A distance Dream

Green Governance means total independence over the forest resources. Community is the sole owner on CFR(Community Forest Rights) the rights should be vested to the community envisages as per the FRA-2006. Therefore, our advocacy is mainly focus on the issues of resource rights and ownership through larger focus on forest resource governance by the local community and their institutions. The opportunities for such intervention through the local institutions would be on effective implementation of FRA have been promulgated to protect customary rights over community forests resources. Securing CFR is now the utmost work for different civil societies, Gram Sabha and grass root level CBOs, they have strongly raise their voices in different forums and several memorandums have been send to various stake holders who are dealing with the same. The focus is on peoples institutions as it is almost a foregone conclusion that leaving resource monitoring exclusively into the hands of the state has not been a very happy and successful experience. Our intention is to make the local community and their institutions more vibrant and vigilant in tune to recognizing their fundamental rights to access and control over their own CFR. Therefore, we are trying to establish decentralized forest governance i.e. community ownership over Community Forest Resources. We have taken initiatives to develop a frame work for establishing a Green/Forest Governance by the local community over their local natural resources. This frame work will guide them for conservation and management of their own resources. This document will support the local community to access their boundary area, flora and fauna, wild life habitation etc. This tool helps them to develop a prospective plan of the forest where they can assume the ecological health of the forest on based upon their livelihood needs. Experience shows that community led institution sustain in a better way and their approach in conservation, management growth the natural resources in a tremendous manner. It will become easier to establishing a model of green governance in collaboration of both traditional forest knowledge and scientific knowledge. Here we want to address that community is the best manager of its own resources, and the rights should be recognized and vested to the local community over their own forest resources. On the eve of 15th August we observed as Green Independence Day in 40 forest fringe villages of 6 tribal districts of Odisha. Memorandums have send by the local institutions to the Governor, Chief Minister, Secretary MOEF, Panchyatiraj, Revenue, SC & ST for recognition of CFR under FRA as soon as possible with consent of Palli Sabha and Gram Sabha. Besides it a course of action have been developed in protection and sustainable use of forest resources.

Paramananda Showed The Way

Paramananda, eldest son of Late Sukla and Irpuli Majhi of Khaliamunda village when left his school in 1998 in 2nd standard nobody was worried neither parents nor teacher. Rather parents were happy that he would take care of children at home and help in household work. What was going in Paramanandas mind he only knew and did not feel like telling anybody. Born in a Panga Kondh tribe may be he thought this is what he has born to do. Two years passed and Paramanand was there in the village like other children going to shifting cultivation field, doing household work. But in 2000 Paramananda was selected as a student for the child labour school running in the village. But neither Paramananda was the natural choice for the teachers nor Paramananda was happy to join the school. After a long persuasion by the teachers he joined the school. For around 3-4 month there was no improvement in the situation. But slowly the situation changed. He took interest in the study. He started participating in different debates, song competitions in Panchayat and Block level and got some prize. He secured A Grade in 5th standard and qualified Navodaya entrance. This year he passed matriculation and got 82% marks. Today Paramananda has become an example for other students in his village. Today Paramanda thinks what he is today because of his first teacher in Rindo Majhi child labour school. Now he motivates other children in the village to join school. His motto is “ You can if you try.”