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With help from the god-fearing
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Involving indigenous people and forming devarakadus can go a long way in protecting our green cover.
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Some trees are revered in Indian tradition. - Photo: K. Gopinathan
JUST AS Raksha Bandhan is a sacred festival to Hindus, where a brother vows to protect his sister against all dangers, a group of environmentalists has urged for a Vriksha Bandhan where every man and woman pledges to preserve and protect trees.
Trees are vital from an ecological, economical, sociological, and cultural point of view.
Unfortunately, our green cover is shrinking in the name of progress and development. When something has a religious taboo associated with it, it can help in unexpected ways. Trees like the pipal, banyan, and banni are revered, as they are associated with certain beliefs. For example, there is village near Chitrakoot in Madhya Pradesh, which is said to be the sacred grove where Rama, Sita, and Laxmana are supposed to have spent a few years during their exile.
The villagers believe that it is a taboo to even enter the grove, let alone cut any tree or harm wildlife here. While forest dwellers such as tribals are the best protectors of the forest wealth, they are often looked down as intruders who should be "driven out and relocated" by the Government.
By declaring a forest as devarakadu or daivavana (god's forest), trees are protected by the native people from incursions by poachers and smugglers.
In fact, forests attached to temples have prospered.
There are also a few communities that worship certain trees. For instance, the Bishnois, who have an excellent track record of protecting plants and animals, venerate the khejri tree.
The Gujjars worship the neem and consider it as the abode of Lord Deonarayan. So, wherever there is a Gujjar habitation, there will be neem trees.
Van Panchayats, managed by local panchayats, are also doing yeoman service to the cause of tree protection, though there are forces tat often interfere with their work.
These communities ensure that every tree, along with those considered "sacred", are protected and saved from destruction.
Another successful effort is community-based leased forests managed through a Joint Forest Management (JFM), where villagers become the stakeholders and protect the green belts. While villagers realise the importance of biodiversity as opposed to monoculture plantations, and know the importance of medicinal plants, trouble starts when business units try to over-exploit these resources for short-term gains.
Linking the indigenous wisdom of tribals with modern technology such as satellite imaging could go a long way in protecting green cover.
D.B.N. MURTHY
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