"Sir, there was a time when tiger preyed upon a cow of our village here where we are holding today's meeting. The forest was so dense that one village could not be seen from another. But this forest was also not spared from the eyes of jungle mafia. Gradually all the area got deforested. Came a time when we had to cover long distances for a leaf or branch of a tree. We are tribal people, Sir. The forest is our livelihood and it means everything for us. So we took a promise to save the diminishing forest. We started the Forest Protection Programme,” says Jadu Majhi, aged 61 years.
One Sri Murmu, a Banarakhi, laid the foundation of forest protection in our village as long back as 24 years ago. He was convinced the forest department could not protect our forest without the cooperation of the community, Jadu Majhi added.
About the village
Astarukhi village falls under Garadi Gram (village) Panchayat in Balasore district of Orissa in eastern India, with a population of 150 families. Most of them are Santhals, and others from Batudi tribal community. Most do not own land and those do who have less than one acre per family, which they cultivate solely with rain water. So most people depend on the forest for livelihood. They earn Rs.50 (about US$1) by selling plate and bowls they make from sal leaf. They also collect 400 to 500 kgs of Mahua, tol and sal seeds every year. The forest also provides them other sources of food and medicines.
Forest protection
Jadu Majhi, now aged 61, convened the first meeting of the villagers on August 15 (India's Independence Day), 1985. That day people of 13 nearby villages promised to protect the forest. They collected Rs.5 from each family to hire five persons to guard the forest against illegal tree felling. The process continued smoothly for 10 years. When leaders of some villages could not provide details of cash collection and expenditure, the ten years old setup collapsed. Even if some inhabitants of Madheisahi village of Astarukhi felt they were cheated, they were not defeated. Some villages withdrew from the forest protection programme, but the people of Madheisahi and six other small nearby villages continued their efforts. They changed the money collecting system. Instead of engaging watchmen, the village people began to watch the forest themselves.
Surendra Madhei, president of the forest protection committee explains: “A thenga (stick) is placed at the door of the person who has to take the turn to watch the forest from the following day. At least three people watch the forest from early morning till noon. Even after that the villagers have an eye on it. If it's a person's turn to keep watch, but he has a problem, then he or she hires someone else or changes his round of duty with another villager.”
This year the government's Forest Department has given financial assistance of Rs.10,000 ($2000) to Madheisahi, Astarukhi Forest Protection Committee for their remarkable contribution in forest protection.
Role of women
Says the 55-year old Harsa Madhei, an active woman member of forest protection committee:
“The women of the villages take active role in forest protection. At first only village men were watching the forest, but they were unable to stop females coming from other villages. So females now watch with their male members and we have succeeded.”
No hard and fast rule is made to share the forest products. The forest products are in plenty and each of them takes as per requirement.
Role of Forest Protect 'Mahasangha'
The Nilgiri Block Jungle Surakshya Mahasangha (forest protection federation) is formed by 97 Vana Sanrakshyana Samitis (VSS) of the administrative Block. When it started in 1999 with the help of local NGOs, there were 52 members. Since then the supporting NGOs have distanced themselves, but the Mahasangha continues its programme.
Purnachandra Sahu, the founding Secretary says: “Besides Nilgiri Block 9 Forest Protection Samitis from Sore and 30 from Raibania blocks have been affiliated with the Mahasangha. The Mahasangha has won the trust of the people as it is able to do something that was impossible for the forest department. The Mahasangha has amicably solved local disputes and bridged the gap between local samitis and the forest department. By co-ordinating with state level organisation ‘Odisha Jungle Mahasangha’ (Orissa Forest Federation), it has successfully promoted and highlighted the people's demand to ensure the rights of people over local forest.”
The Forest Department's role
Though there are 97 VSS in Nilgiri Block (administrative zone), so far a memorandum of understanding has been signed with only 19 samitis. Even at the end of 24 years of its inception, the Astarukhi Forest Protection Samiti has not been registered.
Nilgiri Jungle Surakshya Mahasangha members also allege that the forest department does not take any action when it gets information about illegal cutting of trees.
Ghasiram Panda
E-mail: ghasirampanda@gmail.com
June 2, 2009
INDIA: Jadu Majhi, 61, speaks of Orissa tribal villagers' forest protection campaign
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BHUBANESWAR, Orissa / OrissaDiary.com / Columns / June 2, 2009
Success Story of Madheisahi, Astarukhi in Balasore district
Labour of 24 years pays: The forest gets its lost greenery
By Ghasiram Panda
"Sir, there was a time when tiger preyed upon a cow of our village here where we are holding today's meeting. The forest was so dense that one village could not be seen from another. But this forest was also not spared from the eyes of jungle mafia. Gradually all the area got deforested. Came a time when we had to cover long distances for a leaf or branch of a tree. We are tribal people, Sir. The forest is our livelihood and it means everything for us. So we took a promise to save the diminishing forest. We started the Forest Protection Programme,” says Jadu Majhi, aged 61 years.
One Sri Murmu, a Banarakhi, laid the foundation of forest protection in our village as long back as 24 years ago. He was convinced the forest department could not protect our forest without the cooperation of the community, Jadu Majhi added.
About the village
Astarukhi village falls under Garadi Gram (village) Panchayat in Balasore district of Orissa in eastern India, with a population of 150 families. Most of them are Santhals, and others from Batudi tribal community. Most do not own land and those do who have less than one acre per family, which they cultivate solely with rain water. So most people depend on the forest for livelihood. They earn Rs.50 (about US$1) by selling plate and bowls they make from sal leaf. They also collect 400 to 500 kgs of Mahua, tol and sal seeds every year. The forest also provides them other sources of food and medicines.
Forest protection
Jadu Majhi, now aged 61, convened the first meeting of the villagers on August 15 (India's Independence Day), 1985. That day people of 13 nearby villages promised to protect the forest. They collected Rs.5 from each family to hire five persons to guard the forest against illegal tree felling. The process continued smoothly for 10 years. When leaders of some villages could not provide details of cash collection and expenditure, the ten years old setup collapsed. Even if some inhabitants of Madheisahi village of Astarukhi felt they were cheated, they were not defeated. Some villages withdrew from the forest protection programme, but the people of Madheisahi and six other small nearby villages continued their efforts. They changed the money collecting system. Instead of engaging watchmen, the village people began to watch the forest themselves.
Surendra Madhei, president of the forest protection committee explains: “A thenga (stick) is placed at the door of the person who has to take the turn to watch the forest from the following day. At least three people watch the forest from early morning till noon. Even after that the villagers have an eye on it. If it's a person's turn to keep watch, but he has a problem, then he or she hires someone else or changes his round of duty with another villager.”
This year the government's Forest Department has given financial assistance of Rs.10,000 ($2000) to Madheisahi, Astarukhi Forest Protection Committee for their remarkable contribution in forest protection.
Role of women
Says the 55-year old Harsa Madhei, an active woman member of forest protection committee:
“The women of the villages take active role in forest protection. At first only village men were watching the forest, but they were unable to stop females coming from other villages. So females now watch with their male members and we have succeeded.”
No hard and fast rule is made to share the forest products. The forest products are in plenty and each of them takes as per requirement.
Role of Forest Protect 'Mahasangha'
The Nilgiri Block Jungle Surakshya Mahasangha (forest protection federation) is formed by 97 Vana Sanrakshyana Samitis (VSS) of the administrative Block. When it started in 1999 with the help of local NGOs, there were 52 members. Since then the supporting NGOs have distanced themselves, but the Mahasangha continues its programme.
Purnachandra Sahu, the founding Secretary says: “Besides Nilgiri Block 9 Forest Protection Samitis from Sore and 30 from Raibania blocks have been affiliated with the Mahasangha. The Mahasangha has won the trust of the people as it is able to do something that was impossible for the forest department. The Mahasangha has amicably solved local disputes and bridged the gap between local samitis and the forest department. By co-ordinating with state level organisation ‘Odisha Jungle Mahasangha’ (Orissa Forest Federation), it has successfully promoted and highlighted the people's demand to ensure the rights of people over local forest.”
The Forest Department's role
Though there are 97 VSS in Nilgiri Block (administrative zone), so far a memorandum of understanding has been signed with only 19 samitis. Even at the end of 24 years of its inception, the Astarukhi Forest Protection Samiti has not been registered.
Nilgiri Jungle Surakshya Mahasangha members also allege that the forest department does not take any action when it gets information about illegal cutting of trees.
Ghasiram Panda
E-mail: ghasirampanda@gmail.com
"Sir, there was a time when tiger preyed upon a cow of our village here where we are holding today's meeting. The forest was so dense that one village could not be seen from another. But this forest was also not spared from the eyes of jungle mafia. Gradually all the area got deforested. Came a time when we had to cover long distances for a leaf or branch of a tree. We are tribal people, Sir. The forest is our livelihood and it means everything for us. So we took a promise to save the diminishing forest. We started the Forest Protection Programme,” says Jadu Majhi, aged 61 years.
One Sri Murmu, a Banarakhi, laid the foundation of forest protection in our village as long back as 24 years ago. He was convinced the forest department could not protect our forest without the cooperation of the community, Jadu Majhi added.
About the village
Astarukhi village falls under Garadi Gram (village) Panchayat in Balasore district of Orissa in eastern India, with a population of 150 families. Most of them are Santhals, and others from Batudi tribal community. Most do not own land and those do who have less than one acre per family, which they cultivate solely with rain water. So most people depend on the forest for livelihood. They earn Rs.50 (about US$1) by selling plate and bowls they make from sal leaf. They also collect 400 to 500 kgs of Mahua, tol and sal seeds every year. The forest also provides them other sources of food and medicines.
Forest protection
Jadu Majhi, now aged 61, convened the first meeting of the villagers on August 15 (India's Independence Day), 1985. That day people of 13 nearby villages promised to protect the forest. They collected Rs.5 from each family to hire five persons to guard the forest against illegal tree felling. The process continued smoothly for 10 years. When leaders of some villages could not provide details of cash collection and expenditure, the ten years old setup collapsed. Even if some inhabitants of Madheisahi village of Astarukhi felt they were cheated, they were not defeated. Some villages withdrew from the forest protection programme, but the people of Madheisahi and six other small nearby villages continued their efforts. They changed the money collecting system. Instead of engaging watchmen, the village people began to watch the forest themselves.
Surendra Madhei, president of the forest protection committee explains: “A thenga (stick) is placed at the door of the person who has to take the turn to watch the forest from the following day. At least three people watch the forest from early morning till noon. Even after that the villagers have an eye on it. If it's a person's turn to keep watch, but he has a problem, then he or she hires someone else or changes his round of duty with another villager.”
This year the government's Forest Department has given financial assistance of Rs.10,000 ($2000) to Madheisahi, Astarukhi Forest Protection Committee for their remarkable contribution in forest protection.
Role of women
Says the 55-year old Harsa Madhei, an active woman member of forest protection committee:
“The women of the villages take active role in forest protection. At first only village men were watching the forest, but they were unable to stop females coming from other villages. So females now watch with their male members and we have succeeded.”
No hard and fast rule is made to share the forest products. The forest products are in plenty and each of them takes as per requirement.
Role of Forest Protect 'Mahasangha'
The Nilgiri Block Jungle Surakshya Mahasangha (forest protection federation) is formed by 97 Vana Sanrakshyana Samitis (VSS) of the administrative Block. When it started in 1999 with the help of local NGOs, there were 52 members. Since then the supporting NGOs have distanced themselves, but the Mahasangha continues its programme.
Purnachandra Sahu, the founding Secretary says: “Besides Nilgiri Block 9 Forest Protection Samitis from Sore and 30 from Raibania blocks have been affiliated with the Mahasangha. The Mahasangha has won the trust of the people as it is able to do something that was impossible for the forest department. The Mahasangha has amicably solved local disputes and bridged the gap between local samitis and the forest department. By co-ordinating with state level organisation ‘Odisha Jungle Mahasangha’ (Orissa Forest Federation), it has successfully promoted and highlighted the people's demand to ensure the rights of people over local forest.”
The Forest Department's role
Though there are 97 VSS in Nilgiri Block (administrative zone), so far a memorandum of understanding has been signed with only 19 samitis. Even at the end of 24 years of its inception, the Astarukhi Forest Protection Samiti has not been registered.
Nilgiri Jungle Surakshya Mahasangha members also allege that the forest department does not take any action when it gets information about illegal cutting of trees.
Ghasiram Panda
E-mail: ghasirampanda@gmail.com
