Heal The Earth

“Koonda Panai Olai, Kuyil Anaiyum Ponnolai

Koonda Panai Saindhal, Kuyil Poyi Enganaiyum

(koonda palm tree was where the Koel finds a home, if the Koonda palm tree was felled where does the Koel find a home).

Such a beautiful Tamil poem was always etched in Shivu’s memory from school days. It summed up the essence of ecological protection. Today man- made destruction has devastated the balance found in the nature. Global warming, climate change was much talked about these days even across nations. But who cared for the koel when the palm tree was felled?

Back in his village Karaikeni the forest grove was more or less completely destroyed. The remnants of this forest and a small temple on the fringes can be seen even today. There was no one in his family still left in his native village. He and his brothers and sisters had become urban nomads. The work took you to places where you established a home. Like the koel no koonda palm left for him as well.

Somehow, he was glad when his work involved rebuilding the lost forest and trees and finding nesting places for the Koel. It was in the early 80s when the awareness about ecological balance was raging the country. The Prime minister in his broadcast touched upon the significant issue. Such an issue was like cancer which spread silently and then went for the kill. The NGO was at the forefront in the Gujarat state and took upon itself to spread the message of afforestation and goad people to action.

Elsewhere in a small village called Bhumipura in the north Gujarat Vishnu Singh was also concerned about loss of forest in his village. What was once a small grove by the side of the stream has now turned into a sand dune. The stream had gone dry and only during monsoon one saw it flow. Vishnu had also been reading in the papers about the recent concern about ecology, loss of forest and the devastation it caused.

Shivu and Vishnu met at a shibir (awareness camp) in the high school, nearby Vishnu’s village. The School principal Vasudev was an awardee from the President of India himself for distinguished teaching service. Vasudev was happy to host this shibir when Shivu had written about it. Now he was introducing Shivu and said he hailed from a village in Tamilnadu which spoke the English language. Hearing this Shivu’s jaw almost dropped. He was acutely aware of the north-south divide in the country with the ignorant northerners referring to people from southern part as “madrasis” after the Madras Presidency at the time of the British Rule. But coming from an awardee teacher, must correct him during the break, Shivu thought himself.

The meeting had then led to a fruitful partnership with Vishnu and Shivu’s colleague Jalan took it upon himself to work with Vishnu and the people of Bhumipura.

“Trying to restore any common property was not a joke. In fact, Hardy’s Tragedy of the Commons, a famous proposition states that common property like grasslands, forest gets degraded over time” said the speaker at the seminar. Imagine two herdsmen using the same pastures for rearing their herds. The tragedy of the commons propounded that the herdsmen would inevitably increase their herd size to a situation when the pastures can no more support the herd leading to its own destruction. The problem gets multiplied many folds in a heterogenous community with varying livelihoods and varying dependence on the pastures what with caste groupings and their dynamics coming into play further complicates the situation.

In fact, this tragedy of the commons challenge was what Jalan and Vishnu faced in getting the people together for restoring the health of the panchayat land. Several round of meetings to seek agreement, people would agree but then go back to grazing the pastures, leading to trampling of tree saplings, quarrel among the hetrogenous community and the cycle repeated itself season after seasons. Vishnu’s persistence paid and signs of forest were seen in about 3-4 years. It was often said that nature would heal herself if left to herself. Bhumipura people led by Vishnu demonstrated this faith in nature. Once the initial struggle of tree planting and protection took place in the first 3-4 years, nature played its own part. The forest grew very fast in the next few years.

It was a hot summer day when Tejpal, the representative from the Donor agency together with Jalan and Vishnu were visiting the rejuvenated forests. Vishnu and people had gathered there. As if a blessing from the heavens it rained that afternoon. Tejpal said that this could be a localized rain induced by the forests. Such a phenomenon has been noticed by scientists but yet to understand why it occurs.

Vishnu excitedly pointed to the stream down the hillock and said water was flowing even in the summers. It has happened nearly after two decades. Others mentioned the presence of rabbits, jackals and small animals. Birds have started to flock. Earth was celebrating its new found dressing.

Villagers from the neighborhood had gathered near the school where we were supposed to have a small meeting with tea and snacks. The Sarpanches from the neighborhood requested the NGO to start a program of nurturing the nature in their villages too. They would mobilize the people and set up rules for nurturing their forest and do needful from their end. Forest bring joy to one and all. Bhumipura had amply demonstrated that. The others need to follow the way.

Tejpal in his short speech said that an oasis has been created amid barren landscape. “I bow to all of you” for bringing back the smile on the face of the earth.

“Earth is smiling,  cause of the forest, see on her face

River has started flowing in winding ways

A poem was forming in Vishnu's mind as he returned from a satisfying trip.