Ektano Vagado (People's forest)

1985

The young scion had taken over as the Prime Minister with a ground swell of support from the nation. The nation was tingling with anticipation of his every move. He was drawn towards the imbalance in the ecology of the nation. He announced a movement to start afforestation of the wastelands. The media was agog with news of seminars and policy pronouncement. Many states followed suit and had announced new schemes to promote what was then called as social forestry.

In a tiny tribal village in Bhiloda Taluka located in the Sabarkantha district in the northern Gujarat region a meeting took place under the leadership of Siddharaj bhai as he was fondly called. He was a tribal himself but with a doctorate and was teaching in Gujarat Vidyapeeth, a re-knowned Gandhian institution. An NGO representative was also there. They were discussing how to start protecting and regenerating what was once a great forest in the fringes of the village. The forests were part of the Aravalli range but had got denuded over time. The tribals were called Bhils and had an intrinsic relationship with their forests. They had switched to agriculture by this time but were dependent on the forests for firewood, timber, grasses, tendu leaves and a variety of fruits and tubers.

Siddharaj being a Gandhian himself had suggested that this forest regeneration ought to become a people’s movement. And so, it was decided. The village people resolved to protect forest. Simple rules were laid out. No grazing of animals in the forest. Collection of firewood in only earmarked patches. Night patrol in turns.

It was always a tragedy of humans that any cooperative movement was always beset with internecine conflicts. Conflicts within the village, between the NGO and some section of the village, with the Forest Department. But the resolve of the people persevered.

1995

Over a decade of pain staking effort at cooperation, forest grew back. Coppices grew into trees, new trees sprouted, shrubs and bushes thrived; grasses became available in plenty along with fuel wood; the forest ponds were now filled with rain throughout the year and the water seeped into the wells. Drought did not affect the village. An odd python and other small animals were sighted too.

As the word spread a great tribal leader Jeenabhai, from the southern part of Gujarat came to see. A big meeting was organised. The people show cased their effort. Many from the neighbouring villages had also come. They too were interested in the forest regeneration. The NGO representative coined the movement as “people to people process.” Soon one -third of the forests in the Tehsil, about 10,000 ha was under forest protection.

“SAKSHAM” a federal organisation was also started by the 30 odd villages into which the movement had taken roots. “Ekatano Vagado” people’s forest became a reality.

One of the villages ‘Malekpur’ was given an award by the Paryavaran Mantralaya of the Central Government.

The young prime minister was killed in a suicide bomber attack. Siddharaj bhai had passed away. The NGO representative had also left but by then ‘SAKSHAM’ had become capable and led the forest regeneration.