The confusion on the Supreme Court order for the eviction of forest-dwelling communities has not settled down. But, there are positive stories to be heard from different parts of the country on how indigenous communities are significant in conservation efforts.
Here is a snippet from Panna National Park in Madhya Pradesh, once notorious for tiger poaching.
Eco-conservation organisation Last Wilderness Foundation in association with Taj Safaris and Forest Department, Panna National Park, has launched a program called Walk with the Pardhis, which calls upon a local nomadic community to join in on conservation efforts. Once hired by Britishers and local landlords for hunting, these native people are now using their knowledge of the forest to guide tourist parties around the reserve.
The program aims to offer an alternative source of livelihood to members of the Pardhi community while putting to use their ancestral skills like those in tracking animals.
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