Chipko-Hug to the tree people
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- Chipko-Hug to the tree people
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Chipko Message
CHIPKO INFORMATION CENTRE
Parvatiya Navjeevan Mandal
P. O. Silyara, Pin 249 155
Tehri-Garhwal (U.P.)
Chipko-Hug to the tree people
R. St. Barbe Baker
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down
his life for his friends.”
-John XV. 13
Amrita Devi was leader of the first Chipko-Hug to the Tree
people. She lived in a village tucked away in <hc desert area
of Rajasthan, in the domain of the Maharajah of Jodhpur. The
whole area was covered with trees of khejadi—a tree which
grows in the desert.
As a child Amrita had been taught to love and protect their
trees because protection of trees and wild life was one of the 29
tenets of Vishnoi faith. Were not the trees her elder brothers
and sisters ? They guarded the village from the attack of sand
storm. From the trees came the air we breathe, the water we
drink and without .the guardian trees they would not be able to
grow their food. The forest itself gave fodder to the cattle
and food to men.
Amrita knew all these things, for they had been taught to
her by her mother, and her heart overflowed with love for her
brother and sister trees. Each morning she would salute her
trees and then choose a special one, and placing her beautiful
hands firmly on the trunk, would talk to the tree. Tree, you
are tall and beautiful, set there by the Creator. How could we
live without you ? You guard us, you feed us, you give us the
breath of life. Tree, give me your strength to protect you !
Thank you, tree !
Other girls and boys of the village would visit their special
trees, and talk to them, thanking them for being trees and for
being just there. Sometimes they would break into song,
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praising the trees for all the gave. Among the trees were deer
and other creatures who would stop their browsing to listen to
their songs. They had no fear of the villagers who never hun
ted them or killed them for feed. When Amrita was young
she was married a young Vishnoi of Khejadli village, who too
was a tree-lover.
One day the calm was broken. Into the forest came an
army of men with axes. They had been sent by the Maharajah
of Jodhpur, to fell trees for lime burning, for His Highness
was about to build a new palace. The men paused to sharpen
their axes. The Minister (Diwan) ordered his men to fell all
the trees in sight. Each man choose a tree. Amrita, who was
churning the milk, saw the men sharpen'ng their axes. She
asked them not to chop the trees as it was against their faith.
The axeman said, if you want to protect the faith pay a fine 1”
She replied, ‘if I pay a fine it is an insult to faith. But if I can
save the tree even at the cost of my head, that is cheaper.”
"Stand back”, shouted the axeman. “Chop me first”,
pleaded Amrita. “This is my brother sister tree, our village ■
protectors. They are the breath of life, the water we drink,
and our food. Chop me first.” The axeman tore her away
and threw her on the ground. Amrita was quickly up again
and hugging her tree. The axeman cut through her ankles.
Amrita fell to the ground and hugged her tree at ground level.
Her body was chopped through before the axeman could strike
the trunk. She was followed by her three daughters. Vishnois
from the neighbouring villages .came. Another and another
jumped to protect the tree of Amrita, but were all over-powered
by the axeman, and met their fate. The axeman had to cut
their way through the bodies of the Chipko people and re
turned with but a third of the timber for which they had been
sent.
The Maharaja’s Diwan was angry. The lime burners had
long waited for the wood, and when at long last icame itt
was not negligible. “Where have you been all this time ?”
demanded the Maharajah. “I sent you to the forest to fetch
wood and you return days later empty handed.” The foreman
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knelt before the Maharajah to explained “Sire, when we came
to the forest to fell Your Highness’s trees we were hindered by
the men and women of the village—the Vishnois—and when
ever we selected a tree it was being hugged by a woman or
man who said, “Chop us first”. “These trees are to us the
breath of life, the water we drink, and the food we eat. With
out them we die. Take us first”. The men of your Highness
had to chop through the bodies of 363 villagers—Vishnois.
“Are you telling me that you were forced to kill 363 of my
people ? Why did you not go somewhere else ?”
“Sirs, wherever we went found these Vishnois hugging their
their trees.”
The Maharajah gave orders to his supervisor to stop the
work on the new palace, and the next day he set out with many
attendants to visit the villages of the Vishnois. Runners went
ahead to reassure the villagers and let them know of the
Maharajah’s concern for the village. The village leaders pre
pared gift of herbs and fruit and went out to welcome the Overlord who graciously accepted the gifts. On entering the village.
His highness found the air fragrant with sandalwood; incense
was burning while the villagers were saying prayers for their
Chipko people, those who had given themselves to save the
lives of their brother sister trees. They had not been able to
save their favourite trees; they had been over-powered by the
Maharajah’s men. “Greater love hath no man than this, that
a man lay down his life for his friends.” But what kind of love
is this ? We learn about the love of God to man, the love of
man to God, and we know the great sacrifices often made for
each other. The love for trees grows from the realization of
our dependence upon them. Trees can survive without mon
But man cannot survive without trees.
The Maharajah was a cultured and thoughtful man, and
was impressed that there had been no complaints. To the
contrary; the village was in a festive mood. As never before in
his long experience, His Highness was'deeply moved and want
ed to make amends. After a while he declared that from this
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day no tithes would be collected; that the villages where there
were Vishnois would never again he called upon to provide
timber, and there would be no hunting of the creatures.
The Mahrajah was true to his word, and today the first
Chipko villages are still guarded by their khejdi and beech—a
green mantle of trees guarding the desert. There have been no
sanddunes, and villagers arc living a healthy life on the land by
the grace of the trees saved by Amrita Devi and her brave
followers. Tt remains a sanctuary, with its wild-lifc-an oasis in
a desolate desert.
The 250th anniversary of that fateful day was commemo
rated by the Chipko people in India, and their sympathisers,
in the spirit of redcdication to a great cause, for they, like Amrita
Devi will be prepared to make the supreme sacrifice to save the
natural trees and their mother earth. Tn 1973, 243 years later,
a similar movement was started by the women of the Himalayan
region to stop commercial felling of trees in the hills.
This deeply moving story was told to me by a man who
himself had gone on a fast to death to save forests in the
Himalayan region. Although he and I had corresponded for
some time it was not until 1977 that I had the privilege of
getting to know Sunderlal Bahuguna in person. I am indebted
to him for my first introduction to the Chipko people, when he
took me to their country'. Another Highlander, the Minister
of Petroleum and Chemicals had asked my advice. As the result
of my report to the Prime Minister, efforts were being made to
put a moritorium on all fellings for ten years. The Centre
was in favour but the States who were getting the royalties did
not fall into line, and continued to fell. It was then that my
good friend, Sunderlal, went on a prayerful fast to death,
starting on 9th January 1979, and continuing after his arrest in
a forest lot on the 13th day. He continued his fast at Tehri and
Dehra Dun jail up to 1st February. On the 24th day of his fast
the government relented, and an immediate stay order was
issued by them. This was in effect for sometime, but they
again started feeling trees, and Chipko continues. It is my
earnest prayer that the courage and sacrifice of Sunderlal
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Bahuguna may lead to the forests of the Himalayas being
declared Protection Forests, that the flooding of valleys for
dams be stopped and the beautiful trees of the Silent Valley —
the last best oxygen bank in India be saved.
Sunderlal Bahuguna left his Ashram in the mountains to
meet me soon after my arrival in Bombay. He was so kind
as to say that it was MY LIFE-MY TREES the companion of
his fast, that gave him the inspiration he needed in the ordeal.
He is now accepted and his dedication to an ideal has brought
its rewards, but he feels that his struggle is but beginning. It
is a race between education and disaster. Forestry has been
prostituted to short-term economics. The most hopeful sign is
a mass movement among the villagers, inspired by the Chipko
people. Sunderlal Bahuguna has very justly earned his leader
ship of them.
Last August, 1980 he took me to the villages of the brave
Chipko people in the Himalayas. They marched to meet us on
a mountain road with a band; they greeted us with one of their
haunting songs :
What do the forests bear ?
Soil, Water and pure Air,
Soil, water and pure air,
These are the basis of LIFE.
Back here at Mt Cook in the Southern Alps, I can still
hear their songs echoing through the heights, and my prayer
is that The Men of the Trees and my very dear Baha’i friends
the world over will give them a well-backed moral support.
[Richard St. Barbe Baker breathed his last on June 9,
1982. He worked for the protection and plantation till
the last moment.]
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"The Forest are Sacred"
—Shree Padre
The atmosphere around that secluded village house in a
remote corner of Sirsi Taluk, surrounded by docs forests on
all sides, was eerie. It was 9 p.m. Sunderlal Bahuguna the
‘rishi’—like old man whose only tapas is Chipko, was resting
after a 15 k.m. padayatra in the rugged North Kanara forests.
Despite the hard day be had spent he was cheerful, and quipp
ed. ‘I don’t consider myself old’ and humbly explained that
‘I am only a messenger of Chipko. Here are excerpts from a
recent interview.
S.P. What was tt that promoted you to spearhead the
Chipko movements?
S.B. I left politics in 1956 and were we living with the poor
people after establishing an asharm with my wife. I tried to
find out what were the causes of poverty of these people. It
was due to the soil erosion, drying up of water sources and
this was due to deforestation.
The village women came
forward in our movement. In our area, women are the back
bone of our social and economic life. Because of soil erosion,
the menfolk had to come down (to the plain) for their liveli
hood and women were left behind. The whole burden of
managing the family fell on their shoulders. They had to
collect fodder, firewood, everything. Prior to this, we had
lanched a prohibition movement. It helped us in the mobili
sation of women.
S.P. Through women could you succeed in roping in men
too ?
S.B. Yes. If you involve women in some movement, then
they influence the whole family. In a movement of ahimsa.
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only these persons can lead who can sacrifice. If you see
family life, it is women of our mothers who sacrifice more.
They wake up early in the morning at 4 and go to bed at 10
or II. Sacrifice is the first qualification for a soldier of the
non-violent movement.
S.P. : Does the Chipko movement have any history or did
the idea originate with you ?
S.B. : It was in 1930 that people in our area revolted
against the commercialisation of the forests. To suppress that
rebellion, on 30th May 1930 the army was sent by the rulers of
the State. As many as 17 persons were shot dead, about 80
arrested. Though the movement was then suppressed, we got
inspiration from them. We established a memorial co those
martyrs. In 1969, we repeated a pledge in front of their
memorial. This became the background of Chipko. It later
so happened that the UP government sanctioned felling of 50
ashwood trees in a village in Chamoli district in Mandal village
where people were refused even a single tree for making
agricultural implements. They decided that they wouldn’t
allow anybody to fell the trees. There was the impact of
Sarvodaya ideas on them because we were working in that
area. Prior to this to teach a lesson to the government, people
used to destory the forests. But this time, they said, we’ll hug
the trees. So the idea came, they demonstrated and the com
pany people ran away from there. People went from village
to village with this idea. In Indian history, in 1730, as many
as 363 men and women offered themselves to the axe. in a
village near Jodhpur in Kedaldi village and they were Bishnoi
people. The tradition among Bishnois is that they won’t allow
anybody to fell trees and kill wild animals. That was history
and we didn’t know about it.
S.P. ; Can you recall the kind of reaction of those against
this movement ?
S.B. They came with the police force and sometimes threa
tened us through goondas. They made attempts on our lives
too, but couldn’t succeed. It once happened that when I was
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[fasting in a forest, I was in a sleeping bag in a small thatched
hut. And that was set on fire. Bin people were very alert.
Sometimes there were 100 armed policemen and the women
hugged the trees, the policemen said to the contraetors, ‘go
and fell trees.’ But the labourers were not ready, Women
raised the slogan ‘‘we have no quarrel with the police, police
men are our brothers, we simply want to save our trees.”
S.J3. : How far has the Chipko movement spread ?
S.J3. : A number of people have visited our ashram and
Chipko area mostly from Sweden, Germany, Netherlands,
Switzerland, France, England, USA., from so many countries.
Richard St. Barbe Baker, the man of trees was going round
the world preaching for the protection of and planting of trees.
He came to India in 1977 and as soon as ne heard about the
Chipko movement, he met me in Delhi, and come to our hills.
When he heard the story of the sacrifice of 363 men and.
women, he wrote that down and spread it to iOS countries of
the world. Like this, many people have taken the messages
and arc now working on it. For example, when Ewo and
Birgitta went to Sweden, they protested against the spraying of
pesticides in the forests. One gentleman from Switzerland
came and met me recently. He said that they are faced with
acid rain problem, this is due to the excessive use of fuel
vehicles. They arc how trying to popularise cycles and tell
people that they should leave vehicles which run on petrol and
diesel to save our forests and nature. I have attended two
International Conferences, the first one, World Energy Con
ference at Nairobi in August’ 81 which I joined with a big
bundle of Himalayan firewood on my back. In ’82 I was
invited by the UN environment programme to attend a publie
hearing on environment. Thereafter I was invited by friends
interested in the Green movement in France, Germany
Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland and Austria. Everywhere, I
spoke in Universities and groups which are working for the
protection of nature. They have also written books on this
movement in different languages. There arc books in French,
Dutch, German, much in Swedish about Chipko. In this way,
more and more people understand the essence.
8
S.P. : Have your foreign trips made you richer in the
knowledge of the environment ?
S.B.: Not much, because their problems arc somewhat
different. In Sweden, I saw an exhibition with the name
‘Alternatives.’ O.i the gate of that exhibition, there was a
hotel, but all cooking was being done with the help of solar
energy. There were chapthis, fresh vegtables etc. In Western
countries, they use tinned food. They said, this is our revolt
against tin-food ; we went fresh food like Indian chapathis.
Inside the exhibition, there were demonstrations of spinning by
thakli, pedal and charka, loom and all these things. Outside,
there was an open theatre in which folk singers and dancers
were performing. The said this is our alternative to cinema
and TV which has polluted the minds of people and machanised everything. The system which Gandhiji had advocated—
people are thinking that it is the only way out for survival. It
strengthened my ideas. Unfortunately we arc aping those
societies which are destroying nature and peace all over the
world. Our great teachers like Buddha and others have said that
development is a stage in which you achieve peace, happiness
and prosperity. And ultimately, it takes you towards satisfaction
But under material civilisation, development means affluence,
that is material prosperity which is temporary, and in order to
get that we arc today sacrificing peace peace and prosperity and
were getting dissatisfaction, dissatisfaction...
S.P. I learn that you have refused the Padmashree award
given to you, What were the reasons ?
S.B. I welcomed it first, because they had recognised the
illiterate village women’s movement. But I said, I don’t deserve
it till the flow of flesh and blood of mother earth, that is the
fertile top soil of India ceases. I wrote back to Rashtrapathiji
and humbly refused it.
S.P. Apart from Chipko songs, what other methods do you
employ to spread the movement ?
S.B. It was mostly through Bhagawatkatha. People in this
country are highly religious. Religion is not simply dog mt in
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our country but it was through religion that they tried to impart
education in old times also. Take for example the pipal tree
which is considered sacred in our country. Now scientists have
proved that a pipal tree having a canopy of 162 sq. metres can
give 1,712 kg. of oxygen in an hour and absorb 2,252 kg. of
Carbon Dioxide. Through Bhagwadkhathas, we tried to educate
people and tell them that we should see God in every living
being including trees and animals. We have tried to combine
science with spirituality. Today there is science, but no spiritu
ality. So science has become destructive. Though there have
been discoveries in science, they have always been unmindful of
the interest of common people. Apart from all these padyatras
the old method employed by Shankaracharya, has been one of
the effective means.
S.P. : Coming to padyatras, do vou think you can activate
people meeting them only for a few minutes ? Don’t you think
that it needs repeated effort ?
.S.B : In padyatras, when you personally came into contact
with somebody, you touch their hearts and make some impres
sion on them. It also helps to identify, educate and train the
volunteers who’ll eventually follow up the work. It works as a
chain reaction.
S.P. Could you please give us some statistics about our
forests ?
S.B. : On paper, our forest area is 22.7 per cent in India.
But recently, I have learnt that according to satellite measure
ments, it’s only 14 per cent and I don’t know what density
there is’ All over the world, tropical forests are vanishing at
the rate of 32 hectares per minute.
Mostly, they are felled to meet the increasing demand of
industries. A study was made by the International Union of
Nature Conservationists which says, the requirement of tropical
hardwoods of three major industrial nations of the world,
U.S.A., Japan and Europe was 4.2 million cubic metres in 1950.
By 1980 it went up to 66 million cubic metres—an increase of
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1500 per cent within 30 years; There can be no system in
nature where 1500 per cent regeneration can take place.
S.P. : Is thre enough awareness in your place to carry on
the movement even in your absence ?
S.B. : In most of the villages, they have appointed their own
guards to look after the forest. For example, in Silyara village
where our ashrama is, there are about 100 families. Each family
contributes Rs. 20 a year, they have appointed a lady forest
guard. You can check forest destruction only if you make
people aware of the importance of forests. You have to give
the management of forests to people and the forest department
should act only as technical advisers. In forests, you have to
plant trees giving food, fodder, fuel, fertilisers & fibre. This is
our 5 F formula. People are aware in the sense, they know the
need of forests, what type forest they want they also plant trees.
S.P. : In what parts of India has the awakening taken placer
S.B. : There are very few places. I am in search of workes?
who can take up this work. It is only this aim which brought
me here when I heard that young people under the leadership
of our friend Pandurang Hegde are doing some such work here.
I am trying to go everywhere, meet young people and inspire
them.
S.P. : You have seen the forests here in North Kanara.
What are your impressions about the state of local forests ?
S.B. : We have to preserve natural forests first. Wherever
clear felling has been done, they should re-stock it with the
indigenous species. Otherwise they will plant those areas with
Eucalyptus or teak and the area will bo turned into a timber
mine. A forest is something else. It’s a community of living
things in which big trees, small ones, bushes, birds, insects,
wild animals etc. arc present. Unfortunately, by turning forests
into timber mines, the balance is being lost. People say that
the rainfall has been very erratic. They are not getting leafy
fertilisers on which their crop depended. The importance of
forests ifeunt null* Uir the coastal region, but for the whole of
South India because your rivers, unlike Himalayan ones, aren’t
snow-fed. Whatever water you get in your river is from dense
forests. Forests are the mothers of rivers. They are also oxy
gen banks and factories of fertile soil. For oxygen, soil and
water, you have to maintain the forests.
S.P. : What sort of afforestation programme do you suggest
from Karnataka ?
SB. : Food is our first problem. Naturally first priority
goes to it. Among food, I give first place to nuts. Fortunately,
you can grow nuts here. Today you have to find out ways and
means by which human beings and trees can co-exist. It's the
greed of the former which has slaughtered the.latter till now.
Now the latest scientific research says that with the increasing
population pressure and decreasing per capita land, the only
way out is to take up tree farming. Trees can give more in less
land. If you use one acre of land to grow meat—for example,
if you manage that land for fodder to beef animals, then you
will get only 100 kg. of beef in a year. If you grow cereals,
you’ll get 1 to 1.5 tonnes. Apples you get 7 tonnes. Walnuts :
10-15 tonnes. I have no statistics about coconuts, but it should
be near about that. Legumes pods and beans you can grow
15-20 tonnes. Second priority goes to fodder trees. Trees
giving fuel comes next. The demand for firewood is higher
than the rate of regeneration of firewood trees. We have to
find out some alternative sources like biogas solar energy etc.
The town people can be supplied with cooking gas. Even then
you need firewood. 1 recommended small bushes which can be
trimmed every year. The priorities of 5 ‘F’ formula can be
altered according to local needs.
S-P. : Can’t fast growing trees help our timber requiremments ?
S.B. : No. These fast growing trees, most of them are like
children borns in Moola Nakshtra. Such children eat up their
parents, especially Eucalyptus. They arc very disastrous for the
health of soil and water-table.
S.P. : In some places, they conduct sacred thread ceremony
and marriage for pipal tree. Some pockets ol trees are m tin tain12
ed as divine forests. Do you think these are suitable plans of
our ancestors to conserve trees.
S.B. : Yes. They were highly scientific people. In Shanthlparva in Mahabharatha, they have written, 'this tree, it drinks
water, it feels thirsty, it is ill’ etc. Now in the book. Secret life
of plants written by two scientists of Canada, they repeat all
these things. I have already told you about the pipal tree. They
have said, one who goes round the pipal tree 108 times will live
for 100 years. That means that he’ll get more and more
pure air and won’t be affected by pollution. In our philosophy
it is said, vasudhaiva kutuinbakam, the whole earth is your
family. They have not limited the family to human beings.
In the puranas, they have described a tree as equal to ten sons.
S.P. : What are your future plans ?
S.B. : I am trying to bring three types of people together all
over the country. The social activities, the humanitarian
scientist—I say so because most of the scientists are doing cruel
work these days, work that is anti-people, like growing eucalyp
tus—third, compassionate literary men and journalists. I
myself am a freelancer—I feel that journalists have a sensitive
heart and if they understand a thing well, they can project it.
Today, I feel, the biggest ideal before journalists is to re-esta
blish the harmonious relationship between man and nature.
Where I go, I try to bring these three categories of people
together, and l am sure, if they work together, they can bring
a chance.
S.P. : What is the response from the media for your move
ment ?
S.B. : It was through the press-publicity that the movement
was known nationwide. Otherwise it would have been lost in
the dark of Himalayas. This is the important social work that
we should do in India today. Because soil, water and oxygen
arc out prime basic essentials which we need for our survival.
Again there is the monster of pollution which is coming before
us everywhere. People aren’t serious about this. There is
much talk on environment in big towns, cites and universities
13
sr.d there aic big scientists ard big people. But this is simply
a fashion. It’s only the people who are in the struggle of life
as I have seen here in Sirsi area, they feel, we neeel forests for
our survival. It’s only the common people who can do some
thing real.
S.P.: Doesn’t your old age come in the way of your mission ?
S.B. : (Laughs) I don’t consider myself as old. I think my
self as fresh as a boy of 13 when I first entered public life.
When you are working for a big cause, you don’t feel you are
old. Vinobaji used to say in Hindi. “After pachpan (55),
bachpan (childhood) begins.” 1 am 56 now.
S.P. ; Before concluding, a couple of personal questions.
Do you fit d time for your family amidst your heavy schedule
and big ideals ?
S.B. : My family has become a so great that everywhere I
find my family. I establish family relations with all those people
whom I come into contact with. For example, when I heard
about Pandurang’s work here, I felt that he is a family member
and I should come and work with him.
S.P. : Well, at the same time, your family members should
be longing for your company.
S.B. : I don’t think so. Now they are accustomed so this.
It is my wife who has been a source of encouragement for me.
Instead of pulling me back, she has always been encouraging
me to take up all this work. When I wes arrested during the
Chipko movement, she took up the leadership. As far as my
sons are concerned they are grown up and are joining me in
these programmes wherever possible.
(Courtesy—Deccan Herald, Bangalore)
Why have the Himalays, of which Lord Krishna once said,
Among the steadfast—I am Himalaya”, become so fragile ?
one of the mountain villagers told me, “Our condition is like
an unfortunate child whose father instead of rearing him ups is
pelting stones on him. For generations we have been living in
this holy land. Himalaya has given us strength and courage,
but now our very survival is threatened”.
—Sunderlal Bahuguna in Earthwatch, 1984
14
A Week in Chipko (Appiko)
Villages in South
—Sunderlal Bahuguna
As our bus from Bangalore after a overnight journey of
about 400 kms. reached Sirsi, the taluka town of Uttara
Kannada District of Karnataka on Manglore-Bombay highway,
Pandurang Hcgde was there to receive me. We have been
knowing each other since 1979, when he came to my Ashram
in Himalayas to get practical experience in social work as a
post-graduate student of the Delhi School of Social Work,
Delhi University. At that time he was a simple young man
looking for a bright career after passing his M. A. (Social Work)
examination. In Himalaya he came in contact with Chipko
activists, visited the areas of the movement and met a large
number of villagers, who had participated in the famous Chipko
movement and had saved their forests from contractors’ axes
even after facing the armed police. I never visualised that the
bleeding Himalayas would touch this youngman’s sensitive heart
and make him restless about the similar conditions in his native
districts on the Western Ghats. It took three years when
Pandurang finally decided to give up his job in Damoh District
of Madhya Pradesh and dedicated his life for the service of
suffering people and Mother Earth in his native place. He had
seen there in his boyhood dense forests, full of evergreen trees
and busher harbouring tigers, deers, wild pigs, wild buffaloes, a
number of birds and bees; but during the last twenty years every
thing had disappeared. After walking for about a fortnight
with Kashmir-Kohima Chipko foot marchers in Bhutan, he
came back to Sirsi and undertook a long padyatra along the
banks of the Kali river. His heart was filled with anguish to
gee the scars on the face of Mother Earth created due to clear
15
felling of trees and mining. He talked to the people and filled
them with a new hope that they can still save the remaining
trees. He went on spreading the seeds of Chipko movement.
And it was on September 8th 1983 that the first seed
sprouted; 160 men and women mostly youth from Salkani
village of Sirsi Taluka marched to the forest, where trees were
being felled by the contractors’ axe man under order from the
Forest Department. They succeeded in stopping trees felling.
Every day 20 to 30 volunteers went to the forest to keep a vigil
on rhe axeman till they finally left the place after about a
month.
The news spread like wild fire in the whole Taluka. Follow
ing the example of Salkani Youth went to their neighbouring
forests to halt tree felling. From Sirsi the movement spread in
the neighbouring Siddapur Taluka.
It was a now surprising event to all, specially to the political
parties, who arc always in search of opportunities to make
political capital out of people’s movements. It brought Pandurang into the scene. He explained to the Yuwak Mandalics,
spearheading the movement, the philosophy of the Chipko
movement. He had with him his knowledge of scientific social
work in which he had specialised and practical experience of
Chipko movement in Himalayas. He said : “Our objective is
to protect our forests, which we need for our survival and the
survival of all living beings. We need co-operation of all but
monopoly of none. We want a basic change in the policies of
the Government—forestry in support of agriculture, which is
the main stay of a vast majority in this country. This made
him the friend, philosopher and guide of the Chipko (Appiko)
movement in the south.
So on November 18th, I was with Pandurang the pioneer of
non-violent ecological movement, which has filled the farmers
with a new hope. He took me to the back house of an agri
cultural implements and cattle feed store. This is his head
quarter, where he has moved from his village Kalgundikoppa
in order to keep contact and move quickly to the area of move
16
ment. His sole property is a small bag with a spare pair of
clothes, a writing pad and a pencil. He sleeps on the floor
over a bedding provided by the owner of the shop, Hulcmalgi
Bros., who is a sympathiser of the movement and a family
friend of Pandurang’s family. After taking his lunch, he is not
sure whether he will get his dinner. He was waiting for news
from the fields of action before deciding his day’s programme.
After lunch a sympathiser’s jeep dropped us about six kilo
meters away in forest. Trees has been clear felled in this area
apparently to meet the firewood demand of Sirsi, but really to
plant fastgrowing commercial species like Eucalyptus and Teak.
The Forest Department explanation for this is that at present
firewood is being supplied in this districts at the rate of Rs. 80/per ton on fifty percent subsidy. But the Appiko movements/
solution to this problem is that only dead and dry wood should
be removed from the forest. The clear felling has affected
4000 acres of forest to get 4000 Cum. of firewood. The total
area of Sirsi Forest Division is 5,00,000 hectares and the fire
wood demand is only 15000 Cmt. Why should the Government
grudge giving subsidy to the poor firewood consumers, when
they have been supplying selective trees to plywood industry on
nominal rate ?
The axeman had left the forest; through their huts, and the
contractor’s guard to look after the fallen trees were there.
After walking a little distance we reached a small village
Kabbc. Within a few minutes young people who were working
it the fields assembled in a house. Their spokesman Mohan
Hcgdc said “All people in this village are illiterate. They used
to complain that agricultural yield has decreased by fifty percent
within 10 years due to deforestation. Crops arc attacked by
pests, which can not be controlled without pesticides. Nothing
grows without using chemical fertilisers. Our economic condi
tion has deteriorated to the extent that wc could not pay back
crop loan taken for one year tc the Co-operative Society even
in 3-4 years. There was a 90C acres mixed forest in this village.
300 to 400 acres have ben planted with teak and eucalyptus
after clear felling of the area. Water sources have dried up an$
17
the land has become dry,- Whenever there were no rains for
eight days, there were tears in every-body’s eyes. We all kept
quiet. Two or three months ago Pandurang Hegde organised
(Environmental Protection Centre) Parispara Samrakshan
Kendra, and told we can save our forests through this. So we
launched direct action to save our remaining forest. The Deputy
Conservator of Forests visited our village after that and said :
"At present the Governmet has entered into a contract with the
Contractor, so allow him to fell the trees. We shall stop tree
felling next year.” But how can we wait for next year, as due
to eucalyptus and teak plantatations the air has become hot, the
land dry, the springs without water, no fodder to the cattle in
eucalyptus plantations” was our reply.
When we suggested to meet the firewood demand with dead
trees, the Deputy Conservator of Forests’ reply was “The dry
and dead trees are scattered and it is costilcr to collect these.
If you continue such a government, it is against law”. He
threatened us. After this the contractors man came to ask
what was the next step of our movement ? And we said, “we
■shall continue it”. For some days the contractors felled trees
during the night, but later, on our persuasion the labourers who
were paid Rs. 20/- to Rs. 25/- a day left the areas. 31 acres of
forest has been clear felled and acres still remains. Due to this
there has been scarcity of firewood for us since last five years,
There has been leaf fertiliser famine, because eucalyptus and
teak has been planted near the village, whose leaves are not
good for green manuring. Previously we used Matti, Nandi,
Hunalu, Mangalu, Keela Tari, leaves as fertiliser.”
80 years old Darsia Gowda added to this that when there
was heavy rain in Ashrani, Bharani nakshtra (
) in April
and no rains for a fortnight after that, there was always bumper
crops free from diseases. Due to deforestation now there is no
rain in that nakshatra (
). We have to do sowing accord
ing to the rains, so there is no good harvest. There were
continuous rains for six months 25 years ago, but now the rainy
season ends in three months. Cattle are the precious wealth of
farmers, as we get manure from these, but now there is scarcity
of fodder, because the clear felled areas have been covered with
18
eupetorium weed. The 150 acres minor forest plot has been
distributed to the landless and the rest 900 acres reserved forest
is being turned into mono culture forest of commercial species.
We will not get wood from these for our agricultural imple
ments.
“I used to dispense herbal medicines to human beings and
animals”. He mentioned the local treatment of several ailments
including bone-damage, but now these herbs have disappeared.
“Every family used to collect honey at least four times a
year from bee-hives on Maddale, Madal, Hebbalasu, Benatc,
Neerati and Goli trees. A single Maddale tree in Karemane
forest of Kabbe housed 150 bee-hives, which of late was felled
by Karnataka State Forest Industries Corporation to grow
eucalyptus. We used honey for medicine and food and sold a
part of it.
“There were a number of wild fruits for cattle feed and
like Kangalu, Seuney, Basare, Kaulo, Upgarc and jack fruits,
mangoes etc. for human beings. There were wild elephants,
wild-buffaloes, wild pigs, deers and tigers. But now all are
extinct, except wild pigs, which destroy our crops”.
It was late in the night when we reached Sirsi and we did
not think it proper to disturb our sympathisers to arrange our
dinner, so we purchased 3 jowar chapaties for three rupees.
This along with gur and groundnuts, which friends from
Dattapur (Wardha) had kept in my bag was our dinner. I went
to bed, but Pandurang was disposing his mails till late at night.
Next day I along with two youth leaders travelled by bus to
Nadyud and Nazgadde villages of Siddapur Taluka. There the
villagers had driven away the axeman of a plywood factory
from Kalgengeddi forest recently. Out of 89 trees marked for
felling, they had already felled 51 trees, but damaged 547
trees—1000 per cent more 1 People counted the damaged
trees.
M.S. Hegde, a young farmer, said the destruction of forest
has affected areca nut production: Our fertile topsoil is being
washed away due to heavy erratic rains. Even small nullahs
19
like Wazgadda are in spate. Though the coastal area farmesr
arc benefitted with floods. They collect the fertile top soil
taken down by the rivers to grow coconut in lower ghat areas.
He said “Wild animals were the God given gift to the
people of this area. Now they have no shelter to live and no
wild fruits and grasses to cat. Due to the destruction of wild
animals, destruction of crops by undesirable wild animals has
increased. Wild pigs, which were controlled by tigers have
increased. We learnt valour and courage from the wild animals
and it had an impact on human behaviour. These wild animals
were also the source of enjoyment to the children.
“Contractor are trying to win over the backward Naiks,
and instigating then to behave arrogantly. The other day the
Range Officer went to a Naik village with a political leader of
their commuity to persuade them to oppose the movement ;
but the poor fellows were rebuked by the villagers. They said
more than arcica nut farmers, we depend upon forests for our
survival. We have no tile roofed house, we get all building
material from the forests.”
When we returned back in the night Pandurang had plann
ed our next day’s programme. News of the movement had
reached far in the South and a young free lance journalist
Shree Padre from Kerala wanted to join us. Next day we set
out for a new—Bengaon forest, This was an adivasi village,
whose a ncestors had come from Maharastra to settle here.
The village with its paddy field was in a small valley surround
ed by forests. Two years back the plywood factory had felled
trees from this forest and this year again 500 trees were marked
for, what the forest department calls “Improvement felling”.
The trees were felled on steep slopes and eupetorium has start
ed coming up in this area. Wc were shocked to sec the area
denuded for constructing a motor road in the midst of dense
forest by the plywood factory for the the transport of logs.
After felling of trees for plywood, they left the twings, stumps
and other illegally felled trees, which were later burnt. There
was a big tree lying near by. When after launching the move
ment, the forest officer came here, he was asked about thi?
20
tape of forest. The poor fellow could not utter a single word
in reply, whereas his boss from Bangalore had come out with a
two colum express statement to defend the scientific manage
ment of the forests. Alas ! the decision makers and policy
framers at Bangalore and New Delhi, who are surrounded by
files prepared by beaured by beaurocracy could see this forests
which a few years back looked like a temple, but was now now
presenting the scenes of a deserted battle field.
We could sec a number of tender trees out and were told
that a Forest Department employee had cut five to six thousand
poles from this area. Later, when detected by the agitators, a
false crime report was made in the name of a local farmer
alleging that he had cut these for fencing. Fine was realised,
whereas the poles were actually sold some where else to earn
money.
Mattigadda Co-operative Society, 40 Kms. from Sirsi
connected by fair weather Kuchna road, is the centre of a
number of scattered habitats in the midst of dense forests.
The area was deserted by the villagers who survived an epcdemic in the beginning of this century.
Now some people
have settled here. They had come to listen to the Chipko
message. We stayed for the night in a solitary tile-roofed
house in the midst of the forest. The fiat land was covered
with areca nut, coconut trees and paddy fields.
On November 21st morning we climbed up through a path
passing through dense natural forests of big trees and cane
bushes. The canopy was so dense even in the day time, that it
was dark all around. We enjoyed the music of the birds and
the sweet sound of a stream flowing in this wilderness. The
commercial exploiters had not so far reached here. Kangale
trees, whose leaves arc a very nutritous fodder intact in this
forest. Suddenly we met a small river Bcerchods (The White
River) flowing over a rock at Arvalgadda. It joins Pattan
Halle and finally Gangavati which ultimately falls into the
Arabian Sea between /\nkola and Karwar. Wc all sat for a
while musing over Chipko movement and the following ideas
came.
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COMMUNITY HEALTH CEU
326, V Main, I Block
npr In
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*‘We can do without plywood, but we can not live without
water. Anybody who has to make any decision about the
management of hill forests, I request him to come out of the
air-conditioned offices of Bangalore and New Delhi, sit quietly
at this spot and then decide. You can not imagine elsewhere
what are the real gifts of the forest ? There you can think
only about timber and raw materials for the industries, but
here you see that the real products of the forests are Oxygen,
water and soil, which are the basis of life. We should fix our
priorities of forest mangement on this basis. Unfortunately
after the advent of Industrial Revolution, this important aspect
has been totally ignored. As a result of this mankind is faced
with the triple problems of hunger, disease and pollution. The
solution of these problems does not lie in opening relief camps.
hospitals and adopting remedial measures, but in the re
establishment of harmonious relationship between Men and
Nature. Big minds have become so tiny that can not think
beyond the immediate economic profits, which had brought
Mankind at the brink of disaster. Happily the small people
have started thinking about permanent prosperity. They know
this eternal truth that we have inherited this Earrh from our
forefathers and this is a sacred trust with us for the posterity.
Chipko movement is the manifestation of common people’s
efforts to materialise the high ideals, for the survival of
mankind. We call upon the toiling masses to continue their
struggle for the bright future of mankind. I know we are
swiming against the tide. We are a minority, which will save
mankind from disaster and usher a new era of peace, happiness
and prosperity.”
Mr. K.M. Hegde of Salkani who was walking with us told
there was a 200 ft. high Maddale tree in Donne forest housing
800 b<>e-hives. We are afraid that some day the Match factory
people will take it away. The villagers from five villages
assemble under this tree on a particular day in a fair to extract
honey. They worship the tree and offer coconuts before
extracting honey and pray for better yield in the next year.
We reached an Adivasi village with mud huts, a part of
Salkani. This was the birth place of Chipko movement in
22
South. After walking a few yards we saw deserted huts of the
forests labourers surrounded by trees felled by them. I asked
K..M. Hcgde, how the idea of starting the movement had come
to them and he replied, “We had read your statement in a
Kannada paper and then the Yuvak Mandali decided to launch
the movement. We informed the Forest Officerand the Forest
Range Officer came to convince us saying that “We fell trees
according to the prescriptions of Working Plan. We do not
plunder the forest, as you accuse, we fell only two trees in a
hectare. We shall, however, do not fell trees till November
and shall talk to you before starting the lumbering operations.”
But immediately the axeman reached here and they occupied
the village school building. On September 8th we, 100 men
and 60 women, reached here walking five miles from Salkani.
We hugged the trees. The axeman were moved. They stopped
axing the trees and swearing by Helanmma Goddess not to fell
trees till the agitators allowed.
On September 22nd the Forest Officer came with a team of
scientists and influential public leaders to our village and
threatened us with the consequences of our action, but we in
sisted that they should first visit the spot and then talk. The
whole team walked to the forest, the officer had the first expe
rience to cross the knee deep nullah and travel without a jeep.
The scientist after some days submitted a report after making
a sample survey of one hectare, endorsing our allegations.
“11 trees had been marked for cutting, Out of these 11, 8
had been felled. In the process of felling these 8 trees, as
many as five trees had been damaged. We also noted that in
another part of the coupe one tree belonging to Terminalis
Paniculta number 461 of about 12 M. height had been felled in
such a fashion as the damage 4 other well grown trees. Of
these two were rosewood trees which are completely protected.
The tree was felled uphill against requisitions. Further there
was much space on the down hill side to fell this tree without
damaging any other tree. There was thus an evident prima
facie case of deliberate damage of other trees in the course of
felling.
23
' We thus agree that both the contentious of the Yuvak
Mandali, namely, excessive damage in the course of felling and
excessive concentration of trees marked for felling were in fact
true. The Yuvak Mandali should be complimented for having
brought this to the notice of authorities. It is obviously in the
broader interests to seek their continued co-operation in ensur
ing proper protection of forests.” Even after this report
felling was resumed on Sept. 28th which the villagers stopped
by hugging on Sept. 29th. We addressed a crowded meeting
attended by school boys, men and women from the neighbour
ing villages in Salkani High school. All were filled with
enthusiasm and pledged to save their trees. We felt that
sufficient member of ladies could not attend the meeting due to
their being busy in the household work. So a slide show
depicting the Women’s movement in Uttarakhand was arranged
for them. At the conclusion of this an elderly lady stood and
declared that now the ladies will be on the forefront and we
will keep sarvodaya patra a pot to put handful of rice each day
to support the movement. This was the revival of fifty year
old practice, when people of this area had launched ‘Jungle
Satyagraha’ against the British regimes forest policy as a part
of Gandhiji’s Swarajya movement.
The Department of Environment Government of India, has
assigned ‘Western Ghats Research Project to Karnataka
University. Researchers of this project had visited Salkani,
when the movement was in progress. They were full of appre
ciation for the work of Yuvak Mandali. We could sec their
comments in the Visitor’s book of the Mandali, saying “Forest
working plan should be changed”.
On November 22nd we walked upto Banhalle High School
and addressed a meeting. While going to Mandamannc village,
the Head Master showed us the trees marked for felling for
plywood factory. The villagers were expecting the ce.ntractor’s
axemen and were ready to keep them off the forest. The con
tractor had approached the Head Master that he shold dissuade
the youths and in lieu he will give free timber for school, but
the self respecting Head Master rebuked him saying “ We have
24
enough money to purchase timber for the school, but we can
not cooperate in the sinful act of stripping Mother Earth”.
Nearly 500 trees have been marked in this area for felling. We
could see a tari tree marked for felling near Mandanne that it
will certainly damage other trees, if felled. But who can buestion this ? This was scientific management of forests !
69 year old Venktaramana of Mandimanne had a sad story
of this scientific management to tell. In the beginning the
Forest Department said “we are felling trees to plant better
species.” They planted teak and eucalyptus saplings. After
that since ten years past (bambu huda) has increased, it eats up
the half ripe paddy.
He remembered the forest movement of 1930-34 when the
British Government had imposed certain restrictions on the use
of forests by the villagers. The people as a protest went in
groups to cut the sandal wood trees. The demands were : (1)
There should be grazing lands for cows and the grazing tax of
two annas (12 paise, per cattle) be abolished. 2. Free timber
and wood for house construction and agricultural implements.
3. Right to take tree leaves for green manuring of arieca nut
gardens. The Government conceded these demands and these
are known as Kanara Privileges enjoyed by the farmers of
North Kanara District. Nine acres of forest land called ‘Betta
Land’ for one acre of arieca nut garden was allotted to the
farmers. “We get green manure from this ‘betta’ land. When
the green leaves do not suffice, we collect dried leaves from the
reserved forest. Now for the last 15 years there is scarcity of
these leaves since Doddanna and Co., a forest contractor had
felled in an area of 2000 acres in Vakkal. New saplings were
planted in this area, which did not survive. The Forest Depart
ment had planted teak and eucalyptus, but instead of these
eupatorium thrived. In Ucndadi block of Mensi-Gureubaldii
area, which was covered with hard wood tree species like Mattt,
Nandi and Gudmau and soft wood trees, trees were felled first
for railway sleepers and later on for plywood factory. There
were Jamba trees, which is a very good hardwood specie. Good
trees were felled leaving behind only the weak trees, which
could regenerate only a few trees.
25
i
Venkataramana continued, “This year the forest department
auctioned uppase fruits. Its seeds contain edible oil, specially,
used in roasting fish. The contractor instead of plucking the
fruits, felled down the trees. He showed us a tree near the
village, whose branches had been mercilessly lopped.
When we reached back to Chipko headquarters at Sirsi on
the night of 22nd Nov. we met the Assistant Commissioner
and acquainted him with our experiences and the people’s
determination to save the remaining forests. An invitation from
the Botany Department of Karnaka University, Dharawad to
visit on November 24th was already waiting us.
On November 23, all the activists had assembled at Sirsi
to discuss the future strategy. They approved a pledge for
Chipko activists, declaring their faith in non-violence, affiliation
with no political party and their objective as protection and
regeneration of natural forests making forestry in support of
agriculture. Pandurang explained in detail to a meeting to a
meeting of citizens of Sirsi the progress and the plans of the
movement. He was flooded with questions from all sides,
which he calmly and firmly replied. Everybody, returned fully
satisfied.
Our task in Karnataka University was easy and every body
had read about Chipko movement and some of the researchers
had personally visited the scene of the movement in Salkani.
They were eager to see the movement spreading in the whole
western ghats.
My pilgrimage to the birth place of Chipko (Appiko) in
South ended on 25th November at Bangalore. Our last pro
gramme was to meet the press. A group of young journalists
filled with idealism greeted Pandurang, who gave a detailed
report of the movement and replied their querrics. Sri Narain
Swamy of Gandhi Peace Foundation. Dr. B.V. Krishnamurthy,
the renowned economist and J. Bandopadhyaya, the young
scientist from the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore
along with a group of sympathisers extended their support and
cooperation. We believe that the success of ecological move
ments depends on the team work of humanitarian scientists,
26
social activists and idealist Journalists. Fortunately these three
forces are uniting in the South. Prominent papers are giving
wide publicity to this movement. . Some have come out with
forceful leading articles praising the movement and demanding
an immediate stoppage of the plunder of forest wealth.
Some of the sympathisers had kindly come to the Bangalore
Railway station to sec me off. My last work was to write a
letter to The Chief Minister Sri Ramkrishna Hcgde congratulat
ing him for being the leader of the Government of a State,
where a movement to a save western ghats had born. The
objective of the movement was not to oppose anybody, but the
enhance the prestige of all, who realize the need of the hour
and help in bringing a change in age-old exploitative policies.
To the activists in the field, who may have to confront the
police with whose help the Forest Officer has ordered resump
tion of felling operations, I sent copies of Gandhiji’s prayer
and devotional songs booklet as their companion to face the
forces of violence with non-violence. The strength of the soldier
of Ahimsa (non-violence lies in his soul. Prayers and devotional
songs add to the inner strength, which is the only power to
bring a social change specially when the four known powers—
State, Wealth, Arms and Intellect—have miserably failed to
solve the problems facing mankind. To my dear friends
Pandurang, who by starling this movement has made me 30
years younger than my age (as he is 27 and I am completing 57),
I gave the parting message, “I shall be always with you when
you arc in action”, and he blessed me by saying “I shall always
be active, working for your mission.”
(Like a migrating bird, the idea of embracing trees flow
South to Sirsi in North Karnataka, and Appjko movement
took wing—Claude Alvares in Indian Express, Sept- 9, 1984.)
27
Appiko Padayatra
—Pandurang Hegde
We started on our Appiko Padyatra (Footmarch) from the
Marikamba Temple in Sirsi, Uttara Kannada District, on the
10th of April, 1984. As, step by step, we covered about 650
kms. our footmarch become a learning process.
The main objective of the Appiko Movement is the three
fold : to save remaining forests; to grow trees on barren land!
and to propagate idea of proper utilisation of forest wealth by
people. Started in September 1983, the movement spent its
first few months, till April 1984, in actually hugging trees and
thus preventing their felling. This procedure to save the forests
pas practised in about ten places of Sirsi, Siddapur and Yellapur
talukas. By this time, almost everyone in the countryside and
cities of Karnataka had become aware of the Appiko Movement
They knew that the prime objective of the movement was to
save forests. But in the countryside and its villages, people were
not fully conversant with the other aims of the movement, viz.,
the drive to give more trees and proper utilization of forest
produce. It was to share these ideas with people in remote
villages that we undertook the footmarch. At the same time,
we wanted to know the people’s reaction to our objectives,
which touched their lives so crucially.
Another equally important reason for undertaking the march
was to sec for ourselves the state of forests in those areas. Thus,
the footmarch became a march of discovery and learning both
for us and the villagers we met and activated for protecting
their forest wealth.
In all, we were able to visit 300 remote villages in three
talukas—Sirsi, Siddapur and Yellapur. We also covered a part
28
of Sorab taluka in Shimoga district. Our walk took us to areas
under plain deciduous forest, to almost inaccessible hill slopes
covered by Evergreen forests and to semi-evergreen zones in
the Western Ghats. By the time we returned to Sirsi on 29th
April 1984, we had ranged over an area of 650 kms comprising
different types of forests, varied soil conditions, and differing
agricultural patterns.
Observation
During our walk in the area of Husri, Malanji and Andagi
in Sirsi Range we were struck of the difficulties of the local
people in acquiring the minimum needs of woods to build a
house or thatched hut for themselves. In one case a landless
labourer said ‘ The Forest Ranger came and took away the
poles that I had collected from the forest. It was taken away
to the town. And he has fined me Rs. 300/-.” Showing us his
shanty like thatched hut he added “They told us that the
Appiko people were responsible for this.- The monsoon is
approaching fast and we will be deprived of a safe roof.”
These villagers were supporters of Appiko and the forest
officials had resorted to this kind of harassment to create a
feeling against Appiko supporters. At present the Forest
Department has taken back all the concessions and privilages
that they were allowed to the local people. In addition to this
they arc not allowing the people to fetch even a small pole from
the forest. This denial of the basic needs has affected the lowest
class of people in the village. Throughout our twenty day walk
we came across a number of cases where the local people were
harassed and totally denied any kind of wood from the forest.
Ironically, all this being done in the name of Law. The jungle
Law. Indeed this kind of barbarious law has succedcd in
breeding and generating much more distrust a mong the people
ragainst the Forest Department.
Appiko has been the first to demand and Stress that the
needs of the local population should come first and that they
should be allowed to enjoy their privileges.
29
The Monster of Mono culture
In the area of decidious forest the mixed forest wealth was
clcarfelled totally to be planted with teak and eucalyptus. This
has been done regardless of the suitability of these species to
those particular areas. For example in Siddapur Kange an
area of 100 acres is being clear felled adjacent to a small
riverlet, Wajgudde. This is being done on steep slopes and
today the twenty year teak plantation has been invaded by a
weed known as eupitorioum. In Yellapur forest division the
teak plantations have done great damage to the soil condition
as the topsoil in these teak plantation areas have been washed
off and the laterisation process has set in. One wonders what
will happen once this teak is harvested in a time span of
seventy years. All these areas will be deserts.
Eucalyptus has also taken its toll in destryoing the mixed
forest areas. We saw that it was being tried in midst of thick
evergreen forest in North Kanara district. The evergreen
forests were gradually degraded to semi evergreen, then to
decedious forest and eventually to shrub forests.
Selective logging—A big FRAUD
In forest and environment terminology the term ‘selective
logging’ means least disturbance to the nature of forests.
However our observations point out that the evergreen forest
near Yana in Kumta taluka and on the steep slopes of the ghat
ranges has turned to semi evergreen and to decidious in its
nature. Some species of trees are felled by WIMCO for
softwood and in addition to this the demand of plywood has
gobbled a lot of these natural forests. There is a national
highway in these thick evergreen forests. The selective logging
never takes into account the trees felled for constructing these
forest roads. The shocking factor is that, these areas should
have been the Protected Forest areas which maintain the
ecological balance and support the life styles of thousands of
people. This out of greed, of man is ready to dig his own
graveyard for financial gains.
Destruction of the life supporting systems
Large scale felling of virgin mixed forests has had direct
30
effects on lives of people. The Gudnapur tank near Sirsi
Banavasi road has silted up to such an extent that it is dry in
summer. In the same way the rivers of Aghanashini and
Bedthi showed the signs of sickness. In almost all villages the
traditional irrigational base was tanks, which are now silted
up. They are of least help to the villages. In many villages
the perennial water sources have dried up and they have to
depend on wells.
A very great danger is posed due to the shortage of grass
for cattle. The availability of fodder has decreased due to
the monoculture plantations and the epitorioum weed.
The farmers said “This year we have receveied rains in
every fortnight. This has affected the whole cropping pattern”.
Thus the sowing season is postponed affecting the yield.
During the period of 1983-84 the erratic rainfall has affected
the kharif crop and the yield has come down by 20 to 40
percent. As a farmer from Deavas village said “Rains every
fortnight have taken back the moisture from the land and we
are facing water shortage in the wells and the ponds”. This
year’s uncalled rainfall has also destroyed the groundnut crop
in Madaralli and many other village.
Minor Forest Produce
Through Uttara Kannada is not a land of honey, its high
forests attracted lots of bee hives and the people collected
honey in tins. But this is now a part of history. As we were
walking in the teak plantation, near Sampgod village,
Putta Gowda said “This was once thick forest known as KARE
GUDDE KANU. There was a Neeratii tree, a honey tree
which sheltered 600 to 700 bee hives a year. I clearly remember
that during my childhood days the tree sheltered 2000 be-hives.
But this was only once in five years, that is during the flower
ing of a wild weed known as Gurige”. This tree was felled to
plant teak. There was some resistance from the people but
they could not save it.
In Hcbbare village there is a very special person called
Jeanu Anna. (Honey Brother). This is a pet name given to
31
him as he is an expert in climbing the honey tree. He said
“In my life I have seen a honey tree which shletcred 1200
beehives every year. The tree was near Karasulli. I was able
to fetch honey only from twentyfive bee hives. About 15
years back this tree was felled by the Plywood factory”.
These are just two instances which came to our notice.
Even after denudation of forest cover we were lucky enough to
see the honey trees which sheltered honey upto sixty bee hives
in a single tree. We do not know exactly how many honey
trees were sacrificed for meeting the need of plywood industry.
Ram Patre is a kind of jungle fruit which has commercial
value.
We saw that while extracting this fruit from the
forest, the people have cut down the branches and in some
cases the tree itself has been felled. The regeneration of this
particular species is very hard. Another forest produce
which is in great demand is Uppagc—a fruit which can be
called “Ghee tree”. The Forest department has given tenders
to extract this from the forest and during extraction the tender
holders have cut down branches and-, a number of trees. In
village, Jagdigadde, the villagers reported this to the Forest
officials, but no action was taken.
If we do not take care of these precious trees, there is every
danger that these species will become extinct.
Narayan Gowda, a Kari Vokkaliga showed us Kanabe
beru—a kind of root in the midst of forest. Kanabe beru is
qsed as local soap in the villages. A part of the root is taken
and after mashing it, the root is mixed with water when
washing cloth it gives lots of foam. Gowda showed it to us and
using this local soap he washed our towel in the stream. It
cleaned the cloth as effectively as any other soap, may be even ■
better than man made soap. But even the people who were
using root have been gradually shifting to soaps purchased
from town.
Cane Smuggling
The Forest Department has given permission to extract
20,000 canes from Sampkhand Range during the year 1984.
32
Our enquiries revealed that by the end of April 84 about
600,000 canes were smuggled out of the place. In the forests
the canes were extracted in such massive number that local
people will not get the canes in coming years. We conveyed
this fact to the Higher officials in the Forest Dept. But they
are keeping quiet and till now the smuggling goes on. The
local people are paid a daily wage of Rs. 40 to 50 per day.
Thus they are coopted to do the cane extraction. There is
hardly any opposition from these people. Some people who
supported us were threatened and their thatched huts were
pulled down by Forest officials. This clearly shows the link
between smugglers and the Forest dept.
Legalised smuggling
In the high forests of Yan we were surprised to see roads.
We discovered later that plywood extraction took place in
previous year. But they could not take away the trees on
schedules. So they were allowed to take felled wood this
year. But now they have cut down more trees in addition to
those felled last year. They apply black manganese soil to the
newly felled trees and they become “old” trees. This cunning
game has been going on for years and the forest officials are
aware of it. This is legalised smuggling.
People are also to be blamed
We were shocked to see that the greed for land has taken
people to thickly forested areas. There they have felled trees
and burnt them in the middle of the forest. This has been
done with utter disregard of the fact that it is a hill slope or a
dry patch of land. Removal of the tree cover and burning
them leads to loosenign of the soil and the heavy rains wash
away the top soil leaving only the brick hard laterite cover. In
one place after crossing Yana, in a place called Gumbligaddc
about twenty five acres of evergreen forest has been clear
felled to make way for cultivation. This will in coming years
change the total forest near by.
Wherever there are human settlements, a large tract of forest
33
is cleared for growing grass. Unless this is halted immediately
the nature of the forests cannot be kept intact.
To secure green manure a patch of evergreen forest has
been cleared near the road side in Mattighatta. This is clearly
visible from the comparison of these two areas.
The Forest Policy in Practice
The forest policy in practice docs not allow the people to
take wood for constructing a thatched hut or a house. In
North Kanara the privileges of the local people to get wood at
concessional rates have been withdrawn by a government
circular. Now they have to buy wood to construct their houses
from the town in competition with wealthy people. The
villager who resides near the forest can watched a dead and
fallen tree but cannot use it for his needs. We came across
Timma Naik, a marginal farmer from Andagi village in Sirsi
taluka whose thatched hut is awaiting repair. He cut a few
poles for his house, ‘Later on”, he narrated the Range Officer
came with the truck and took away the poles. He has also
fined me for this. Now tell me, where should we go to get
the poles ? The Officer is not bothered if rich people smuggle
out truck loads of wood”. These kinds of incidents were very
common and we could see that the supporters of Appiko were
deliberately harassed by the Forest officials.
With this kind of rigid policy the forest department has
lost peoples’ cooperation. Villagers now arc not bothered if a
dead tree catches fire putting the whole forest at risk. What is
the use if they are not getting any kind of benefit ? Unless
the local people are taken into confidence the task of preserv
ing forest wealth will just remain on paper.
Another problem faced by the villagers in Nilkund and
Sonda area is the destruction of the crop by wild pigs and
killing of cattle by tigers. The forest department prohibits
people from shooting these and there seems to be no solution
to the problem.
Ray of Hope
During our footmarch we came across some patches of
greenary which were the results of peoples’ efforts. In Hari34
she, Goranmane, and Hunsekoppa in Siddapur taluka some
plots of land have been looked after so carefully that they have
been able, to raise local species. In the same way many people
have tried to develop barren land into green field.
The School Plantation programme in Bhartnalli village in
Yellapur taluk isa one of the best. However the forest depart
ment has given only Acacisia seedlings.
Conveying the Message of Appiko
In all we visited 300 villages and talked to many individuals
on the road. The main part of our discussion took place
during the slide show at night. The slides showed the impor
tance of the forests, depletion of forest wealth due to the
policies of the forest department, with people contributing to
it by their deliberate mismanagement etc. People hotly debated
the lopping pattern and burning of open areas to get fresh
grass. We were able to convince them of the merit of this kind
of practices.
In many villages they were not convinced and it may take
time for them to see the change and learn accordingly.
The other media through which we conveyed our ideas were
Appiko songs and Yakshagana. Yakshagana is local folklore
in dance drama form and this medium is very famous. Through
these aids we were able to reach the common man in the
villages.
Many villagers walked with us from village to village. This
is the most important time for us as the affects of deforestation
and the present state arc visible to all. We held discussions at
this point with the villagers.
Women and children are also involved in the educating pro
cess. At many places women showed interest in the new; type
of smokeless chulha which saved fuclwood. This new chula is
already famous in many area in Sirsi taluk.
People’s Response
In general we got enthusiastic support from people. . Many
of them have started collecting seeds to be sown on barren land,
3?
Some agreed to experiment with a small plot of land where they
will not fire for grass. The most touching response came from
the villagers of Ashisar in Sirsi taluka. There men, women and
children asked all the padyatris be seated. They then performed
“Aarati” and put Tilak on the forehead. They said “You have
taken up the task of saving the future of mankind. This is just
a beginning. Do not get disheartened with failures. We are
with you in this struggle”. The ceremony in the early morning
hours gave us more strength to tight for the cause of Appiko.
In Conclusion
All through the footmarch we were able to observe the con
dition of forests. This first hand information gave us in depth
knowledge of the actual state of forests. But it also made us
feel that we are fighting a battle which is already lost. The
condition of the forest is so appalling that we doubt;whether true
forests cover even 10 percent of the area. It is difficult to be
lieve that the same area once consisted cf 80 percent of forest.
But the creative minority has shown to us that even in the face
of distrust and helplessness we can, if we try, preserve the
remaining forest wealth and plant more trees on barren land.
These ideas need to be disseminated to larger areas in other
parts of our country. Only then can we hope for a better
future for mankind.
( Continued from page 3rd cover)
no commercial exploitation must be allowed in the hill areas of
the country where density of the forest cover is less than 80 p.c.
the minimum requirement for the ecological protection of soil
and water resources that are the vital for the national economy.
This appeal is being made with the hope that a unanimous
decision will be made by the government as well as the parties
in the opposition on this vital issue of saving the hill forests of
the nation. It will be a concrete step towards the fulfilment
of the promises made to the people by the political parties in
their manifestoes for the elections held in 1980. It will also
help in creating a favourable atmosphere in the country for the
achievement of the goal-of development which is ecologically
sustained.
Camp, New Delhi Chipko Information Centre, P.O. Silyara,
July 30th, 1984.
Pin 249 155, Tehri-Garhwal U.P.
(Appeal submitted to Hon. Prime Minister and to the leaders
of political parties in the Parliament)
Gaps in Forest Policy
FOREST IN SOME of the developed countries die be
cause of pollutants—nitrous oxide in automobile exhaust,
hydrocarbons from factories and acid rain. In India, the denu
dation is mostly the result of the quest for fuel, timber, and
space for siting projects and townships. Computations of
ecologists indicate that at the going rate of devastation, the
woods in the Western Ghats will disappear in five decades. In
the north, the Garhwal area has lost most of its green cover
irretrievably through the indiscriminate felling of trees and the
extension of limestone quarrying. The Himalayan region which
is the source of the northern river system is the youngest and
the least stable of the fold mountains. When the monsoon
beats down its southern slopes, the green cover is the only
security against massive soil erosion. Because of this, ecologists
say that the forest cover in this region has to be not less than
80 per cent. Satellite studies quoted by Mr. Sunderlal
Bahuguna, leader of the Chipko movement, indicate that this
density limit is being endangered by the loss of the green cover
at the rate of 1.2 lakh hectares per year in the 1957-82 period.
This point has constantly been reiterated by ecologists cover
the last decade and official spokesman have been holding out the
the assurance that everything is being done to reverse the
trend. Statistically speaking, the hectareage under afforestation
schemcsis on the rise. In five States—Himachal Pradesh,
Orissa, Tripura, Madhya Pradesh and Assam, the area under
forests is close to the targets, but the point is that the overall
density of the vegetation in these areas is less impressive then
it used to be because of the fringe effects of the devastation of
the forests around this belt. In most other States including
Kerala, the extent of forests as revealed by official data is higher
37
by as much as 20 per cent than what the satellite pictures
indicate.
The Centre does have under implementation a forest
policy for increasing the green cover to the optimal 33 per cent
which is deemed necessary to prevent aridity and soil erosion
through floods. The States have their forest development
units, but there are no signs on the ground of their having
tackled the problem of denudation competently. Recognising
the intensity of the demand for fuel and timber, social forestry
projects have been started to meet these requirements by coordi
nating feeling and replantation of quick growing species. But
a peculiar deficiency of this programme is that it has not been
correlated with the more fundamental survey and settlement
programme. Forest reserves and settlements which are the
only means to foster conventional forestry do not get attention
they deserve in the race among States in fulfilling their social
forestry targets. Added to this, there is the heavier impact of
political or populist considerations which permit activities which
go against the norms relating to forest reserves and settlements.
There are also the deficiencies in the implementation of the
forest policy which arise because of the inadequacy of skills as
well as personnel. The official in charge at all levels are not
unaware of the deficiencies. What is at stake is the climate and
soil complex which decides whether the country or any part of
it will remain fertile or turn into a desert patch. There is need
for a timely action programme which rolls back any possible
desertification through effective afforestation policies by re
conciling the conflicts triggered by the need to preserve forests
in the teeth of the growing pressures from the users.
—The HINDU, August 1984.
38
(Continued from 2nd Cover)
direction. While J and K is absolutely silent about moratorium
Himachal Pradesh is still discussing it. The Aravalli in Rajasthan
is completely denuded while the Western Ghats are in a critical
situation.
The main reason for this dangerous a pathy towards the hill
forest is the wrong notion that there are large forest areas in
the hills. Unfortunately, the Sattelite imageries give a comple
tely different picture. As for example, according to the inter
pretation of NRSA Himachal Pradesh possessed 15.08 lakh
hectares of forest in 1974-75. Strangely enough, the forest
department figures are between 21.69 and 29.37 lakh hectares.
However, the forest area in 1980-83 was only 9.13 lakh hectares
showing a loss of about 6 lakh hectares that means about 1.2
hectares per year, Forest area with 30 percent cover is only
6.70 lakh hectares in H.P. There are no figures available for
UP hills but according to Dr. J.S. Singh and Dr. S.P. Singh of
Kumaon University, based on Sattelite imageries, there is only
31 per cent forest area in the 8 hill districts of UP out of which
forests with density of more than 60 pc. are only 4.8 p.c.
The forests in the hills perform very significant ecological
fuctions that are in the basis of economic activities like produ
ction of food and renewal of vital water resources. The hill
forests are the store-houses of the water resources of the country
and manufacture its fertile soil which supports all agriculture.
Forests with less than 80 or 90 p c. density cannot satisfactorily
play these important roles. Their destruction accelerated com
mercial felling or through damaging practices like excessive
resin tapping ensures permanent man-made Hoods and drought
in which the nation loses millions of tons of fertile top soil the
hundreds of crores of rupees worth of property over and above
the great human tragedies. The Flood Commissions has reported
that by 1980 within only nine years the Hood-prone areas in the
country had doubled to 40 million hectares. The drought-prone
areas are similarly increasing and are now reported to cover
58 million hectares. These figures represent a catestraphis/
recurring loss to the country.
Keeping in view these great economic and ecological signicance of the hill forests the defence to these forests should be
treated with the importance and urgency attached to the defence
of the country itself. A comprehensive policy should be made
according to which the hill forests should be declared as pro
tection forests so that they can perform their ecological roles
properly save the nation from serious economic damage. Plan
tation of food, fodder, fertilizer, fuel wood and fibre bearing
trees should be taken up to satisfy the local requirements of the
people. Based on the available lands at data from which the
density of the forests can be measured at once, it is imperative
(Continued on page 36)
Prayer for the Tree
We thank thee oh God!
For thy trees.
Thou comest very near to us
Through thy trees.
From them we have
Beauty, wisdom, love,
The air we breath.
The water we drink.
The food we eat.
And the strength.
Help us oh God!
To give our beet to life
And have the world a little more beautiful
And worthy for having lived in it.
Prosper thou our planting
And establish thy Kingdom of Love
And understanding on Earth.
Amen.
Richard St. Barbe Baker
(Man of the Trees)
Price Rs. Three only
October 1984
Please Contact for Other Informations :
Chipko Information Centre, P.O. Silyara, Pin-249 155,
Tehri-Garhwal.
(2) Chipko Information Centre care Chcnab Weekly P.O.
Doda, Jammu & Kashmir.
(3) Chipko Informalion Centre, Kamla, P.O. Garnota,
District Chamba, (H.P.).
(4) Parishas Samrakshan Kendra, P.O. Sirsi, North Kanara,
Pin 581 401, Karnataka.
(5) Arawali Abhiyan Samiti, Kanaknikum, Jasraj Road, 475,
Bhopalpura, Udaipur (Raj.).
(1)
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