Celebrating girl child: Here's what India can learn from Rajasthani village, Piplantri

Piplantri is a lot different from most villages in Rajasthan. For starters, it is perhaps the only village in the state, in fact in India, where when a daughter is born, the family members plant hundred and eleven trees to celebrate the occasion. According to a report in Folomojo, the people of Piplantri also ensures that every girl child have financial security by the time she becomes an adult. Therefore, after the birth of a girl child, the villagers contribute Rs 21,000 collectively and take Rs 10,000 from the parents and puts it in a fixed deposit, which can be broken when she turns 20. To make sure that girl child receives proper education, the villagers make the parents sign an affidavit which also restricts them from marrying her off, before she attains the legal age for marriage. [caption id=“attachment_2164981” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Image courtesy: Piplantri.com[/caption] This tradition was started by Shyam Sundar Paliwal, a resident of Piplantri, who lost his daughter when she was very young and the villagers have made sure that it continues. Each parent of a girl child, along with other villagers not only plant hundred and eleven trees when she is born but also collectively make sure that these trees are taken care of. To save these trees from termites, they plant aloe vera around them. In fact, over the years, the products that these trees have become a source of income for many residents of Piplantri. The village is not only advance in empowering women but also a safe place to live in. Reportedly, there have been no police cases in the village in last 7-8 years. You can read the full report here. To know more about Piplantri, click here.