Program was organized by RSS swayamsewak Vishnu Lamba.
By Sreekanth A. Nair
Chambal was known for groups of dacoits who unleashed a reign of terror in the ravines spread across the states of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan. Now after years of ending the era of terror, some former dacoits are joining together to make a new beginning.
On International Day of Forests, on Sunday, over 25 former dacoits of Chambal reunited in Jaipur to fight against deforestation and pollution in the place.
They told the government that they are willing to protect the land and forests.
“When we were farar (wanted), not a single leaf used to move without our permission, nobody tried to encroach on the land or cut trees. But today, there is no forest. Chambal is our mother. If the government wants, it can allot regions to each of us to protect. We promise, not a leaf will be removed like it used to be before,” said former dacoit Balwant Singh Tomar, nephew of the more famous Paan Singh Tomar.
Recounting their memories, the dacoits extended their support to protect the land and forests for the upcoming generation.
“I had surrendered in 1972 with 550 men and even today, around 200 are alive. If the government wants, we can stop the cutting down of trees. I cannot take responsibility for the entire nation. The government should just demarcate the boundary and permit us,” said dacoit-turned-monk Pancham Singh.
Narrating their life in the green and dense forests, former bandit Seema Parihar said that they knew everything about the forests and even farmers didn’t have that much idea about the forests.
“It is possible that even farmers do not know about forests, as much as we, the former dacoits, know about them. Because, in our lives as dacoits, we only had the shade of a tree. We didn’t have a proper roof over us then. Be it summers or winters, it was our house,” Parihar said.
“Forests used to be so green and dense, our heart never wanted to leave, and we were surrounded by animals and plants. But Chambal forests are not even two percent of what they were a few decades ago. The government makes huge promises. But has their huge apparatus prevented cutting down trees in Chambal? I would request them to give us responsibilities and we promise to show results in six months,” she added.
Though the government had initiated various plans to revive Chambal forests, none of them took off the ground and made any results.
In the program organized by RSS swayamsewak Vishnu Lamba, under his NGO Shree Kalptaru Sansthan, the dacoits took the pledge to save the environment through their collective effort.
Jaipur MP Ramcharan Bohra and Rajasthan’s Principal Chief Conservator of Forests SS Chaudhary were also present at the function.
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