Why ‘Mission Govardhan’ is needed to preserve traditional knowledge on natural resources, protect community forest land

The story of the epic clash between the ego of Indra and the valour and compassion of Krishna, who questioned the dedication of the residents of Brij when all lifeforms in the region depended on the Govardhan mountain for food, is still relevant today.

Krishna suggested that Govardhan Mountain, the provider of nourishment, should be worshipped instead. Enraged by this suggestion, Indradev caused heavy rainfall in Braj. Krishna then asked Govardhan mountain to protect the people of Braj and lifted the mountain with his finger. Despite the fury unleashed by Indra, he could not harm the people and cattle.

The story reflects the Indian people’s respect for nature and the conservation and management of local natural resources. It also highlights the importance of Govardhan mountain, which nurtured the cattle and provided various types of vegetation, water reservoirs, pastures, herbs, forest produce, uncultivated food, fruits and other resources, ensuring a qualitative life for the community.

These common property resources (CPR) provide security to farmers, economically deprived individuals and women, while also playing a crucial role in the ecosystem, supporting birds and wildlife.

Madhya Pradesh is the second largest state in India in terms of area, covering 30.75 million hectares, which is 9.38 per cent of the country's total land area and ranks fifth in terms of population. Agriculture and allied opportunities form the backbone of the state's economy, contributing about 47 per cent of the state's gross domestic productand employing 65 per cent of the population, providing 65-75 per cent of rural income.

About 72 per cent of the population lives in rural areas, with 35 per cent belonging to Scheduled Castes (15.6 per cent) and Scheduled Tribes (21.1 per cent), who have limited cultivable land.

The state is heavily dependent on agriculture, with approximately 27.24 per cent of small farmers owning one to two hectares of land and 48.3 per cent being marginal farmers with a maximum of 1 hectare of land.

The land area per farmer is decreasing over time, increasing their reliance on collective resources. The state has achieved high production records for major crops over the past one and a half decades.

Madhya Pradesh has a total livestock population of about 40.6 million, ranking third in India. It is the third largest state in terms of cattle population (18.7 million), fourth in buffalo population (10.3 million) and fifth largest in goat population (11.06 million).

Livestock rearing is not only a source of income but also provides manure and alternative livelihood during crop failure. India currently faces a 35-40 per cent deficit in dry and green fodder.

Researchers estimate that 40-70 per cent of the green fodder consumed by animals in the country comes from CPR such as non-cultivated land, pastures, public land, barren land, fallow land and forests.

Traditional pastures can help alleviate this serious fodder shortage. Ancient traditional knowledge and religious texts emphasise the importance of natural resources in addressing these issues, as seen in the story of Govardhan mountain.

A significant number of tribals, particularly vulnerable tribal groups and other traditional forest dwellers, reside in the state. They rely on forests and common resources for their livelihoods and also contribute to their preservation.

As many as 19,158 villages have more than 10 hectares of forest land and are inhabited by tribals and other traditional forest dwellers, many other villages are located adjacent to the protected forests. This community depends on a minimum of 57,948 square kilometres of forest.

It is crucial to prioritise these villagers in granting them rights to use, manage and protect the resources under the Community Forest Resource Rights. Madhya Pradesh has almost 4 per cent permanent pasture land.

According to some reports, about 50 per cent of this pasture land and other land under common resources is experiencing significant challenges due to illegal encroachment and degradation. Additionally, there are serious concerns about biodiversity, availability of fodder, uncultivated food, forest produce and bio-resources for natural farming.

The local Panchayat and Gram Sabha have the power to solve this problem and the Public Land Protection Cell (PLPC) is designed precisely to protect and free the land from encroachment.

Now, there is a need for an efficient model to develop pasture land in every village under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme with a focus on public participation and local traditional knowledge.

Currently, stray cattle are causing greater damage to farmers' crops and leading to frequent road accidents, posing a threat to people's lives. This issue is escalating and requires a decentralised approach for finding a solution.

Each village needs to restore traditional pastures and address the problem of invasive shrubs such as Lantana camara, which hinder fodder production. The government should include measures to eradicate invasive species in its plan to restore commons.

In light of these challenges, there is a need for a solution that involves the responsibility and accountability of the community and government. Therefore, this Diwali, let's kick-start a new initiative called 'Mission Govardhan'.

On the second day of Diwali, we traditionally perform Govardhan Puja. This time, let's collectively survey the resources of our village, such as pastures, forests and ponds, and create an ecological register to document the available resources, trees, plants, uncultivated food, forest produce, herbs, birds and other wildlife. We should preserve this collective knowledge for future generations.

Any encroached revenue resources or unclaimed potential community forest land should be proposed as an agenda during the upcoming Gram Sabha meeting. The Gram Sabha can address these issues by claiming community forest resource rights for forest land and approach the District PLPC to take appropriate action on the encroached areas of the revenue land.

Additionally, the Gram Panchayat Development Plans are being formulated. By participating in this public campaign, villagers can pass resolutions for developing their traditional pasture lands and bring the vision of Mission Govardhan to life in every village.

Satyasovan Das is the state lead of the Foundation For Ecological Security-Bhopal and passionate conservationist.

Views expressed are the author’s own and don’t necessarily reflect those of Down To Earth.