Jadav
Payeng – “Forest man of India”
“Earth
belongs to everyone, not just humans.” The significance of this saying is lost
these days. It has become an era of plastics. There are threats to mankind due
to exploitation of resources, climatic variations and extinction of several
species. In this busy world, not many people think much about this nature’s downfall.
But, there are some brave hearts like Mr. Jadav Payeng, who understand the
implication of conservation of the ecosystem.
When Mr. Jadav was 16 years old, a flood hit
the Assam area. Migratory birds and snakes started disappearing in large
numbers. He found many snakes lying dead because of strong heat after being
washed by water to the tree less sand bar. Some of the elders in the village suggested
to plant more trees and to generate forests in order to bring back the animals
who vacated the land after losing their homes. This worked as a wakeup call for
Mr. Jadav. Dying snakes on the sand bar evoked a question in him. Pain in those
dying life forms inspired him to think about life and the necessity for a green
cover to protect the life from receiving the harshness of nature. When asked
about his source of inspiration, he says, “I attribute the social
institution as inspiration i.e. to my community’s culture. We as Mishing tribe
take from nature and give back to the nature. We live in line with the nature.
Our life style is sustainable. In 1979 when the floods of Brahmaputra brought
hundreds of snakes to the island, it was then just a sandbar. When the rains
subsided and summer approached, these snakes started dying one after the other
on the hot river sand bed. This painful death of snakes on the sand afflicted
my young mind. I started relating myself with the pain the dying life forms
might be going through. I started questioning the situation: Are these snakes
were meant for dying like this? Why these snakes dying? What is missing? Can we
intervene? What best can be done? If something can be done, why not start it?
How to start it? Whom to approach? The learning I received was if the life has
to survive, this earth has to survive first - with its ecosystem intact. Trial
and error, suggestions from elders, persistent efforts and every other
challenge there after seem to be a mere process than obstacles.”
He asked the people from the
forest department to plant trees, but they insisted him to do it himself. He started
planting saplings in an island in the banks of Brahmaputra with 100 bamboo
shoots. A few years later, the sandbar got transformed into a big bamboo
thicket. When the bamboo survived, under the shade of these shoots he planted
other local plant variety of saplings. He did plant, watered them, ensured
their survival; spread the seeds on new lands before the rainy season on a
regular basis for approximately 36 years which resulted in a full fetched
forest.
By 1980, Mr. Jadav, having left his home and education, had already
started growing plants and transporting red ants of his village as he believed
that these ants can change the property of the soil. After some time he started
working with the forestry division of the
Golaghat district when it launched
a drive of tree plantation in around 200 hectares. After the project was over,
he stayed back to plant more trees and to take care of them after the
completion of the scheme. The area was transformed into a forest and the area came
to be known as Molai forest after his pet name Molai. This forest now shelters
rhinoceros, Bengal tigers, apes, deer, birds, rabbits etc. A herd of
approximately 100 elephants have given rise to around 10 calves in this forest
in past few years.
Mr. Jadav feels that the road he chose was
full of thorns. He adds, “Success is not
easy in any game. Since the beginning, I faced failures as process. I plant the
saplings, all of them used to die in the hot river sand bar. I could not solve
this puzzle. Limited knowledge and understanding of nature was the first
challenge. Elders guided me over come this. Every plant’s survival is a
challenge for me like guarding it from animals, sun, wind, flood - looking
after it for few years till it becomes self sufficient. Very recently, after a year
of sapling growth the land is eroded by the river. I feel okay, Nature is doing
its job & I continue to do my job - Plant few more saplings in the new
place!”
His initial challenge was watering such a huge area of
plants all by him. He started placing earthen pots containing small holes on
the top of every sapling, the water used to slowly leak on the plants below and
watered them. The subsequent challenges included
the wild actions of some elephants which led to destruction of the agricultural
fields and crops. Tigers also started hunting the village livestock. The
villagers warned Mr. Yadav to destroy his forest but he defended saying that
the trees and the animals are like his own children and hence he asked the
villagers rather to kill him. About one tenth of his forest was then burnt and
cut down by some violent villagers. He made them understand the need for
forest ecosystem for the community good. Later their anger subsided. The payment from Forest Department for the damaged crops and the media
attention has also helped suppressing the anger of the villagers now. He knew
the peace will not last long. His plantation always had a plan of considering
the need and hunger of every type of animal and bird. However, recently he
devised a special plan of large scale banana plantation with 1000 banana shoots
in Makahi Island for stopping elephants to enter into the village. He also planted
jujube for bird, guava for monkeys, timber trees for boat makers and trees
where vultures could come and sit etc. The growth in the deer population has
also kept the hunger of tigers satisfied.
On August 1, 2012 Brahmaputra again flooded and swallowed
everything on its path. On the same night, Mr. Jadav heard five gun shots and
he knew that some people were trying to harm the rhinos. Seeing the heavy rain
no one was interested to accompany him to the forest and also the forest guards
couldn’t do anything to help him. After three days, the carcass was found with
some bullet holes and also a horn was missing. After that Mr. Jadav moved to
Kokilamukh village on the main land, where he constructed his new home and
lives along with his wife and three children. His primary source of earning is
by selling calves, pig, milk of cows and buffalos.
When asked about a message he wants to give to the residents
of planet earth, he says, “Inspiration is
very subjective, differs from person to person. There were many who know what
is happening around. Doing makes the difference. Doing is the real measure of
inspiration. My inspiration is life, mother earth. I did it for mother earth,
not for me, not for you, not for money but for the nature as the subject to be
served. All the while we were consuming the nature, we were not letting it
heal, I wanted to give back more to my mother so that all life forms can still
have a better floor.
My nature
friendly lifestyle, listening to nature, asking for help, responding to the
need, doing my responsibility as a mission, persistent efforts and sincerity in
after care of plants helped me in my achievements, they were innate. I only realized
them after people started appreciating my achievement! For me they were flowing
with me in my mission to make the green cover. When the aim to make a plant
worth living with sufficient green cover became so meaningful and pleasant to
achieve, all these attitudes aligned in my mission; never a special emphasis
was made to inculcate them. If one is committed for genuine service, any simple
act can achieve mammoth tasks with persistent efforts.
We all know how
water cuts the hard rock! Realize that you do not own the rights on the oxygen
that you inhale until you made sufficient contribution to generate it. Be
responsible for your own acts - Plant two saplings. As a civic society member,
think about your fellow beings too. As a thinkable being, take responsibility
and contribute for a better world and Plant two more saplings for this world.
Give more good and cause less harm to the mother earth. And show your learning
and appreciation in positive action. Do Good things or be neutral and don’t be
the reason for bad in this world. Beyond selfishness alone is the real good
thought and action, all other explanations are just the delayed damages.
Educating merely for money makes no sense. We need to evolve to an extent where
we see the mother earth and whole world as our family. Actions speak louder than words, be a doer of
good than mere having knowledge. Pass the longest examination which continues
till the last second of your life i.e. ‘Building a right character’. ”
In 2012 at a public function in Jawaharlal Nehru University,
the vice-chancellor Sudhir Kumar Sopory named Jadav Payeng as "Forest Man
of India". On 8th April 2015 he was honored with the fourth
highest civilian award, Padam Shri from the Government of India. It is evident
that Mr. Jadav is a motivation for all those who believe that irrespective of
the education acquired, with a strong will power, a common man single handedly can
contribute to shape the future.
Jadav Payeng is
inviting every individual from schools and colleges to participate in the
sapling plantation drive and in spreading the seeds of hope which will start
healing the nature and turn the mother earth into green. Jadav wants more hands to join him and
expects media coverage to result in more sapling plantation as an impact
factor.
Let us all join in 'Planet Plantation Project (PPP).
Primary Source: Interview of
Mr. Jadav Payeng conducted on 6th May.
1. What inspired to do whatever you have done for making a
difference to others?
Dying
snakes on the sand bar evoked a question in me when I was 16 years old. Pain in
those dying life forms inspired me to think about life and the necessity for a
green cover to protect the life from receiving the harshness of nature.
What are the sources of inspiration?
(If you like you may mention any one or two instances that changed your life
and made you start something new or something different that laid the
foundation for your work)?
The
social institution: I attribute the inspiration i.e to my community’s culture.
We as Mishing tribe take from nature and give back to the nature. We live
inline with the nature. Our life style is sustainable.
In
1979 when the floods of Bramhaputra bought hundreds of snakes to the island,
which then was just a sand bar. When the rains subsided and summer approached,
these snakes started dying one after the other on the hot river sand bed. This
painful death of snakes on the sand afflicted his young mind. He started
relating himself with the pain the dying life forms might be going through. I
started questioning the situation: Are these snakes were meant for dying like
this? Why these snakes dying? What is missing? Can we intervene? What best can
be done? If something can be done, why not start it? How to start it? Whom to
approach? Learning established: If the life has to survive, this earth has to
survive first - with its ecosystem intact. Trial and error, suggestions from
elders, persistent efforts and every other challenge there after seem to be a
mere process than obstacles.
2. What are the challenges that you faced while working on your
initiative?
Success
is not easy in any game. Since the beginning, I faced failures as process. I
plant the saplings, all of them used to die in the hot river sand bar. I could
not solve this puzzle. Limited knowledge and understanding of nature was the
first challenge. Elders guided me over come this.
Every
plant’s survival is a challenge for me like guarding it from animals, sun,
wind, flood - looking after it for few years till it becomes self sufficient.
When
the forest is fully grown then it started attracting elephants which attacked
the houses in the village, villagers were angry on me... I asked them to kill
the elephants after killing me. I made them understand the need for forest ecosystem
for the community good. Later their anger subsided, followed on - till now they
are cooperative.
Very
recently, after a year of sapling growth the land is eroded by the river. I
feel okey, Nature is doing its job & I continue to do my job - Plant few
more saplings in the new place!
3. What is your opinion on getting inspiration and using your
talent for doing simple things that eventually become great and make a
difference in the lives of others?
Inspiration
is very subjective, differs from person to person. There were many who know
what is happening around. Doing makes the difference. Doing is the real measure
of inspiration.
My
inspiration is life, mother earth. I did it for mother earth, not for me, not
for you, not for money but for the nature as the subject to be served. All the
while we were consuming the nature, we were not letting it heal, I wanted to
give back more to my mother so that all life forms can still have a better
floor. If one is committed for genuine service, any simple act can achieve
mammoth tasks with persistent efforts. We all know how water cuts the hard
rock!
4. What do you consider as your own strong points that helped
you to accomplish whatever you have been able to? When did you discover them?
How? How did you cultivate them?
My
nature friendly lifestyle, listening to nature, asking for help, responding to
the need, doing my responsibility as a mission, persistent efforts and
sincerity in after care of plants helped me in my achievements, they were
innate. I only realised them after people started appreciating my achievement!
For
me they were flowing with me in my mission to make the green cover. When the
aim to make a plant worth living with sufficient green cover became so
meaningful and pleasant to achieve, all these attitudes aligned in my mission;
never a special emphasis was made to inculcate them.
5. What in your opinion are some of the qualities that people
need to cultivate to make a difference to others?
Realise
that you do not own the rights on the oxygen that you inhale until you made
sufficient contribution to generate it. Be responsible for your own acts -
Plant two saplings. As a civic society member, think about your fellow beings
too... As a thinkable being, take responsibility and contribute for a better
world and Plant two more saplings for this world.
Give
more good and cause less harm to the mother earth. And show your learning and
appreciation in positive action.
6. What messages would you like to give for others to be or to
become an effective person?
•
Do Good things or be neutral and don’t be the reason for bad
in this world. Beyond selfishness alone is the real good thought and action,
all other explanations are just the delayed damages. Educating merely for money
makes no sense. We need to evolve to an extent where we see the mother earth
and whole world as our family.
•
Actions speak louder than words, be a doer of good than mere
having knowledge.
•
Pass the longest examination which continues till the last
second of your life i.e. ‘Building a right character’.
Below are references from
which the secondary data is collected on 6th May’15:
No comments:
Post a Comment