Mrs. Suniti
Yadav the Tree Woman of Chhattisgarh is
the Founder of Eco- feminist Movement in Madhya Pradesh
and Chhattisgarh states of the Indian Union. About 19
years ago When there was no environment for environment
in this part of the globe she successfully synthesized
religious sentiments for forest protection so that both
religion and the environment can be upheld. This process
of synthesis has brought her much closer to the downtrodden
people specially women who are the major stakeholder
in environmental problems and also key to its solutions.
Some significant contributions of Mrs. Suniti Yadav
In realm of environmental conservation and social engineering
are as follows:
[I] Founder of the Humane Forestry:
During 1980's Raigarh District of Madhya Pradesh State
has the highest leprosy prevalence rate (28 per 1000)
in India. She has adopted a humane approach by encouraging
leprosy patients for self up liftment. She has prepared
an action plan for socio economic and psychological rehabilitation
of lepers through forestry activities in 1988 and requested
the District administration for its implementation .
In this project efforts are made for ecologically and
economically sustainable development of leper families
through various forestry activities like raising saplings
in nurseries, planting fruits, fodder and fuel species,
collection of non timber forest produces [NTFP] like
tendu patta, mahua seeds and cultivation of vegetables
etc . The then Governor of Madhya Pradesh Mrs. Sarla
Grewal inaugurated the Arunodaya Project on 19 th April
1989 in Judda village. Since then a new dawn has illuminated
the life of 46 Lepers families which are now engaged
in cottage industries like rearing of silk worm cocoons,
poultry, basket manufacturing, floricultures etc. In
the span of one year only these poverty stricken human
beings have realized the joy of socio- economic liberation.
Mrs. Yadav inculcated a sense of belongingness,
self-esteem and self-confidence in lepers to lead an
independent
life. The Arunodaya Project is a unique experiment in
Human Forestry that can be successfully replicated anywhere
in the world for any weaker section of the society.
[II] Founder of Eco-feminist Movement in Central India:
Forests holds a very prominent
place in Indian culture and trees are symbol of eternal
truth that mankind have
always been giving reverence. In the Holy Veda it has
been truly said that ” Preserved trees
preserve us”. Mrs. Yadav believes that the speed of environmental
pollution may pose a difficult situation and we might
not be able to find a solution overnight. So we have
to develop an emotional identity with trees specially
among women to protect them. Inspired by the Rio Earth
Summit she started an unique Eco feminist Movement with
her basic philosophy "Trees are our brothers" in
the central region of India in July 1992.
During one and half decade she
has sensitized our society specially women - the major
stakeholders in environmental
problems that " Protection of mature trees
are as important as planting new ones". For protecting
trees as our own brothers she launched “ Vriksha
Raksha Sutra Programme” .In this programme people
use to tie sacred threads [Rakhi] around trees/ saplings
and pledge their protection. Now the programme is globally
recognised as New Wave
of the world fame Chipko Movement because what
it is trying to conserve is not merely few trees here
and there but the entire life support system
and with it, the option for human survival. Due to her
zeal and untiring efforts she is popularly known as the
Ped wali Bai [ The Tree Woman ] in India.
Since beginning of new millennium
Mrs. Yadav is requesting all the Head of States, international
organizations,
intellectuals, government officials and eco friendly
people to celebrate the Tree Protection Festival because it
is the only festival in the world which can be celebrated
by people of all religions and is a very effective medium
for global aspiration and cooperative endeavour to save
our earth. On her request the President of India His
Excellency Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and Prime Minister
of India Dr. Manmohan Singh have directed the Ministry
of Environment and Forests Govt. of India for integration
of the Vriksha Raksha Sutra Programme in plantation activities
all over the country in 2004. On the eve of India’s
60th Independence Day Mrs . Yadav has celebrated this
festival in Singapore and tied the sacred thread to more
than 5000 trees .
[III] Founder of the Sacred Groves Conservation Movement:
The Sacred Groves are patches of natural vegetation,
dedicated by local communities to their ancestral spirits
or deities. The sacred groves play a very important role
in socio- religious life of tribal all over the world
including Indian sub continent. Mrs Suniti Yadav has
explored and utilized this aspect for conservation of
forests since 1988 and she is rightly considered as the
Founder of Sacred Groves Conservation Movement
[SGCM] not only in India but also in South East Asian region.
In 1988 she inculcated a oath
culture among newly married couples in sacred groves
of Raigarh district of for forest
protection. Her movement gained momentum in 1992 in Jashpur
Forest Division where almost every village has one or
more sacred groves. She prepared an action plan to protect
these groves and instantly received tremendous moral
and physical support from the district administration,
people’s representatives and common people. Due
to her painstaking efforts in the span of just three
years officials of forest department developed 211 sacred
groves.
[IV] Very Important and Peculiar Trees Protection Programme
:
Trees are regarded as
the first temples and also the Ambassadors of the
God. So Mrs. Yadav has launched Very
Important and Peculiar [VIP] Trees Protection Programme in 1988 to identify and honour oldest and finest trees
which deserve preservation for posterity . She has encouraged
village representatives, Joint Forest Management committees
, eco clubs, leaders to construct platforms around these
trees and put signage depicting details like their common
and botanical names, girth, height, approximate age,
environmental and religious values etc. So far Mrs. Yadav
has protected and documented more than 235 V.V.I.P. trees
in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattissgarh.
[V] Plant Saplings as a Religious Blessings Movement
:
In 1993 she started Paudh
Prasad Pariyojna in which
saplings were distributed as religious blessings from
religious places. Through her Green Guardian Society
she is requesting important religious trusts all over
the world to Plant Saplings as a Religious Blessings regularly for protection of environment. So far more
than one million saplings have been planted in Chhattisgarh
and other state of India. These saplings are well protected
and their survival rate is comparatively very high.
[vi] Promotion of participatory Resource Management
In 1988 India adopted a new Forest
Policy based upon participatory management principles.
She has motivated
people specially women to participate in the Joint Forest
Management programmes during its formative stage [1991-96]
in the then Madhya Pradesh. She played key role to establish
14 exclusive women forest protection committees in Jashpur.
Her conservation Mantra "Every
citizen is a born forester and forest protection is our
joint venture." has
strengthen participatory forest management significantly
in Chhattisgarh state.
[VII] Establishment of Self Help Groups.
During 1996-1998 she was instrumental
for establishment of self help groups in Chhattisgarh
. She activated as
many as 83 SHGs in Durg District to form Didi Bank [
Sister’s Bank] for inculcating a sense economic
liberation through small savings. Theses banks performed
miracle and many income generating activities were undertaken
.
[VIII] Establishment of Grain Banks :
With her strong faith in Gandhian
philosophy “Hunger
is the worst form of discrimination and the hunger of
one is shame of all” she evolved an unique concept
of Grain Banks during 1996 in Bilaspur district of Madhya
Pradesh . By the end of October, more than 20 grain banks
were established as a pilot project with total deposit
of 32 MT of food grain. The newly formed village level
Joint Forest Management Committee members voluntarily
contributed food grains specially rice as their share
to start the bank. These food grains were stored at safe
places and distributed as a loan to needy person at a
very subsidized interest rate, thus eliminating exploitation
by middle men and supporting poor during lean period.
The then Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Mr. Dig Vijay
Singh and official of the World Food Programme, International
Fund for Agriculture development [IFAD] have appreciated
this Grain Bank experiment which is now an integral part
of various food security projects in rural sector.
[IX] Smt Suniti Yadav is a prolific writer and has written
43 articles and 3 books in Hindi on environmental conservation.
She has also participated in 37 T.V. programmes. In 2001
she has founded the Green Guardian Society to facilitate
environmental protection and social justice. As an active
member of the State level Monitoring Committee
for Implementation of the National Green Corps Programme
of Ministry of
Environment and Forest [ Chhattisgarh Chapter ] during
2002-04, she has prepared State Action Plan and the Calendar
of Annual Activities . Now days she is actively pursuing
people and public representative for creation of Tree
Tribunals in Urban Bodies to protect and respect the
Rights of Trees for evolving some sustainable solutions
of our environmental problems
----
Suniti
Yadav is a symbol of women empowerment with new
ideas and opportunities.
She has strong commitment,
holistic vision, selfless dedication and ability
to synthesize people’s feelings for producing extraordinary results attuned
to human needs. Her innovative wide-ranging environmental conservation and
social engineering efforts are unique, exemplary and too simple to be replicated
successfully anywhere in the world. It’s my proud privilege and pleasure
to nominate her for the prestigious ZAYED INTERNATIONAL PRIZE FOR ENVIRONMENT
to underline her works at global level and to encourage her future endeavour. - Dr.
T.D.SHARMA, Vice Chancellor Pt. Sunderlal Sharma [Open] University Bilaspur,
Chhattisgarh [India]
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