FeAtuRes From Eco-religion to Political Ecology in India: Feminist Interventions in Development by Kiran Prasad The UN Millennium Declaration in September 2000 committed world leaders to greater global efforts to reduce poverty, improve health and promote peace, human rights and environmental sustainability. This declaration sought to achieve by 2015 the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which include reducing hunger; achieving universal primary education; promoting gender equality (especially in education) and empowering women; reducing child mortality; improving maternal health; combating major diseases; ensuring environmental sustainability; and strengthening partnerships between the rich and poor countries. The MDGs regard empowering women and environmental sustainability as the key factors for development, and demand a renewed look at indigenous models of living in which women play an important role in environmental conservation. The existence of eco-religious transformation to emerge as a political practices among the people of India ecology that is gaining currency in the points to the long standing traditions of development discourse. Women have ecological conservation and a culture of played a significant role in effecting the nurturing nature (Prasad, 2001). These transformation of eco-religion to a traditions are undergoing a political ecology in which sustainable 32 Features No.2 2007 WOMEN IN ACTION environment will be the touchstone of Ancient Indians advocated an integrated development. This paper will focus on approach to progress without undue women’s interventions and activism to exploitation of natural resources. They mainstream sustainable environment in laid down traditions, customs and rituals, the context of the emerging political to ensure that the complex, abstract ecology in India. This paper also principles they had developed could be highlights the case of the Narmada put into practice. Over time, these Bachao Andolan against big dams practices developed agricultural spearheaded by the veteran technology, methods of environmental environmentalist, Medha Patkar. protection, and knowledge of medicinal properties of trees (Banwari, 1992). About ten percent of the indigenous tribal population (adivasis) in India continues to practice shifting cultivation. A total area of about 50 lakh hectares over 15 states, are covered by this shifting cultivation in India. The land is not ploughed in this type of farming and neither is there any need for domesticating animals. The cultivators have total confidence in the generative power of the earth and see no need to resort to eco-destructive methods. At the end of summer, the hillsides are prepared for cultivation by trimming the undergrowth of bushes and shrubs. These are then burnt and the ashes www.thearganauts.com provide the manure. Before the monsoon sets in, the shrubs and bushes are set on fire again. As soon as the “The cultivators have total Eco-Religion in India rains come, the seeds are cast and the confidence in the generative Ancient Indians developed many ideas, power of the earth and see no earth is activated to produce a rich need to resort to eco- attitudes and practices which favoured harvest. This method of farming is destructive methods.” the maintenance of ecological balance known as Koman in Orissa, Podu in for the welfare of all. These views are Andhra Pradesh, Bewar in Madhya reflected in several philosophical and Pradesh, Kureo in Bihar, Jhum in Assam, religious texts of the Vedas and Puranas Tekonglu in Nagaland, Adiabik in which form the basis for an Arunachal Pradesh and Hooknismany in environmental ethics. In Advaita Tripura (Vadakumchery, 1993). philosophy, the universe acquires a cosmic character as it considers all living Cultivation is carried on for three years beings to be God’s creation. This doctrine at a stretch, and usually, the harvest is provides the philosophical basis for the enough to meet the needs of the i Indian veneration of the natural world, community. Shifting cultivation is based Lakh which leads us to think that Indian on the eco-religious faith in Mother One hundred thousand. tradition has an ecological conscience Earth’s power creation without artificial Source: www.dictionary.com (Crawford, 1982: 149-150). inputs. After cultivating the same area 3 3 for three years, when the fertility of the Guru Jambeshwarji, or Jamboji as he land declines, it is left fallow to regain is affectionately referred to by his its vitality. Cultivation during this period followers, founded the Bishnoi religion is then shifted to another area. The in 1542 AD. He was a great saint and i religious belief that ploughing is painful a philosopher of medieval India. Bishnois The Bishnois are a to Mother Earth and, therefore, an Those who follow his 29 tenets are community of nature inferior form of cultivation, has led the called Bishnois (literally meaning worshippers in the indigenous and tribal communities to twenty-nines’ in Hindi). The tenets state of Rajasthan, India. They also have a practice shifting cultivation which, for, were designed to conserve the sizeable presence in them, has divine sanction. biodiversity of the region and ensure the neighbouring states a healthy eco-friendly social life. of Uttar Pradesh, For the Bishnois, Biodiversity Madhya Pradesh, Of the 29 tenets, ten are concerned with Maharashtra, Gujarat, is a Way of Life Haryana, Punjab and personal hygiene and the maintenance Delhi. For over half a The importance of eco-religion in of good health, seven are about healthy millennium, the environmental conservation is shown in social behaviour and five are concerned Bishnois, estimated to be around 6 million, the outstanding case of the Bishnois of with worship. Eight tenets aim to have evolved their Rajasthan, a north-western state which preserve biodiversity and encourage lifestyle into a religion has vast tracts of deserts. The protection good animal husbandry. These include that fiercely protects the environment. of trees and animals is a religious a ban on killing of all animals and felling Source: www.goodnewsindia.com obligation (Sharma, 1999) for the of green trees. Urged to protect all life Bishnois. They follow a set of 29 rules, forms, the community has even been directed to make sure that firewood is ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ free of small insects before it is used as fuel. Wearing blue cloth is also prohibited The religious belief that ploughing is because the blue dye is obtained from particular shrubs which have to be cut painful to Mother Earth and, for extracting the colour. The Bishnois therefore, an inferior form of are currently spread over the western region of Rajasthan and parts of cultivation, has led the indigenous Haryana and Punjab. They are more prosperous than other communities and tribal communities to practice living in the Thar deserts, probably shifting cultivation which, for, them, because of their eco-friendly life. Their villages are easily distinguishable because has divine sanction. of numerous trees and vegetation near their homes, and herds of antelopes which talk of how they should live and roaming freely. Fields are ploughed with what should be done after their death. simple tools using bullocks or camels, The faith that God adequately which causes minimal damage to the compensates the cultivators for all the fragile desert ecosystem. Only one crop losses caused by animals, underlines the of bajra is grown during the monsoon basic philosophy of the Bishnoi religion season. The bushes which grow in the that all living things (including animals) fields protect the loose sand from wind- have a right to survive and share all erosion and provide the much needed resources. fodder for animals during famine. The 4 3 Features No.2 2007 WOMEN IN ACTION Bishnois keep only cows and buffaloes, Up till now, the Bishnois aggressively as rearing of sheep and goats which protect the khejri trees and the antelopes, devour desert vegetation, is taboo. particularly the blackbuck and chinkara. Though they are Hindus, they do not They consider protecting a tree, even if burn their dead but bury them to save it be at the cost of one’s head, a good precious wood and trees. They store deed. They not only protect antelopes water year round in underground tanks but also share their food and water with by collecting precious rain water. them. In a number of villages, the Bishnois feed animals with their own hands (Sharma, 1999). They keep strict It is this environmental vigil against poachers. Interestingly, a awareness and commitment popular actor who was recently accused of hunting a deer in a Bishnoi village to conservation and had to face the ire of the local protection that make Bishnois population and prosecuted according to state law. stand out from other If poachers leave behind a dead communities in India antelope when escaping, the owner of the field on which it is found, mourns ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ its death like that of a beloved, and does not eat or even drink water until the The Bishnois follow an old tradition of last rites are performed. On many protecting trees and animals. In 1737, occasions, poachers have wounded or when officials of the Maharaja of killed Bishnois but villagers fearlessly Jodhpur started felling a few khejri trees keep vigil to protect the blackbuck and in Khejerli village, all the inhabitants chinkara, which roam freely. It is this including women and children, environmental awareness and galvanised into action by a woman called commitment to conservation and Amritadevi, hugged the trees that were protection that make Bishnois stand out being axed. In all, 363 Bishnois from from other communities in India Khejerli and adjoining villages sacrificed (Sharma, 1999). The Bishnois’ eco- their lives. Later, when he came to know religion has inspired many women’s of it, the Maharaja apologised for his groups and local communities to take action and issued a royal decree on powerful lobbies that support engraved on a copper plate, prohibiting development based on unbridled the cutting of trees and hunting of exploitation of natural resources and animals in all Bishnoi villages.