Have you seen the pictures of actors Rana Daggubati and Sumanth hugging trees, and wondered what it stood for for?
To commemorate World Environment Day which was on June 5, Telugu Desam Party MP Ram Mohan Naidu started the #HugATree challenge on Twitter, a symbolic initiative to raise awareness.
He then tagged Andhra Minister for IT Nara Lokesh, film director Harish Shankar, TDP MP Jayadev Galla, Telangana IT Minister KT Rama Rao and Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha National President Poonam Mahajan.
“Let's celebrate the role trees play in our life by giving them a warm hug!
I nominate @naralokesh @harish2you @JayGalla @KTRTRS @poonam_mahajan to take up the #HugATree challenge by posting a picture of you hugging a tree and nominating 5 more friends to take up the challenge!” Ram Mohan wrote.
Let's celebrate the role trees play in our life by giving them a warm hug!
— Ram Mohan Naidu K (@RamMNK) June 5, 2018
I nominate @naralokesh @harish2you @JayGalla @KTRTRS @poonam_mahajan to take up the #HugATree challenge by posting a picture of you hugging a tree and nominating 5 more friends to take up the challenge! pic.twitter.com/0GpqU7Ssvr
This was then taken up by Jay Galla, who then also tagged actors Sumanth and Rana Daggubati.
Let's celebrate the role trees play in our life by giving them a warm hug!
— Jay Galla (@JayGalla) June 7, 2018
I nominate @AshokGalla_ @sidgalla @isudheerbabu @iSumanth @RanaDaggubati to take the #HugATree challenge by posting a picture of you hugging a tree and nominating 5 friends to take up the challenge! pic.twitter.com/CscA1ds5PD
#HugATree it’s their planet we’re living on!! pic.twitter.com/Ot0phQJEmx
— Rana Daggubati (@RanaDaggubati) June 7, 2018
Done @JayGalla, and I got my boy to do it too:)
— Sumanth (@iSumanth) June 7, 2018
I now nominate @AkhilAkkineni8 @chay_akkineni @Samanthaprabhu2 @iamSushanthA and @kriti_official to take up the #HugATree challenge pic.twitter.com/aY5yySfVXF
Social media users showed their support for the challenge, but many have pointed out that this challenge was merely a social media token for World Environment Day. After everyone is done hugging a tree and posting about it on social media, most people simply go back to not caring about the environment.
And how does hugging a tree and taking a photo of it actually help the environment in any way?
Twitter users pointed out that #PlantATree might have been a better challenge, as this way one was at least trying to increase the green cover and not merely taking striking a pose with a tree.
You would have challenged them to #PlantATree instead of #HugATree #justsaying https://t.co/QgzgbVep2A
— D S Vikas (@vikasdsv) June 6, 2018
#plantatree would be a better challenge
— Krishnaveni (@Krishnaveni9694) June 7, 2018
Plant a tree is better than #HugATree @iSumanth
— Anvesh Vemula (@vemulaanvesh) June 7, 2018
Sumanth and Jayadev Galla acknowledge the same, and said that they were involved in initiatives for planting trees.
#HugATree is but a symbolic initiative to raise awareness. I've done #PlantATree as well (actually many trees:) to commemorate this year's #WorldEnvironmentDay
— Sumanth (@iSumanth) June 7, 2018
Thanks to everyone who have suggested to plant trees instead of hugging them. They are not mutually exclusive. Through Amara Raja, we have planted more than 2L trees over the last 30yrs, besides other bio-conservation projects. Caring is as important as planting. Jai Hind!!
— Jay Galla (@JayGalla) June 7, 2018