Millionaire millet man and Chorla

Dear Reader,

The Forest Rights Act of 2006, recognizes the rights of the tribal communities to forest resources on which they depend for their livelihood. It empowers the forest dwellers to access and use the forest resources as they traditionally did, to conserve forests and protect forest dwellers from unlawful evictions.

But while the rights are available on paper, on the ground, the forest-dwelling communities are often barred from using the forest resources.

In the quest for protecting the environment, governments often ignore the rights of the indigenous tribes who are dependent on the forest for food and survival.

Something similar happened with the Gond and Baiga tribal communities in Madhya Pradesh who were forced to relocate to the fringes of the buffer zone of Kanha National Park when Project Tiger was launched in 1973, writes my colleague Palak.

It was Earth Focus Foundation, an NGO, which helped the tribal families rehabilitate by creating sustainable livelihood opportunities and linking them with government schemes. 

The organisation assists in upskilling the tribal families and has restored 200 acres of barren land allocated to tribals into thriving farms, transforming 6000 lives. It also provides education to tribal children, using fun activities and storytelling sessions to help children grasp the concepts. 

In Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, an MBA is working with farmers, encouraging them to grow millets, especially the rare Brown Top millet, and increase their incomes.

Somashekar Pogula, an MBA, quit his job after his father was diagnosed with kidney failure. While doing rounds of hospitals for treatment, Somashekar saw many young people who were diabetic. Doctors said it was due to the unhealthy lifestyle. That was the motivation for Somashekar to foray into the millet industry.

Somashekar launched his enterprise Adithi Millets in 2017. He encouraged farmers to cultivate millets, which he procured and processed at his processing unit. The farmers get a higher price than the market for their produce. The company makes products such as instant millet rotis, dosa, rava upma, rava idli, khichdi, and millet malt.

Somashekar works with 208 farmers in 10 villages in three districts of Andhra and the enterprise clocked a turnover of around Rs2 crore in 2022.

The recent cyclone Biporjoy caused extensive damage in Gujarat. Natural calamities ravage many parts of the country each year. Traditional architecture perhaps presents an alternative.

Traditional homes are simple and make use of only locally-available materials such as wood, bamboo, mud, or palmyra leaves. The homes are not only eco-friendly but also climate resilient. For instance, Bhungas can withstand earthquakes, Chuttillus of Andhra Pradesh can absorb the impact of cyclones and Assam’s double-storeyed bamboo houses protect the inhabitants from floods.

Do read our piece on five vernacular architectural styles from different parts of India that show how we can live in harmony with nature.

If you are looking for a quiet monsoon getaway, read about Chorla Ghat in our Sunday story. Set in the Sahyadris, spanning three states of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Goa, Chorla Ghat will transport you to a world of lush greenery and the melodious chirping of birds. And yes, it was also the favourite hideout for thieves during British rule. 

Happy Reading!

Warmly,
Urvashi