Answer the question in maximum 200 words. This question carries 11 marks. [MPPSC 2022]
Throw light on Jungle Satyagraha
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Jungle Satyagraha: An Overview
Jungle Satyagraha was a movement led by Indian villagers, especially in central India, to claim their traditional rights over forests, which the British had restricted. This protest was part of the larger freedom struggle and aimed to resist colonial policies that controlled forest access, impacting the livelihood of forest-dependent communities.
Key Points of Jungle Satyagraha
Impact and Legacy
The Jungle Satyagraha highlighted the deep connection of local communities with nature and was a form of nonviolent protest aligned with Mahatma Gandhi’s principles. It inspired further forest rights movements in India, emphasizing sustainable use and the preservation of traditional ways of life. The movement remains an essential part of India’s environmental and social justice history.
Jungle Satyagarha
In 1930, however, it was a different story altogether, as another spirited movement was being marshaled in Seoni under the leadership of Durga Shankar Mehta, who would come to be known as the Jungle Satyagraha. This time it would be mobilizing Congress workers and tribal villages to challenge Britain’s colonial regime, which had imposed severe restrictions on the access to and use of the forests. On October 9, 1930, they set their sights on invading the Turia jungles and cutting grass from a government sandalwood garden to assert their defiance of restrictive rules.
The Jungle Satyagraha responded to the Forest Act, which levied grazing fees and auctioned grass in reserved forest areas, which caused local peasants considerable discontent since these resources were utilized as grazing grounds for livestock. Apart from extracting taxes for the use of pasture and wood, British policies undermined the traditional rights of tribal communities to their forest resources.
The term “Jungle Satyagraha” was used to refer to the non-violent campaign targeted towards protecting India’s forests from the exploits of the colonial rule. The tribal people and their supporters resisted the arbitrary policies by demanding their rights in the land and their rights.