Ashok Das is currently India’s Ambassador To Amazone fire-ravaged South American country of Brazil.
By Balwant Sanghera
Amazon rainforest is burning and the whole world is taking notice. Spread over 5.5million square kilometers, this special part of South America is called the lungs of the world. The Amazon rainforest provides more than 20% of the oxygen to the world. It is the largest tropical rainforest in the world famous for its biodiversity .It crisscrosses thousands of rivers and streams through various South American countries. Due its importance, the huge wildfires in the Amazon rainforest attracted the attention of the G7 leaders meeting taking place in BIARRITZ, France. To their credit, the G7 leaders have pledged $20 million to help Brazil fight these devastating fires. U.K. has promised $12 million .In addition to that , Canada has committed $15 million and water bombers in this regard. Last week there was a local connection to Brazil and the on-going wildfires there in the Amazon rainforest.
Ashok Das, who was the Consul General of India in Vancouver a few years ago, visited Number 5 Road Gurdwara last weekend . Currently, Das is posted as India’s Ambassador to Brazil. Das is a very pleasant, well informed and amicable person. Most of us were eager to learn about the current situation in Brazil and the raging wild fires in the Amazon rainforest . Das mentioned that Brazil, with an area 2.5 times that of India, is a beautiful country. The international attention and assistance in putting out the fires in the Amazon rainforest should be very helpful. He mentioned that Brazil is a very diverse country with a lot to offer.
Environmentally, the Amazon rainforest is crucial to the well-being of our planet. All we can hope for and pray is that the current devastation taking place there can be stopped before long.
PIC-CAP – The picture with Ashok Das has Daljit Singh Thind, Balbir Singh Jawanda , Balwant Singh Sanghera and Dr. Bhatti.
