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People of the Forest
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Soliga mother and child |
The Soliga Tribe lives in the tropical evergreen forests of South India. Soliga means ‘people of the bamboo’, a name based on their belief that their ancestors originated from the bamboo. It also reflects the Soliga’s close association with nature, referring to the dense thickets they inhabit.
Soligas believe that human life is intertwined with the eco-system. Their love for nature is reflected in their local tribal laws. Fruits and berries are harvested only from trees which flower in abundance and very ripe or raw fruits are not collected. This leaves enough fruits for birds and other animals that also depend on them.
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Soliga village in the heart of the forest |
Even the Soliga practice of cultivation is environment friendly. A piece of agricultural land is not cultivated beyond 5 to 7 years. After this period, land is left untouched for 50 to 75 years, so that the forest takes root once again.
Their dependence on the forest for survival ensures a harmonious existence with nature. It is a symbiotic relationship where the people are connected to the land in an intricate web of life.
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Years of Struggle
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Soliga family outside their hut |
Like other tribes around the world, the Soligas have faced their share of struggle. People have misunderstood these fragile communities and sought to integrate them into mainstream life, threatening their way of life and destroying their socio-economic systems.
In the case of the Soliga tribe, new forest laws changed the status of the natural evergreen forests, original habitat of this tribe, to ‘reserved forest area’ and wildlife sanctuary.
As such, economic activity including hunting, gathering, foraging, or collecting firewood became illegal. Anyone found violating the law was persecuted. Those permitted to live within the forest area were forced to dwell in large settlements for easy control. This put pressure on forest resources, eroding the age-old concept of sustainability, integral to Soliga worldview.
The Soligas became strangers in their homeland and suffered terrible displacement and poverty.
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New Hope, New Beginning
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Dr. H Sudarshan, a doctor with a mission |
In December 1979, Dr. H Sudarshan, a young idealist doctor, came to BR Hills to work with the Soliga tribes. All he had was his education, his vision and his passion to make a difference.
The early years were hard. It was nearly impossible to find patients as the Soligas maintained their distance from him. Over time however, the young doctor’s dedication and news of his ‘magic medicine’ spread amongst the local population and many tribal and non-tribal people came to him for treatment.
There was no turning back.
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Soliga children - many reasons to smile!
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In 1981, Dr. Sudarshan set up Vivekananda Girijana Kalyana Kendra (VGKK), a voluntary non-government organization with a mission to protect the rights of the Soliga people, and provide them with a better quality of life.
When VGKK started its work it focused mainly on providing health services to the Soligas. Over time, members realized that health in isolation would achieve little and extended their work to other areas of development. Various inchoate and incidental projects developed into a structured program aimed at the amelioration of the Soligas.
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Organic Village
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The community living style
at the organic village
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Far from the hustle of city life, in the idyllic setting of the BR Hills forest, lies the Soliga Organic Village.
The village houses a resident school for Soliga children, a community hospital, herbal pharmacy, vocational training centers, small scale units, training auditorium, healthcare and recreational center.
The Organic Village is built using environment friendly material. The structure is designed to simulate the community living style of the Soligas, promote space sharing and co-operation and blend with the surrounding forest area. Often members of the tribe gather together in communal halls for discussions, prayers or entertainment.
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Soliga children love the peace and quite of the organic village |
Small houses dot the landscape of the organic village. The huts are simple, low-cost and functional, made from locally available stones and other material. The Soligas love open and airy spaces and every construction in the village reflects this.
The village retains the essence of the Soliga way of life.
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Conservation
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Soligas sustainably harvest forest produce
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A common misconception is that forest and biodiversity conservation do not go hand in hand with people and livelihoods.
In reality, it is possible to create livelihoods without damaging forest ecology. This can be done through sustainable development and scientific harvesting of forest produce.
A Participatory Resource Monitoring (PRM) program has been initiated with the Soligas. The PRM approach builds on their traditional knowledge of resource distribution and productivity.
It allows them to determine the level of extraction in relation to productivity, assess the rate at which resources are regenerating, monitor changes in productivity due to changes in the environment and obtain constant feedback from the community on conservation and management of resources.
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Soligas share a close relationship with nature
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To make sure that the harvest practices of the Soligas are informed and sustainable, pre-harvest meetings are held to discuss harvest techniques and find resource availability.
Thereafter, Post-harvest meetings are undertaken to assess quantities harvested and techniques used. Productivity, extraction and regeneration of each forest produce including honey are discussed in detail at these meetings. Estimated production, extraction and regeneration are correlated with the actual figures, bringing scientific methodology to traditional knowledge.
The aim is to ensure that what is being taken out of the forest is also being given back in equal measure. It is a system that helps maintain the balance in nature.
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