On May 15th, 2023, a significant event took place in Panchayat Halqa Mathi-Gawran Anatnag, where the first Gram Sabha on Community Forest Rights under the Forest Rights Act 2006 was organized. This event was assisted and facilitated by the J&K-Forest Rights Coalition and witnessed the participation of a large number of residents who came together to make history.
During the Gram Sabha, a resolution was read and unanimously passed by the Forest Rights Committee, Panchayat, and Gram Sabha members.
The resolution declared 1200 square kilometers of forest land, including Daksum forests, stretching from Gawran forests to Margontop gali, Simthan to Wardwaan forests as Community Forest. This means that the forest land will now be managed and governed by the local communities, who will use it for their livelihoods, traditional pastoral practices, and cultural activities.
The resolution also mandated the panchayat to ensure the conservation of forests and mountains, as well as the sustainable use of minor forest produce and forest foods. This is a crucial step towards promoting biodiversity and reducing deforestation.
Mathi-Gawran Panchayat has become the second panchayat to lead community conservation, community-based tourism, and afforestation under the leadership of J&K-FRC and its activists.
The Gram Sabha also resolved that the first beneficiaries of local tourism would be residents of Mathi-Gawran, Daksum, Gawran, and adjoining Grahm Panchayats of the area.
The resolution emphasized the importance of maintaining the carrying capacity of Daksum, Margon & Simthan during tourism seasons and opposed mass and irresponsible tourism. It also prohibited the use of packed food, polythene, liquor, and narcotic drugs.
Furthermore, the Panchayat pledged to monitor anti-environmental development in eco-sensitive areas.
This is a crucial step towards sustainable development, which ensures that economic growth does not come at the cost of the environment.
The founders of the J&K Forest Rights Coalition, Peer Ghulam Mohi-ud-din (Vice chairperson FRC-J&K), and Convener Zahid Parwaz Choudhary coordinated the Gram Sabha procedures under the Forest Rights Act 2006. This event marks a significant step towards community control on natural resources and community-led conservation and sustainable tourism in Jammu Kashmir.
The recognition of community forest as a legitimate land-use category is an important development in the realm of forest governance and management.
The move by Mathi-Gawran Gram Sabha to declare such a large area as a community forest is commendable. It is hoped that this will serve as an inspiration for other communities and governments to follow suit in promoting community-led forest management and conservation.
The Forest Rights Coalition-J&K (founded by Dr. Shaikh Ghulam Rasool, who is a renowned Climate Justice activist and Naturalist, Zahid Parwaz, and Peer Mohiuddin) is committed to organizing such events across Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
The coalition will also assist Gram Panchayats and indigenous communities in filing individual claims. FRC-J&K is also actively advocating the implementation of forest rights in J&K and has successfully conducted more than 100 training workshops on FRA-2006, Community conservation, and Nature-based community tourism across J&K.
In summary, the declaration of 1200 Sq. km of forest land as a community forest during the first historical Gram Sabha at Mathi-Gawran is a crucial step towards sustainable and community-led forest management. It is hoped that this will inspire other communities and governments to promote community-led forest management and conservation.