Spinning Action into Words

Naushad Alam Chhatra, Jharkhand

The thick forests in the tranquil village of Jirwa in Simariya Tehsil of Chatra district in Jharkhand belie a gloomy past. With bare land where a lush forest cover stood, the forests had been felled over the years by indifferent and greedy hands.

A magic wand seems to have changed all that. A magic wand held up by several hands. The miraculous makeover was not achieved in the blink of an eye but over a long period of time backed by unity and hard work of the various communities that came together to create that magic.
The unique experiment of collective forest management was initiated by the Jirwa Panchayat. “About a decade ago, our rich forests had turned to barren land with no pasture left for the cattle. Some stumps and shrubs were the only reminder of what had been,” remembers Indranath Bhokta, member of the Jirwa Panchayat. “Villagers were facing several problems caused by the loss of forest cover. Less bamboo meant no beams for roofs of our houses. That is when villagers realised what they had done.”

Community meetings were organised under the leadership of the Panchayat to work out what needed to be done. Everyone agreed to come together to stem the crisis. That collective realisation set the tone for the present day voice of the community.

The initial work gained momentum without any outside support, not even the Forest Department that was expected to sustain the natural wealth with its access to knowledge and resources. Later initiatives of the Forest Department led to the creation of Forest Committees in these villages. The Joint Forest Management was launched in 2001 to make villagers aware about the protection of forest resources. The Southern Forest Division, under which the Jirwa Panchayat falls, has succeeded in its efforts in some parts of Chhatra District but Village Jirwa continues to work independently, blissfully unaware of the Joint Forest Management program or the committees.

The determination and will of the people helped overcome the difficulties that cropped up and problems were solved effectively. Here, dwellers of seven villages have joined hands to protect the forests in an organised manner. A systematic distribution of the forests in different divisions has been done by the villagers with each group taking charge of the protection of the adjacent forest area.

Explaining the methodology adopted, Manoranjan Singh, the head of the Panchayat says, “Every forty-five days, the local communities meet to discuss the security of the forests. The main agenda of such meetings is to tackle a variety of issues like laxity in protection of the forests and identifying threats to the harmony of the forests.” As a result of such meetings, people come up with innovative and strict measures to punish the guilty. Imposing a fine of up to Rs 500 on the culpable was one such step. “These people have learnt the art of sustainable development which is indicated by the fact that they use a certain amount of forest products which could be naturally gained in a specific time-frame,” he added.

The people follow an annual ritual of worshipping the forest Goddess. In a country where emotions and religious beliefs play a central role in the lives of people, the idea of worshipping the forests was an intelligent way to establish a sensitive relationship between people and forests. At the festival, ceremonies include offering prayers and chanting mantras. The most intriguing ceremony at the festivities is the tying of a security thread around the tree which, like the popular festival of Raksha bandhan, symbolises a commitment to protect.

The communities relied on rustic and effective means. Of the seven villages, Kathara, a native adivasi village, played a central role. The close relationship that tribal communities share with water, forest and land became a source of inspiration for the people of Jirwa Panchayat. They shared with villagers the traditional art of protecting and invigorating the forests, helping them to renew the green cover. “The tribal communities participated in the discussions in large numbers. Their contribution in regenerating the forest can’t be ignored,” says Singh.

Joint efforts by various communities to save the forests, starting with awareness, have become an integral part of the lives of its people. The success of the Community Forest Management is evident from thousands of teak, Asan and Chakodi trees that stand tall today, adding to the natural wealth of the village. Such steps taken by communities living outside the urban compass defy all the divisions set over time. Taking a leaf from Gandhiji’s wisdom, they became the change they wished to see around them, this time for their environment.

Charkha Features

This article has been written under the Jharkhand Media Fellowship.

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