India is one of the frontrunners in the globe, where a forest policy has been in vogue since long ago. The tribal rights were very much respected during the British regime. The written documents on forest policy were revised twice for protection of forests in 1952 and 1988 by the Government of India after independence. The regular working plans of forests were made for scientific management of forests and forest resources.
The forest policy revised in 1988 recommended that the country should maintain one-third of its total land areas and 25 per cent in plains. In the policy, the forests were categorically classified into four categories, where scientific management of forests, including the tribal welfare, was clearly given importance.
The forest is a State subject, but the Government of India retains the overall control over forest resources and a uniform policy applies to all provinces for management of forests. There are various physiographic as we as geographic features of the country, where variable ecological systems are noticed. In respect of Odisha, the State is broadly classified into four physical divisions. First is the Eastern Ghat region; second the mountains or hills; third the sea coasts and fourth the coastal plains. All these four aspects need physical protection for preventing soil erosion, landslides and floods. At present, the climate change impact has created much concern all over the globe. The whole world now believes that destruction of physiographical resources is the prime cause behind climate change disasters. It is a good gesture that the Government of India has laid much emphasis on protection of forests and their regeneration.
There are 62 types of tribes living in Odisha with each having its own way of life and culture. But one common thing in them is they believe forests to be a representative of god and worship nature, what is called ‘Kheman’.
They believe that forests give them rain, water, food, medicine and cloth. They get their livelihoods from forests. So they do not destroy the forests. There is annual function of worshiping of forests by every tribal clan. Such tribal customs are recognized in the forest policy of India of 1952. The policy is a written document which envisages scientific management of forest resources of India in such a manner that the socio–cultural and economic needs of the tribals are protected.
Forests are a rich storehouse of resources. We get many major and minor forest produce from forests including timbers and bamboos. The minor forest produce or the non –timber forest produce are different kinds of edible fruits and foods, oil sheets, resin, lac, honey, wax, medicinal plants of different kinds and mushrooms etc.
Besides, forests also protect us from natural disasters like cyclone. They help enrich the ecology and biodiversity. Once upon a time, forest revenue was the major revenue of the various States in India. Forests are major assets of the tourism industry.
Since pre independence period, the provisions of village forests to meet the public demands, especially of forest dwellers, were there. The locals were entitled to collect various forest produce to fulfill their domestic needs like firewood, small size timbers for construction and repair of houses and agricultural implements, fruits, flowers, herbs, oil seeds and cattle feeds, etc. Even the locals had the rights of hunting and snaring animals for meat. But hunting and snaring was prohibited with the enactment of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972, Odisha Forest Act 1972 and Forest Conservation Act 1980 and other related rules.
The Forest Rights Act recognizes the rights of the tribals and local inhabitants inside forests over land and collection of various forest produce. Now, the Odisha Government claims that the State tops among all other provinces of India in solving land rights rows of tribals and forest dwellers.
The Van Mahotsav and tree plantation week is being observed since 1950 when late Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was the Prime Minister of India and late Dr KM Munshi was the Union Agricultural Minister. The forest was then included in the Ministry of Agriculture and was not a separate portfolio. The tree planting ritual is meant to maintain ecological balance and make up for the loss of major forest cover due to urbanization and industrialization and mining activity.
(The writer is a former senior forest officer and an environmentalist. Tel no 9937460649)