Belonging to Lucknow’s Malihabad, Kaleemullah Khan is well-known for growing over 300 varieties of mangoes on a single tree through innovative grafting techniques. He has been in the news recently for his initiative of paying a tribute to frontline workers by naming mango varieties after them.
The aim behind naming new varieties of mango after COVID warriors is to immortalise their sacrifice for generations to come. Further, a few varieties have also been named after famous personalities who have extraordinary achievements to their credit.
Mango varieties named after popular personalities
Kaleemullah Khan has introduced new varieties of mango, which he has dedicated to the frontline workers- doctors and policemen, among others. The passing of several corona warriors has saddened people across India, however, Khan’s initiative is grafting an immortal tale of these fighters.
Apart from the COVID warriors, a few varieties have been named after eminent personalities such as the current Prime Minister of India, the current Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, among others.
Knock Knock
Kaleemullah Khan has been preserving the 200-year-long legacy of Malihabad through his inventive methods. For his efforts as a horticulturist, he was awarded a Padma Shri, in 2008. This is why he is fondly known as the ‘Mango Man’. This gesture of his is a noteworthy one, that will definitely remind us about the sacrifices of several COVID warriors, with every slice of mango that we eat, for several summers to come!
– With Agency inputs
