Inspiring Movements/Stories on Forest Conservation and Wild Life Protection

- Samuel Samte

This has reference to Pu T. Kaithang’s inspiring Seminar Paper “THE ROLE OF YOUTHS IN METROPOLITAN CITIES TOWARDS REVIVING THE ZOGAM ECONOMY” presented at the One day ZCF Jubilee Motivational Seminar which was held at NTBC Chapel, Delhi on the 27th January, 2007, and his recent write-up at zogam.com (Click Here). The Seminar Paper was also published in the ZCF Youth Department’s 10th Anniversary Souvenir. His vision of Zogam becoming a tourist attraction someday in the future is very encouraging and pleasing to the ear. With its unique landforms and rich vegetation, there is more than something the Zodawn Youths could do towards reviving the Zogam economy.

An abstract of his Article

2.4 b) The land and the thick jungle around our Zo villages, the lofty mountain peaks, the clear bubbling streams, the dark rivers, the clean breeze, the cascading waterfalls and the salubrious climatic condition offer one of the most attractive gateway options to city-bred people. This new yearning for outdoor activity among natural surrounding is now called eco-tourism. The day is not far off when our villages will lost, hopefully, domestic and foreign tourists who are prepared to rough it out. This potential opens very many gainful employment (including self-employment) scopes in managing tourist lodges, providing guides, ferrying or transporting the tourists, etc. Can we prepare our people for the dawn of such a day?

He appears to challenge every one of us to appreciate, love and to protect our green forest which could in turn help us sustain our lives and improve our living standard.

I wholeheartedly endorse his artistic views and vision and while doing so, i would like to highlight some movements (evolution of forest conservation) in India as regards forest conservation, which I hope will inspire some of us.

Chipko Movement

The movement was born in a small hilly village of Himalayas. Tribal women in UP commenced this unique movement in December 1972. Chipko means- (Hindi) to embrace. The movement basically aimed at saving trees on the Himalayan slopes from the axes of greedy contractors, but its objectives were broad based. It questioned the development based on the ruthless butchery of nature to achieve short term gains. The women of Adivani village in Tehri-Garhwal had tied the sacred thread around trees, actually hugged the trees, faced police firing and later courted arrest. Shri Sunderlal Bahuguna who leaded the movement beautifully observed that – Every standing green tree in the forest is sentry to protect us from avalanches and landslides to save our soils and conserve our water.

Bishnoi Movement

More than 450 years ago, one simple villager from a remote desert area, without the benefit of even basic formal education, clearly understood the importance of preserving the biodiversity. He not only understood it himself but had the wisdom of influencing generations of people to preserve it by weaving it with their religion. Guru Jambeshwarji or Jamboji, as he is now affectionately referred to by his followers, was a great saint and a philosopher of the medieval period of Indian history. Jamboji noticed the interdependence of plants, birds and animals, and understood their role in sustaining the quality of life in the arid Thar Desert. During this period his spiritual thoughts also developed. When Jamboji was 25 years old, the rains failed and the entire region suffered severe drought. In desperation, the people resorted to felling Khejri (Prosopis cineraria) trees in large numbers to sell the wood in nearby towns. The birds and animals were also killed in large numbers for meat. Young Jamboji told the villagers that with the wanton destruction of Khejri trees and killing of wild animals they were not fighting the famine but on the contrary they were inviting more famines. He explained to the villagers that the right strategy for survival in the region with erratic rainfall and frequent droughts was to make proper use of all alternatives provided by nature.

Because of its simplicity, a large number of people, mostly farmers of the region, adopted the Bishnoi sect willingly. Over the years it spread to other parts of India and the number of followers increased. Presently the Bishnois are spread over the western parts of Rajasthan and parts of Haryana and Punjab.

Perhaps due to their eco-friendly life, the Bishnois are more prosperous than other communities in the Thar Desert. With plenty of trees and other vegetation and herds of antelopes roaming freely near their homes, their villages are easily distinguishable.

It was during the 18th Century that the official of Jodhpur State started felling of few Khejri trees in Khejerli village for burning of lime needed for the state. This was opposed by the Bishnois of the village. The initiative in this case was taken by a woman. Amritadevi, a mother of three minor daughters, was the first to sacrifice her life by hugging the tree that was being axed. She defied the orders of the state and tried to prevent the felling of the Khejri tree. She was killed for opposing to cut the tree. Her example was followed first by her three daughters and later on by a long chain of Bishnoi men, women and children. For every tree felled in Khejerli village, a man, woman and child made an extreme sacrifice. In all, 363 Bishnois from Khejerli and adjoining villages sacrificed their lives. When this news reached the Maharaja of Jodhpur, he apologized for the mistake committed. He ordered a royal decree prohibiting cutting of trees and hunting of animals in all Bishnoi village and also ordered a severe penalty to those violating the order.

The Bishnoi became a religious sect but the tenets provided in the sect motivated the beginning of a environmental movement. This makes the Bishnois stand apart from countless other sects and communities in India and in the world in generating environmental awareness and the sacrifice they made in preserving the environment.

“Kei ka kuan ding Zolei ah
Bu-al khuan maan ka kuan ding a;
A mual sang pen ka leep ding a
Lian pipi in ka hual ding a,
Kei ka kuan ding Zolei ah”