A unique campaign launched in the tribal-dominated Banswara and Dungarpur districts of southern Rajasthan has laid emphasis on the protection of indigenous tribal practices, natural heritage and the local tribal population’s enormous storehouse of knowledge on food gathering, shifting hill cultivation, pastoralism and handicrafts.
The villagers in the region, faced with the challenge of sustaining themselves during the pandemic, have joined the movement for promoting nutrition-sensitive farming system aimed at reducing the tribals’ vulnerability and ensuring food security through their own resource management. The priority areas of the drive are forestry, pasture, animal husbandry and seeds.
The two districts, situated at the tri-junction of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, are rich in natural resources and have abundant edible materials that are nutritious for the local population. As part of their daily dietary intake, the tribals have been consuming a number of micronutrient-rich plant food.
A ‘Heritage Swaraj Yatra’, started from Banswara on Gandhi Jayanti last week, is generating awareness on the tribals’ “inalienable right” on natural resources and has depicted the tribal farmers as resource-savers and resource-keepers of the country. The march has highlighted the tribals as a unique cultural and social entity who could define their own food and agriculture systems.
Waterman’s support
The yatra has received support from noted environmentalist and Magsaysay Award winner Rajendra Singh, who flagged it off from the precincts of Banswara’s voluntary group Vaagdhara, which works on the tribal livelihood issues. Mr. Singh, popularly known as “Waterman of India”, said the preservation of natural heritage was a huge challenge when the rural population was migrating to cities in the name of development.
‘True companions’
Sarvodaya thinker Asha Bothra said Mahatma Gandhi’s swaraj could be achieved in the true sense through satyagraha for protecting the country’s legacy.
“The tribal communities of southern Rajasthan are the true companions of swaraj because they have painstakingly saved their natural resources since time immemorial,” she said.
Vaagdhara secretary Jayesh Joshi told The Hindu on Thursday that the government’s ongoing programmes for uplifting tribals had undervalued their contributions and practices.
