DEFORESTATION
Disappearance of the
forests is referred to as deforestation.. Under the colonial rule it became
very systematic and extensive.
Reasons for deforestation:
Land to be improved-
- As population increased over the centuries and the
demand for food went up, peasants extended the boundaries of cultivation
by clearing forests.
- The British encouraged the production of commercial
crops like jute, sugar, wheat and cotton for their industries as raw
material.
- The British thought that forests were unproductive land
as they yielded no revenue nor agricultural produce. Cultivation was
viewed as a sign of progress.
- Oak forests in England were disappearing. There was no
timber supply for the ship building industry. Forest resources of India
were used to make ships for the Royal Navy.
Leepers on the track
- Spread of railways required two things :
- land to be cleared to lay railway tracks
- wood as fuel for locomotives and for railway line
sleepers.
Plantations
- Large areas of natural forests were cleared for tea,
coffee and rubber plantations. Thus land was given to planters at cheap
rates.
COMMERCIAL FORESTRY
The British were worried
that the use of forests by local people and the reckless felling of trees by
traders would destroy forests and hence invited German expert Dietrich Brandis
as first Inspector General of Forests in India.
Brandis set up the
Indian Forest Service in 1864 and helped formulate the Indian Forest Act of
1865. The Imperial Forest Research Institute was set up in Dehradun in 1906.
Scientific forestry was
taught there. In the scientific forestry system, forests with different kinds
of trees were replaced by plantations. Forest management plans were made by
forest officials.They planned how much of the forest had to be cut and how much
had to be replanted.
The Forest Acts divided forests into
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Reserved forests :
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These were the best
forests villagers could not enter these forests.
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Protected forests,
Village forests
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Villagers could take
wood for fuel and house building from here.
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Forest Rules and Cultivation
Shifting cultivation or
swidden agriculture was the agricultural practice in many parts of Asia, Africa
and South America. The colonial foresters did not favour this system as it made
it difficult for the government to calculate taxes. In addition, the forest
officials saw in it the danger of fire and also that no trees could grow on
this kind of land.
Lives of the forest
people and nearby villagers depended upon the forests. Their various needs of
fuel, fodder and even food were dependent on forests. As these people were not
allowed to use forest, theie life became difficult.
Hunting and Forest Laws : The forest laws stopped the villagers from hunting in
the forests but encouraged hunting as a big sport. They felt that the wild
animals were savage, wild and primitive, just like the Indian society and that
it was their duty to civilise them.
New Trade and New Employment : New opportunities opened in trade as the forest department
took control of the forests, e.g., the Mundurucu peoples of the Brazilian
Amazon.
With the colonial
influence trade was completely regulated by the government. Many large European
trading firms were given the sole right to trade in forest products of a
particulate area.
Many pastoral
communities lost their means of livelihood.
New opportunities of
work did not always mean improved well-being for the people.
FOREST REBELLIONS
Forest communities
rebelled against the changes imposed upon them. The people of Bastar were one
such group. The people here believed that the land was given to them by
the earth and in return they look after the earth. Their cultural and social
life was connected to the forest.The initiative was taken by the Dhurwas of the
Kanger forest where reservation first took place. The British sent troops to
suppress the rebellion. It took them three months to regain control. A victory
for the people of Bastar was that the work on reservation was suspended and the
area was reduced to half.
CHANGES IN JAVA
Java is now famous as a
rice producing island of Indonesia. But once upon a time it was covered with
forsts. Dutch were the colonisers in Java.
The Kalangs:
Kalangs were skilled forest cutters and shifting cultivators. They rose in
rebellion against the Dutch in 1770 but their uprising was suppressed.
Scientific Forestry in Java: Forest laws were enacted in Java. The villagers resisted these
laws.Forest timber was used for ships and railway sleepers.
The Dutch government
used the ‘balandongdiensten’ system for extracting free labour from the
villagers.
Samin’s Movement: Samin of Randublatung village (a teak forest village) questioned
the state ownership of forests. A widespread movement spread. They protested by
lying on the ground when the Dutch came to survey it and refusing to pay taxes
and perform labour.
World Wars and Deforestation: The world wars had a major impact on forests. The forest department
cut freely to meet the British demands. The Dutch followed the scorched earth
policy of destroying saw mills, burning logs of teak so that the Japanese could
not benefit from it. The Japanese forced the villagers to cut down forests,
when they occupied the area.
New Developments: Conservation and preservation of forests has now become the
focus rather than timber. It has also been realised that if forests are to
survive, the local community needs to be involved. There are many such examples
in India where communities are conserving forests in sacred groves. This
looking after is done by each member of the village and everyone is involved.
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