Women are uniquely positioned to be agents of change, says environmental activist Jamuna Tudu, whose efforts in the past two decades in Jharkhand have led to conservation of forests, empowerment of indigenous communities, and promotion of sustainable living.
Hailed as the ‘Lady Tarzan’ of Jharkhand, Tudu was honoured with the Padma Shri in 2019 for her conservation efforts.
“The awards and recognition come later. Your efforts come first. I may have become a symbol of grassroots activism, advocating the preservation of nature and the rights of tribal communities, but women guarding India’s forests, like in the Chakulia village, who do not have the knowledge or resources, not only need a morale boost now but also financial support. Many are uneducated or do not have means to work outside the villages but only collect firewood as they sacrifice their days guarding the jungle. They wish the forest department would compensate them one day,” says Tudu, who has set such an example that the village women plant 18 trees when a girl is born and 10 trees when a girl is married.
Credited to have protected 50 hectares of forest land around village Maturkham in east Singhbhum district of Jharkhand, where she resides, Tudu believes “only if jungles exist can humanity thrive”.
“Every year, I celebrate World Environment Day on June 5 with great pride. It’s a festival for us, where we invite guests like the chief minister or governor of the state, take pledge for a green future and plant saplings. I nurture forests, they are like my children. Jungles are the lifeline of humanity. Can we protect it if the forest is destroyed?” questions the 44-year-old social worker, who belongs to the Santal community of Jharkhand, a tribe known for indigenous customs and traditions like tree worship.
Born into a family of tribal farmers, Tudu studied up to Class X. But her foresightedness, as far as the green-less future of humanity exists, started in 1998 post her marriage, when her husband’s family turned to forest to collect firewood. “I have lived amid nature all my life and closely watched forests grow. If we keep cutting the trees this way, all the forests will be wiped out,” says the native of Rairangpur of Mayurbhanj in Odisha.
That’s when she collected a handful of 10 villagers, forayed into deep forest, trekked miles to save the timber forest in Jharkhand. Slowly, the relentless efforts got recognition by the state’s forest department when she got registered under the Van Suraksha Samiti (Forest Protection Group). Today, this labour of love has led her to head a group of 10,000 forest protectors (men and women) in more than 500 samitis across villages in Jharkhand. The aim is to protect forest and wildlife.
“There’s very little support from the government, a reason why we took matters into our own hands. We have continued to file FIRs and help the Jharkhand Armed Police, which now works in protecting the forests with us. In my case, the women members have volunteered to patrol the jungle, campaign and protect the habitat which was a hard mountain to climb. We used water bottles and sticks to guard forests. I have been attacked, injured and robbed by dacoits, and threatened by the ‘forest mafia’ for saving forests,” adds Tudu.
