‘Dev Bhoomi’ or ‘Van Bhoomi’, What Would You Call the Majestic Land of Mountains in This Contemporary Age?

The traditions, customs, and culture of the people of Uttarakhand can be showcased through their temples, gods, and goddesses. That being so, it has been given the term ‘Dev Bhoomi’, meaning the ‘Land of Gods’. But why were temples built in the first place? What is the need for forest laws? Why can’t forest-dwelling communities frame forestry laws? Can they claim rights over their lands? The answer to these questions will be well understood by a very interesting story on how the forest-dwelling communities of Uttarakhand were able to conserve forest land by linking it with their traditional beliefs.

The dense forest area of the hills covers a wide range of flora and fauna. To conserve certain forest areas, its people built temples on it, thus claiming huge areas of dense forest as areas of the Gods (Devi) in which people were restricted to enter. These areas covered a huge amount of forest land and its resources. Restrictions from entering these places in the name of God’s land led to the conservation of the forest ecosystem in these areas. It was considered that whoever entered this land by surpassing the boundary created within the temple would be deemed with bad luck. This belief led to the conservation of a lot of dense vegetation in the region. ‘Latu Devta’ temple in Vaan Gaon, Uttarakhand, and Badhan Garhi Temple, Uttarakhand, are some among the various places where these traditional methods of forest conservation can be seen.

These practices by the people who lived there were not merely based on cultural beliefs and practices but were also practiced for the very idea of conservation of forest land.

According to a research paper written by Deepa Bisht, Vinod Ch. Joshi, A. K. Yadav, R. C. Sundriyal, and Harshit Pant Jugran titled ‘’COMMUNITY FOREST MANAGEMENT IN UTTARAKHAND: A COMPARATIVE CASE STUDY OF WESTERN HIMALAYAN VAN PANCHAYATS.’’, forests in the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) fall under 3 broad management categories i.e. the Reserve forest managed by the state forest department, Van Panchayat forest managed by local stakeholders, and civil forest are managed by the forest and revenue department. Among these, the Van Panchayat (VP) forests are the people-centric category of forests that are being managed by the local communities. Forest produce harvest in the VP forests for subsistence needs depends upon the quality of these forests, and the usual harvesting depends upon the condition of these forests. The conservation and management of these VP forests depend upon the active participation of local people.

Van Panchayat makes some of its own rules so that the forest should be maintained properly and the fund of Van Panchayat should be used on an equitable basis to manage the Van Panchayat forest. The difference between Van Panchayat and Village Panchayat arises from the very question of why they are made and what all aspects do they focus on. While the village panchayat focuses mainly on various aspects of village-level administration and development, the Van Panchayat deals with the management and governance of forest areas.

*Image Source: Community Conserved Areas*

Van Panchayats are community-based institutions that are responsible for the sustainable management of community forests. On the contrary, Village Panchayats are responsible for local governance, infrastructure development, social welfare, and other community-related matters. They are not exclusively focused on forest management but have a more comprehensive mandate. Van Panchayats often represent a traditional model of community-based forest management, where local communities have a say in decisions affecting the forests they depend on. Whereas, Village Panchayats operate under the framework of the Panchayati Raj system, which is a decentralized form of government aimed at ensuring local self-governance.

Forest Governance In Uttarakhand

In 1815, before the coming up of the British in Uttarakhand, all land was considered the property of the king. One-fourth of the land sown by farmers was given to the kings. When the British came, a huge change in land rights was seen. They established landlords who would collect revenue for the land area sown by the people. A paradigm shift of land rights was seen from community land to individually owned land after the coming up of the British. After the independence period, in 1950, an act on land was passed called Uttar Pradesh Zamindari Abolition and Land Reforms. Under this act, it was stated that land was to be owned by the people who had sown it. They had their rights to look after their land resources and govern them. Alongside this act, Ceiling on Land Holdings Act was passed under which boundaries were made of these individually owned lands. It stated that no more than 1250 acres could be owned by an individual and the land more than 1250 acres would be confiscated from the people. The villagers made a committee called the ‘ Bhumi Prabandhak’ which distributed this confiscated land among other villagers. But this act was not passed for the hilly areas of Uttarakhand as confiscated land was given to the rajya sabha and not the Bhumi Prabandhak Committee for redistribution. This land was given the term UP land or the Benam Zameen.

In the current scenario, six percent of agricultural and forest land has been given to the people, and the remaining land comes under the government. The government has brought in various projects, like the Tehri dam which has cleared a lot of forest area in Uttarakhand.

But if we look at districts like Udam Singh Nagar and Haldwani, we are able to find a shocking difference in land owned by the people. As in these districts, 50 percent of the agricultural land is owned by the people themselves. How is it possible? This difference is there because hilly areas contain a lot of agricultural land along with forests. The people of these districts refused to give their land to the government, thus delimiting the concept of Benam Zameen.

The Concept of Van Panchayat

The Van Panchayats of Uttarakhand are traditional institutions of forest governance that have been in existence for centuries. They are composed of elected representatives of the village community and are responsible for the management and protection of forests within their jurisdiction. Van Panchayats play a vital role in conserving biodiversity, providing livelihood opportunities for forest-dwelling communities, and mitigating the impacts of climate change. In addition to their environmental benefits, Van Panchayats also play an important social and cultural role in the lives of forest-dwelling communities. Van Panchayats are often the primary institutions of local governance and provide a forum for community members to resolve disputes and make decisions about their future.

The Van Panchayat Sangharsh Morcha is a grassroots movement that has been fighting for the rights of Van Panchayats and forest-dwelling communities in Uttarakhand for over two decades. Gopal Lodhiyal, a member of the morcha who has worked with various forest dwelling communities in Uttarakhand, also helped in the successful van panchayat in Uttarakhand called Devi-Ka-Ballag. The Van Panchayat has restored over 1000 hectares of degraded forest, planted over 1 million trees,

and developed innovative sustainable livelihood programs for the local community. The Van Panchayat has also been successful in protecting wildlife. For example, the Van Panchayat has established a community-managed wildlife sanctuary to protect the snow leopard and other endangered species. The success of the Van Panchayat of Devi-ke-Ballagh is a testament to the potential of community-led forest management.

The traditional institutions of Van Panchayats in Uttarakhand have the potential to play a vital role in forest conservation and sustainable development. However, Van Panchayats face a number of challenges, including bureaucratic interference, lack of recognition of community forest rights, and displacement of forest-dwelling communities. It is important to address these challenges in order to strengthen the role of Van Panchayats in forest governance.

The forest department should recognize the role of Van Panchayats as partners in forest management. Forest department officials should work with Van Panchayats to develop and implement joint management plans. This would give Van Panchayats the legal authority to manage forests within their jurisdiction. The state government should develop and implement a comprehensive forest policy that recognizes the rights of forest-dwelling communities and promotes community-led forest management. This model would ensure the conservation of forests, the protection of the rights of forest-dwelling communities, and the sustainable development of the forest.

In conclusion, Van Panchayats stand as resilient pillars of community-driven forest management, embodying a harmonious coexistence between local communities and the delicate ecosystems they inhabit. By fostering a sense of ownership, responsibility, and sustainability, Van Panchayats contribute significantly to the preservation of biodiversity, prevention of deforestation, and equitable distribution of forest resources. As living testimonials to the efficacy of decentralized governance, these institutions not only empower local communities but also serve as models for fostering environmental stewardship and resilience. The success of Van Panchayats lies not only in the preservation of forests but in the preservation of a way of life, a testament to the enduring bond between communities and the natural landscapes they call home.

Author

Aarushi Bisht and Samiksha Chaudhary are currently in third year at Cluster Innovation Centre, where they are pursuing bachelor’s degree in Humanities and Social sciences. Under the mentorship of their professors, they are currently working on a research work on forest management. This article includes their comprehensive understanding of forest governance by locals forest dwellers which they were able to articulate through their research.