Striptrees……..Orchie Bandyopadhyay
Villagers in a corner of Orissa are taking extreme measures to tackle deforestation. Those caught chopping a tree are stripped and made to stand at the village square
Villagers in a corner of Orissa are taking extreme measures to tackle deforestation. Those caught chopping a tree are stripped and made to stand at the village square
People who live in forests and survive on their munificence know best how to preserve them. Worried about the dwindling forest cover around them, residents of Tentuliaguda, a village in Orissa’s Koraput district, decided on a brutal punishment for those who cut trees. If caught red-handed, the culprit is stripped naked and made to sit at the village square the entire day.
“It was a really alarming situation for us because we were losing trees. The offenders were mostly villagers from Dhaiguda, Durkaguda, Ponjisheel and Chhotagurda,” says Ganpatibhoi, a ward member from Tentuliaguda. So the villagers started guarding the forest by turns. “We gave the culprits many warnings, but they refused to listen. The forest officials were
hardly bothered. So, we decided to mete out a punishment that the culprit is not likely to forget in a long time,” says Kamubhoi, who is also locally known as ‘engineer’ because he helped build a canal in the village.
hardly bothered. So, we decided to mete out a punishment that the culprit is not likely to forget in a long time,” says Kamubhoi, who is also locally known as ‘engineer’ because he helped build a canal in the village.
Most villagers treat trees with the same love they reserve for their families. Says Chandraguladi, a member of the Mahila Mahasangh, “Many years ago, when there was a shortage of food, my children and I depended heavily on this jungle. It is our duty to protect these forests.”
Other villages, too, are taking action against such offenders. The women of Tologaudbarikante are equally protective about their green cover. The local Mahila Mahasangh tried to stop people from hacking trees but found direct action was the only way out.
“We hired a tribal boy for Rs 2,000 a month to guard the forest but he could not stop the culprits. Then we decided that all women in the Mahasangh would take turns to guard the forest. At any time there are two women on guard,” says Khiromani Gauda from Tologaudbarikante. The fact that the women are armed and are ready to put up a fight has achieved the desired result. “It’s been three months and there has been no attack on our forest. Jungle hai to mangal hai.”
Mahasangh member Yashoda Gauda points out that the forest actually sustains her community. “We get so much from the forest. We use the leaves to make our plates, we use wood to build our houses and the twigs are used as firewood. Then there are the fruits that see us through food crises.”
These gutsy women have won praise and earned the respect of NGOs active in the area. Saraswathi Rao, programme manager of German organisation Welthungerhilfe, says, “It is heartening to know that these women are able to stand up for their rights and take action against injustice.”
Koraput district collector Rajesh Pravakar Patil, too, believes that the government can help protect the forests but a people’s movement is much more effective.
* BARK AND BITE: Armed tribal women regularly guard the forest in Tologaudbarikante, a village in Orissa, and are ready to put up a tough fight