Complete disconnect between Western Ghats reports and people. No contact to explain the nuances
Goa villagers are not protected by the Forest Rights Act coz the Govt hasn’t implemented it
Forest officials say to villagers ‘Govt in Delhi has asked you not to use forest resources’
The Kasturirangan report which has marked 123 villages in eco-sensitive areas on the Western Ghats and its precursor the Madhav Gadgil report which marked 142 talukas have done their ‘job’. The two reports have caused confusion in the grassroots with doubts and fears about their future existence and livelihoods. Shweta Kamat travels to some of these areas and wonders why people here always come last
They have no idea about the importance of the Western Ghats or the fierce debate raging around them; or about Prof Madhav Gadgil or Dr Kasturirangan report. What they know is that their lands, and settlements and their livelihood need protection. And they want to continue to live their life the only way they know, to survive and possibly prosper.
To start with, they find it difficult to pronounce Gadgil and more so Kasturirangan, and when told they are the people who made this report, they ask if this “Ranganbab” lives here?
The possible survival of the way of life of over 200 families residing in the wildlife sanctuaries of Mhadei (Sattari), Netravali (Sanguem) and Cotigao (Canacona) for over 80 years is currently at stake after the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) appointed high level empowered committee headed by Dr Kasturirangan declaring these three talukas as the “eco sensitive zones” of Western Ghat.
The Schedule Tribes and Schedule Caste communities like Dhangars, who by and large depend on the forest produce, are afraid that if the Central and State government goes ahead with the implementation of this report their livelihoods are gone.
With State Tribal department failing to implement the Forest Right (Schedule Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers) Act, which protects the rights of forest dwelling communities to land, to forest produce and other resources and non-availability of documents proving ownership of their land has put them in a lurch.
“Our livelihood depends on the forest resources. If we are banned from using it, how are we going to survive? If they ask us to vacate our habitat, where are we going to take our families?” questions Kushali Gawade from Surla, who has been living in the forest areas of Western Ghats for 50 years — two generations.
“My husband will have to start everything from the beginning. Who will give us shelter, food, money, agriculture and forests are our second family and no one can take away that from us,” Sita Rama Velip, a lady in her 50’s said while holding her two grandsons in the arms. This lady, who has lived her entire life doing agriculture and using forest resources for livelihood, believes that Surla will preserve its nature and yet make them survive.
Down in South Goa, the villages located in the interiors of Canacona taluka, have similar worries. Tukaram Velip, a farmer in his 70’s, explains how they became habitants of Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary since his childhood. “I was born in this very same house. It was a small mud house with no doors but was very safe. I lived my life playing with mud, trees and birds. Now my sons have constructed this two room house. We do not have any document to prove our ownership on this land, which belongs to the forest department,” he said.
“The Forest officer says, show us document or will have to vacate this area. They say that government in Delhi has asked us not to live here or use any kind of forest resources,” he added.
Of the total identified villages, approximately 20-25 villages are located within or surrounding wildlife sanctuaries with total population comprising of over 15,000, with majority of the population depending on cashew cultivation. Some of the villages are Assorda, Sisorda, Surla, Codal, Dongurle, Potrem, Colem, Kambarkhand, Cotigao, and Gaondongari.
Environmentalist Rajendra Kerkar, who is closely following all the developments related to Western Ghat, feels that the report drafted by Kasturirangan Committee demands that the forest dwellers, their settlement and agriculture and horticulture areas be excluded from the concept of eco-sensitive zone.
The local panchayats have already petitioned the Range Forest Officers in their areas demanding that these villages be excluded from the Kasturirangan committee report.
“For us, the worry is not government banning fresh mining or industrial projects, but that these forest dwellers will have to fight for their survival if the committee report is implemented,” Keri Sarpanch Jivba Rane told Herald.
Sitaram Gawas, a social activist from Sanguem feels that the MoEF ministry should have studied the consequences before coming out the notification banning everything. “These forest dwellers would be worst affected,” he added.
These forest dwellers are now relying on a fervent hope that the BJP government in the State and the Centre will bring cheers for them and for their generations to come.
But the big question that lingers in the mind of those villagers is “Do the two gentlemen who are determining their lives live here?” Two very eminent personalities with Dr Kasturigangan heading India’s Space programme, need to come down to the earth of Goa to recheck some facts, and do some explaining.
