Patna: Environment activist Father Robert Athickal, 73, died on Sunday night due to cardiac-related complications, informed the parishioners of Queen of Apostles Church on Monday. He had been admitted to Holy Family Hospital for several days, but his condition worsened despite treatment and medication.Father Robert founded ‘Tarumitra’ (Friends of Trees) in Patna in 1988,s mobilising school students to promote environmental awareness through workshops, camps and campaigns focused on conservation and climate action.Over the past 37 years, Tarumitra expanded to more than 1,600 schools and colleges in Bihar and 22 other states, with membership exceeding 300,000 by 2025. Father Robert also played a key role in establishing the 10-acre Tarumitra Ashram bio-reserve in Digha, Patna, on land donated by Patna Jesuit Society and created around 38 “oxygen belts” across the city.He led Tarumitra for 31 years, from 1988 to 2019, and was instrumental in taking Bihar’s environmental movement to an international platform. The organisation was granted Special Consultative Status by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in 2005 and now has units in 21 countries.Born in Kerala, Father Robert joined the Patna Jesuit Society in 1974 and became a priest in 1984. His death is being mourned as a major loss to the Jesuit community and the environmental movement. A funeral prayer service will be held at 4 pm on July 21 at Kalam Hall, Xavier University, Digha.
