 160 varieties of rice in 5 acres of land in Karnataka. Noted entomologist Shri. Poochi Selvam among others are going to teach the farmers the techniques of making profit from paddy-cultivation.

Apart from them, medical dietitian, Shri. Healer Sakthivel Yuvraj is going to talk about the medicinal benefits of eating traditional varieties of rice. Additionally, Smt. Maneka, the woman entrepreneur who manufactures and sells 214 value added products made from traditional rice, and Mr. Dinesh Mani, Founder and CEO of Dhaanyas, will delve into the scope of multiplying one’s income through value added products.

Pioneer farmers Mr. Periya Samy (Karur), Mr. Senthil Kumar (Thiruvarur), Mr. Vijay Mahesh (Thanjavur), Mrs. Mahalakshmi (Kanchipuram) and others are going to share their successful field experiences with the farmers. It will also feature an exhibition of simple agricultural tools created by farmers themselves that are used by them in their agricultural practices. Paddy seeds will be provided free of cost to the farmers participating in the festival.

Farmers who want to participate in this festival can contact 83000 93777 and register themselves.

Mr. Periyasamy, a pioneer farmer from Karur, also participated in this press conference.

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As part of Isha’s Save Soil movement, a farmer’s conference on generating 15 sources of income from coconut cultivation was conducted in Pollachi yesterday. Around 1,500 farmers from all over Tamil Nadu participated in the conference which took place at the Nallamuthu Gounder Mahalingam College. Mr. K Shanmugasundaram, Pollachi MP, Mrs. S Priyanka, Sub collector Pollachi and MR GGD Gopalakrishnan, Head of Chamber of Commerce Pollachi were present at the event.

Mr. Valluvan, a pioneer in natural farming, Mr. Ko Siddhar, a Siddha physician, Mr. Saminathan, an entomologist, Mr. Saravanan Kandasami, a soil expert, Mrs. Josephine Mary( VPS), honey bee farmer, Mrs. Yamuna Devi, a young entrepreneur, Mr. Tamil Maran, Cauvery Calling Field Coordinator and Mr. Dhanapal, Neera manufacturer spoke at the conference and shared many ideas.

Experts also spoke about techniques to increase soil fertility thereby increasing coconut output and methods to add value to coconut-related products to increase the farmer’s income.

Further, topics such as bee boxes in the coconut grove increasing the tree’s fruit-bearing capacity, using neera to generate year-long income, protecting coconut trees from white insect infestation, and inter-cropping coconut with high-value crops such as pepper and timber trees were discussed. The medicinal qualities of the coconut tree and the various day-to-day problems faced by coconut farmers and solutions for these problems were also featured in discussions at the conference.

(This is an official press release from Isha Foundation. The Commune was not involved in creating this content.)

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sha’s Save Soil movement and Cauvery Calling movement conducted a workshop yesterday as part of the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University(TNAU), Coimbatore training program for officials of agricultural and related departments of various states of India. Senior and intermediate-level officials were briefed about the various aspects of the Save Soil movement and Cauvery Calling movement by the directors of the movement at the Isha Natural Farm in Semmedu, Coimbatore.

Save Soil Movement, launched by Sadhguru, brings the world’s attention to save the dying soil. The movement is urging nations to mandate 3-6% organic content in agricultural soils around the world through policy-driven initiatives. Cauvery Calling Movement aims to enable 5.2 million farmers to plant 2.42 billion trees in the Cauvery River Basin in 12 years and act as a demonstrable model to Save Soil. 

The director of Cauvery Calling, Mr. Anand Ethirajulu spoke about the activities undertaken by the movement, challenges, the changes brought about by the movement and future plans.

Explaining the learning curve, Mr.  Ethirajulu said that initially the movement planted trees in schools and residential areas but their survival rate was less than 40%. However, they found that the trees planted on agricultural lands, besides financially strengthening farmers, grew with an astonishing survival rate of 80%. “In 2009 we started giving high-value timber trees such as Teak, Red sanders, Mahogany, and Malabar Neem at a subsidized rate of Rs 3. The farmers were eager to adopt the method when we explained the short-term and long-term financial insurance these timber trees would bring.” 

“For the last 15 years, we have been conducting various training programs where farmers who have successfully undertaken tree-based agriculture share their experience and guidance to farmers embarking on this model. We found this method very effective in building the farmer’s confidence to adopt tree-based agriculture. Currently, we are training 14,000 farmers every year to do tree-based agriculture. 2,500 of those farmers have completely switched to tree-based natural farming,” updated Mr. Etirajulu while detailing the current activities of the movement. 

Mr. Venkatrasa, the Director of Farmer Producer Organizations (FPO) that are functioning under the guidance of Isha, shared, “The central government has announced a plan to start 10,000 FPOs and has accepted Velliangiri Uzhavan FPO as a model FPO. At the recent shareholders’ conference held in Delhi, Isha Outreach’s model plan for FPOs was submitted to the ministry which has decided to recommend it all over the country. 

“When we began, it was a difficult task for us to take this concept of FPOs to farmers as agriculture is a very individualized field. With Sadhguru’s guidance, we started Velliangiri Uzhavan. From thinking only about themselves to thinking about solutions for all, there has been a dramatic shift in the farmer’s thinking. We are going to start 25 more FPOs in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture,” added Mr. Venkatrasa.   

The workshop was conducted as part of the five-day training program, “Extension Next – Changing roles and innovations in agricultural extension” from Dec 12 to Dec 16.  It was attended by more than 30 officials from various Indian states and saw the presence of Save Soil Project Coordinator Swami Srimukha and Professor Anandraja, Head of TNAU’s Agricultural Expansion Studies initiative.

(This is an official press release from Isha Foundation. The Commune was not involved in creating this content.)

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Addressing the Round Table, Sadhguru urged the scientists and experts from around the world to come up with a simple coherent language for the common people to understand the importance and urgency to Save Soil.

December 7, 2022: Sadhguru and renowned soil experts and scientists from around the world released the much-awaited  Global Save Soil Policy Handbook for 7 regions during an international round table conference to mark World Soil Day. These regions include Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and Caribbean, Middle East and Northern Africa, North America and Oceania. These policy books offer practical, scientific policy recommendations that governments can put into action to revitalize the soil in their nation. It also released specific Sustainable Soil Management practices for 193 countries recommending 700 unique ways to improve soil health in every country.

The Round Table was attended by 155 global experts from 31 countries who delved deeper into the strategic goals of the Movement along with Sadhguru. Ibrahim Thiaw, Executive Secretary, UNCCD, Australian agronomist, Tony Rinaudo, famously known as ‘The Forest Maker’, Ing. Martin Kováč, State Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of the Slovak Republic also joined virtually. Dr. Muralee Thummarukudy, Director, G20 Global Land Initiative – UNCCD also joined the Round Table.

On #WorldSoilDay, an illustrious panel of global experts joined @SadhguruJV to discuss #SaveSoil and the significance of Soil as a key aspect of any meaningful ecological solution. Here's what they had to say:

— Conscious Planet #SaveSoil (@cpsavesoil) December 6, 2022

Addressing the Round Table, Sadhguru urged the scientists and experts to come up with a simple coherent language for the common people to understand the importance and urgency to Save Soil. “For the sake of common people in the world and for the political class, coming out with simple coherent language that they hear loud and clear would make a huge difference.”

Seeing a resounding response to the Save Soil Movement steered by him, Sadhguru expressed his confidence in policy actions by governments around the world, but expressed concern over the pace of implementation. “Without people keeping up their concern for soil in the world, democratically elected governments don’t really move at an appropriate pace. If you don’t make this an election issue, it is not going to get sorted out,” suggested Sadhguru.

The Round Table discussed the strategic goals of the movement in two separate agendas. The first agenda of the Roundtable discussed issues and challenges to raise soil health by increasing Soil Organic Matter. Dr. Muralee Thummarukudy, Director, G20 Global Initiative – UNCCD, observed, “The law (EU soil Strategy) calls for Soil Literacy, which means that people have to know the importance of soil, and this is where the role of people like Sadhguru and the Save Soil Movement is.”

Dr Ahmed H. El-Naggar, International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA), UAE, Dr. Claire Chenu, Coordinator, European Joint Programme – Soil, Dr Lydie-Stella Koutika, Research Center on Productivity and Sustainability of Industrial Plantations (CRDPI) also shared valuable inputs to revitalize soil.

The second agenda discussed issues and challenges in supporting farmers to improve soil health. Dr Paul Luu, Executive Secretary, 4 per 1,000 Initiative, France, reflected, “Healthy soils are really the basis of all our actions- if we want to combat climate change, to combat desertification, to combat biological diversity erosion and if we want to have food security.”

Gabe Brown, Understanding Ag, Prof Rosa Maria Poch, Chair of Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and  Dr Alisher Mirzabaev, Enviro Economist, University of Bonn, Germany contributed to the agenda.

The proceedings from the conference will be compiled and used in various forums to set the agenda to make agricultural soils healthy across the world.

Earlier on Save Soil Day, Sadhguru who is leading the Save Soil Movement kickstarted the global #ScoreforSoil campaign. The campaign, against the backdrop of the Football World Cup, encourages people to put up a video on social media of their best football shot and #ScoreForSoil in support of the Save Soil movement. Many leading global names are joining this global campaign to spread awareness.

The round table was organized by the Save Soil Movement, which was launched by Sadhguru in March this year to bring the world’s attention to save the dying soil. The movement is urging nations to mandate 3-6% organic content in agricultural soils around the world through policy-driven initiatives. Sadhguru, in March, undertook a 100-day, 30,000 km solo bike journey across 27 nations in Europe, Central Asia, Middle East and 11 Indian states. The movement, in a short span of time, has met with resounding success, reaching over 3.91 billion people. 81 nations have committed to frame soil-friendly policies.

(This is an official press release from Isha Foundation. The Commune was not involved in creating this content.)

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On World Soil Day on the 5th of December, volunteers of the Save Soil Movement will conduct awareness programs in more than 60 places in Tamil Nadu to bring attention to save the dying soil. The Save Soil Movement is urging nations to mandate 3-6% organic content in agricultural soils across the world through policy-driven initiatives. This is the minimum organic content required to keep the soil fertile and capable of yielding food. 

Awareness programs will be organized at prominent public spaces like bus stands, railway stations, and beaches in all the districts, including Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Trichy, Tirunelveli, and Erode. Volunteers of the Tamil Nadu Save Soil Movement are planning to conduct Walkathons, Cycle rallies, and display Save Soil placards to draw their support on an issue that poses an existential threat to humanity. 

In Chennai, awareness programs will be at Madipakkam Lakeshore, Elliott’s Beach, Meenakshi College, Kapaleeswarar Temple, Madurai Devar Statue, Vellore Fort, Hosur Railway Station, Rameswaram Ramanatha Swamy Temple, etc. Not only limited to the state, but the volunteers are also organizing awareness programs in all the states of India.

95% of our food comes from the soil, but Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) predicts crop yields could fall by up to 50% in certain regions by 2050 due to climate change and soil extinction. Understanding the urgency, Sadhguru launched the Save Soil Movement and- in March 2022, undertook a 100-day, 30,000 km solo bike journey across 27 nations. He rode across Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East, and 11 Indian states meeting experts, celebrities, elected representatives, and the general public, bringing to the fore the urgent threat of soil degradation. The movement in a short span, reached over 3.91 billion people, and 81 nations have committed to framing soil-friendly policies. 11 States have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Isha Outreach to Save Soil.

(This is an official press release from Isha Foundation. The Commune was not involved in creating this content.)

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“Green Thondamuthur”, an initiative started by the Cauvery Calling movement and Thondamuthur Rotary Club planted 16,500 trees in Devarayapuram and surrounding areas. The initiative earlier had planted around 17,000 trees on that day on 3rd Aug 2022.

The initiative initially aimed to plant 1 lakh trees will now be plating 2 lakh trees owing to the enthusiastic involvement of people. The initiative also aims to plant trees in the 60 villages in the Thondamuthur area.

The initiative will help improve the ecology and increase the farmer’s income. Timber saplings like Teak, Red sanders, Malabar Neem, Mahogany and Rosewood are given free of cost to the famers.

Cauvery Calling State Field Coordinator, Mr Tamilmaran recounted the various benefits of planting trees and said, “Planting the trees results in increased soil fertility. Only if the soil is fertile, will the food produced from it be rich in nutrients. Only if we eat nutritious food we can be healthy. On the other hand, by growing timber trees a farmer’s income increases. Instead of growing a single crop, if multiple crops are grown with trees, then the crops can give a steady income and after a few years the trees give a large sum of money”.

Highlighting the ecological benefits, Mr Tamilmaran added “Growing trees is veryimportant for the environment to tackle issues like climate change and global warming. They also play a pivotal role in increasing the groundwater levels and in rejuvenating the rivers.”

Devarayapuram Panchayat president, Mrs Dhanamani Moorthy was present at the event. Also present were farmers from the region, municipal members, councilors and students.

(This is an official press release from Isha Foundation. The Commune was not involved in creating this content.)

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Isha Foundation has served a legal notice to Senior Reporter Pallavi Pundir and the US-based VICE Media Group.

On 23 June, VICE published an article titled “This Climate Guru Is a Celebrity in the US. In India, He’s Accused of Destroying a Forest” written by one Pallavi Pundir on its digital platform containing the usual allegations peddled against Isha Foundation and Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev.

The so-called report is a stringing together of insinuations and allegations that have been perpetrated by vested interests in the past and which Isha has refuted time and again citing government records which has been made available in the public domain.

“Isha Foundation has provided documents including affidavits presented in court by government authorities, official replies to RTIs, court orders and public documents by authorities in public domain which prove these accusations to be false.”, the official press release said.

The VICE article relies largely on a source of dubious distinction – a man who was fired for malpractice by his organization and has been arrested in the past on charges of cheating tribal women. The article is almost entirely based on his narration.

“The article is rife with misinformation and slander and has made no genuine attempt to access the truth.” the statement said and quoted a couple of examples to illustrate the poor standards of scrutiny and verification.

The author of the article attempts to reiterate the usual rhetoric that Isha Foundation has been accused by some specific individuals of encroaching on forest land.

However, the article conveniently ignored the statements of Tamil Nadu Forest Department when it issued an RTI-response reiterating that Isha has not encroached forest land as recently as September 2021,

It is to be noted that the affidavit filed in court by Tamil Nadu Forest Department in 2013 hearing, and the Counter Affidavit filed by The Ministry of Environment & Forests and Climate Change, Government of India in 2017, categorically state that there has been no encroachment.

“It begs the question as to why a media house and journalist would perpetuate the lies spread by spurious vested interests, while ignoring the written statements by regional, state and national governmental authorities of the country and the court of law?”, the statement from Isha said.

Isha Foundation also refuted another allegation about it being located on an elephant corridor stating that several official proofs have been put up in public domain that completely falsify these charges.

The ‘Right of Passage: Elephant Corridors of India’ published by the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) that lists encroachments on elephant corridors in the country doesn’t mention Isha.

Similarly, an Expert Committee Report published online by the Tamil Nadu Forest Department also does not notify any corridor near Isha.

In 2010, the Elephant Task Force of the Ministry of Environment and Forests published Gajah with a list of priority corridors. This document also does not list the area where the Yoga center is situated.

The recent RTI response too categorically states that Isha Yoga center is not on any Elephant Corridor.

“Despite all these irrefutable proofs the article chooses to ignore the truth and instead gives wind to lies.”, Isha Foundation said in its statement.

Isha Foundation has now slapped a legal notice on the author and VICE Media to retract the article in its totality, to cease and desist from levelling such false statements and to tender an unconditional apology for printing blatantly false information even though it had avenues and access to the truth.

“Isha Foundation is extremely disappointed with the writer as well as the VICE group for its lack of journalistic ethics and for misinforming its readers. The publication is duty-bound to clarify to its readers the truth about Isha. We look forward to a mature and responsible response from VICE.”, the statement said.

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The world’s tallest skyscraper, the iconic Burj Khalifa in Dubai lit up in support of the Save Soil movement on Tuesday to further bring the world’s attention towards the critical need to address rapid soil degeneration. The 2-minute light and laser show projected Sadhguru’s Save Soil message, voices of support from global leaders, scientists, celebrities; and glimpses from Sadhguru’s historic lone motorcycle journey from London to India for 30,000 km across 27 nations to activate support towards Save Soil.

Sadhguru joined the event virtually and addressed the people who gathered to celebrate the culmination of the Sadhguru’s 100-day Save Soil journey. His journey touched 3.9 billion people in the last 3 months, with 74 nations agreeing to actively work towards soil regeneration.

Sadhguru expressed his gratitude and commended the UAE government for its vision towards soil regeneration.

Thanking the people for their support, Sadhguru noted that “the work has just begun” and pointed that the real challenge is the speed at which the implementation of policies will happen. He highlighted that the movement has been successful in changing the narrative as “today literally across the world, people are talking about soil, governments are discussing about soil regeneration programs, budgets are being allocated” and asserted that “the mission is not over” till we ensure the policies are implemented.

To honour this mammoth feat, 1Digi Investment Management, the family office of Raghu Subramanian, Founder and Global CEO of Actyv.ai, sponsored the light show on the Burj Khalifa.
Raghu Subramanian said, ”Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) is at the core of our business and actyv.ai is proud to associate with the Save Soil movement spearheaded by Sadhguru and Isha Foundation.”

1. E. Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, who has wholeheartedly supported the movement, expressed, “Our collaboration with Conscious Planet is a new step in our ongoing efforts to safeguard our precious soil for the next generations.”

Burj Khalifa joined 50 other iconic locations that have showed support for Save Soil including The Niagara Falls, the Jet D’eau in Geneva, The Montreal Olympic Stadium, Toronto’s TV Tower and the Piazza del Campo (Sienna). In India, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) building in Mumbai, Chennai and Hubli Railway Stations, Atal Setu in Goa, Howrah bridge in Kolkata, Durgam Cheruvu Bridge and Buddha Statue in Hyderabad are among the few prominent locations that earlier lit up in support of the movement.

The Save Soil movement aims to address the soil crisis by bringing together people from around the world to stand up for soil health and supporting leaders in developing and implementing national policies to save soil. The movement is backed by UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the UN World Food Programme, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Earlier this year in May, when UAE hosted Sadhguru during his Save Soil journey, the country signed an MoU with the movement committing to establishing a policy for soil health.

The Save Soil movement is urging nations across the world to urgently legislate to save the planet’s agricultural soils, 50% of which are already said to be degraded and incapable of yield. The objective of the Movement is to urge nations to mandate 3-6% organic content in agricultural soils around the world. This is the minimum organic content required to keep soil fertile and capable of yield and prevent it from turning into sand.

Sadhguru’s Journey for Soil began on 21st March in London and has passed through 27 nations in Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East. Sadhguru also addressed the 15th session of the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP15) in Ivory Coast in May. Representatives of 197 nations were in attendance. In the same month, Sadhguru also spoke at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos. At both events, Sadhguru urged political, business and cultural leaders to facilitate urgent and decisive policy-driven steps to halt rapid desertification of the Earth. UNCCD predicts that at the current rates of soil degradation, 90% of the earth could turn into desert by 2050 – less than three decades from now.

Till date, 74 countries have pledged to Save Soil from extinction, and 8 Indian states have signed MoUs with the movement to work towards soil regeneration in their states.

(This is an official press release from Isha Foundation. The Commune was not involved in creating this content.)

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To commemorate the annual occasion of Vana Mahotsavam, the Cauvery Calling team enabled farmers
across Tamil Nadu to plant a record 2.1 lakh saplings in 37 districts of the state including Coimbatore,
Erode, Tirupur, Krishnagiri, Thiruvannamalai, Villupuram, Chengalpattu, Cuddalore, Dindigul, Karur,
Namakkal, Trichy, Tiruvarur, Thanjavur, Pudukottai, Tenkasi among others. The saplings were planted in 700 acres of agricultural lands and included varieties such as teak, semmaram, sandalwood, banyan,
mountain neem, yellow kadambu and rosewood.

Vana Mahotsavam is celebrated every year across India in the first week of July. It is an effort to reignite
Humanity’s connection with nature and encourage citizens to plant and nurture saplings in their
surroundings.

The Cauvery Calling team visited the farmlands to study soil type, water quality and availability and
other ecological and economic factors before recommending appropriate species to farmers for
plantation.

Cauvery Calling is an on-ground demonstration of the river revitalization model proposed by the Rally
for Rivers (RfR) campaign that was launched by Sadhguru in 2017. It aims to revitalize the Cauvery River and the soil in the river basin and improve farmers' economy along with the environment. A total of 242 crore trees will be planted in private farmlands in the Cauvery river basin over the next 12 years to achieve these objectives.

The Cauvery Calling team conducts regular plantation drives across Tamil Nadu. The drives are held to
commemorate birth anniversaries and remembrance days of some of the state’s best-known agricultural scientists and environment leaders including Shri. Nammazhvar, Shri. Nel Jayaraman, and
Shri. Maram Thangaswamy

A total of 2.1 crore saplings have been planted so far in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karnataka and 1.25
lakh farmers have adopted the tree-based farming model, promoted by Cauvery Calling. Nearly 70,000
farmers have reported a substantial rise in their income – between 3 and 8 times – since they adopted
the tree-based farming model.

(This is an official press release from Isha Foundation. The Commune was not involved in creating this content.)

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Telangana signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Isha Outreach becoming the sixth Indian state to officially join the global movement to Save Soil. Telangana Minister for Agriculture Shri Singireddy Niranjan Reddy and Sadhguru exchanged signed MoUs at a mega Save Soil event in Hyderabad’s GMC Balayogi Sports Complex.

Minister for Sports & Youth Affairs V Srinivas Goud, Panchayat Raj Minister E Dayakar Rao, actors Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Brahmaji, Tanikella Bharani, Padma Shri Venkateswara Rao, of Rythunestam Foundation, Tollywood singers Ram Miriyala, Mangli, Smitha, Music director RP Patnaik, Environmentalist Vijay Ram, Shilpa Reddy and other dignitaries attended the event.

“When it comes to save soil, we are 100% agreeing with you, and we will follow your guidelines and we will implement them,” said Shri Singireddy Niranjan Reddy, Minister of Agriculture, Government of Telangana extending the government’s full support to the movement. Calling the movement led by Sadhguru inspirational, the minister noted, “Only through individual’s duty and moral responsibility and through the responsibility of the policy makers, and through political responsibility, can we save the soil. In making this possible, the role that people like you play is of Immense value which is invaluable, majestic, and deserves appreciation.”

Sadhguru who sat in a conversation with Samantha Ruth Prabhu delving onto his decision to undertake the risky bike ride said, “I have been talking about it (saving soil) for 30 years and whenever I speak about it, people will say this is great, this is fantastic and then they will sleep on it. So now, wanted to awaken something, I knew the simple way for me to do it is to put myself to some risk and it’s worked because three days ago our social media metrics…is reading at 2.8 billion people have spoken about soil.” On asked about conserving river water, Sadhguru stressed that the river water must flow into the ocean and warned that without it the marine ingress can happen up to 100 km in a country leading to the country losing one-third of its land. 

Famous playback singers Mangli and Ram Miriyala dazzled the audience with their heart-rendering performances dedicated to saving soil. On the day of Mahashivratri, Mangli shared with the audience that Sadhguru had asked her to create a song on “Save Soil” and the singer obliged by singing a Save Soil Song written by Matla Thirupathi. “The same way that we cannot repay our debt to the soil, in the same way there is no way we can repay our debt to Sadhguru for whatever he is doing,” said Ram Miriyala during his performance. Later, to the delight of the people, Sadhguru joined the duo to sing the viral ‘La lele lele le’ Save Soil song.

In India, nearly 30% of fertile soils in the country have already become barren and are incapable of yield. The primary objective of the Save Soil Movement is to urge all nations of the world to mandate a minimum of 3-6% organic content in agricultural soils through urgent policy reforms. Without this minimum organic content, soil scientists have warned of the imminent death of soil, a phenomenon termed ‘soil extinction.’

At a Save Soil event in New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi joined Sadhguru in expressing his whole-hearted recognition of the critical need for and value of the movement. Since Sadhguru’s arrival in India, the Governments of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra have expressed their full support for the movement and have signed MoUs with the movement.

Since the start of his lone motorcycle journey which began on March 21, 2022 and covered Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East, Sadhguru reached the Western port city of Jamnagar, Gujarat on May 29. During the Indian leg of the journey across 9 Indian states, he has passed through Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana and New Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. 

The movement, till date, has touched billions while 74 countries have agreed to act to save their nations’ soils. To a topic undeniably absent in mass awareness, since the start of Sadhguru’s journey across 27 nations, over 2.8 billion people have spoken about soil. Over 15 lakh children in India have written to the Prime Minister, requesting him to act to save the nation’s soil and their collective future.

(This is an official press release from Isha Foundation. The Commune was not involved in creating this content.)

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