India, Sept. 27 -- In Rajasthan's Rajsamand district, in the heart of a marble-mining belt, a tradition born from grief has reshaped a landscape and a nation's conscience. Decades ago, after former sarpanch Shyam Sundar Paliwal lost his teenage daughter, he began a practice that has since transformed Piplantri village: every time a girl is born, residents plant 111 trees and open a savings account in her name. That act of mourning has grown into millions of trees, revived groundwater, and a template the United Nations has linked to its Sustainable Development Goals. This month, that story earned India's highest recognition for non-feature cinema. Director Suraj Kumar's documentary, Piplantri: A Tale of Eco-Feminism, won the 72nd National ...