Forests are not just mass of trees, they are thriving communities

How far will these subjects enthral?

This has been a very hot summer in India. In fact, we seem to have bypassed spring and jumped straight into a very dry summer. As we grapple with forest fires here in the hills and fires in fields and wilting crops, a small but growing group of people who care are on a mission almost impossible: To save over 2000 members of a Sal forest in Uttarakhand. Not just any forest, but forests that are part of our national heritage. The Rajaji Tiger Reserve and the Shivalik Elephant Reserve.

The destruction of the trees has started because the government at the Centre and the government in the states of Uttarakhand and UP want one more road to connect Delhi to Dehradun. It is well-known in Delhi circles that people visit Dehradun to admire its roads. Trees, mountains, forests, waterfalls? Not so much. Correct?

“What do the forests bear? Water, soil and pure air”, “Aaj Himalaya Jagega, Kroor Kulhara Bhagega”: These are slogans from the Chipko movement of the 1970s. A slogan born in the area now known as Uttarakhand. In 1973, villagers in the Garhwal region protested against the chopping of forests. In 1974, a group of women tied themselves to trees to stop contractors from felling them. From here is born an environmental awareness movement that spreads across India.

And now, as Uttarakhand proudly stands as a state, and not a northern satrap of Uttar Pradesh, it forgets its activist past and destroys its heritage. Thankfully, there is a small group of NGOs and citizens and it is growing. The NGOs and their members are under attack from the authorities, but they are still there.

They have filed and lost cases in our so-called “pro-environment” courts, but they are still there. There are young people involved, they are committed and dynamic. They are not against “development”. Yes, Uttarakhand needs progress and infrastructure. But not all development has to be at the cost of precious natural resources. And forests, the mountains, the rivers, these are precious, these are endangered and they are vital for our wellbeing and our future.