ASSAM : Lakshman Teron, a conservationist from Assam’s Karbi tribal community, is a living institution without a university degree. The 62-year-old has been instrumental in transforming people with a collective conscience that they must work to protect nature and environment.
Growing up at Chakardo village in the lap of the Rani-Garbhanga Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, Teron has seen the gradual degradation of this important green lung where felling of trees was once not only common but also rampant. After years of efforts, he managed to dissuade locals and inspire them to work for conservation. The once denuded forest now has thick vegetation, thanks to concerted conservation efforts by the green activist, the forest department and the villagers.
Teron, who has worked with World Wildlife Fund, Kaziranga Wildlife Society, People for Animal, biodiversity conservation organisation Aaranyak and others, has been a conservationist since he passed Class X. The activist says he developed an interest in nature and environment as a child after hearing stories about his great grandmother who knew which herbs would heal which disease. “Conservation is in my blood,” Teron believes.
After hearing stories about her from his father, the schoolboy developed the habit of reading books on Ayurveda. However, these books were difficult to come by. He would browse the books in fairs. He also collected books on plants and trees with local and scientific names.
Over time, he observed that trees were felled rampantly by outsiders, with assistance from locals. So, he began spreading awareness among villagers and students about it. He would visit schools & colleges and inspire people to protect the environment.
“Outsiders were mainly involved in the felling of trees. They would visit villages adjoining the reserve forest, befriend innocent locals and use them in cutting trees,” recalls Teron.
He went from house to house and warned people about the risks. Despite initial reluctance, they realised that rainfall would decrease, temperatures would rise and soil erosion would damage their agricultural crops downhill if they ignored the risks.
“After years of indiscriminate felling of trees, the red soil of the hill, forming part of the reserve forest, was visible from a distance. You won’t find the red soil now. This is the transformation. The tall trees on the hill had disappeared. The saplings, which were spared, grew tall naturally, resulting in the reclamation of lost forest cover. Maybe after 10 years, if you shoot an arrow, it will hit a tree,” Teron says.
For the past more than three decades, he has been also working for the conservation of birds, including migratory ones. A lot of them visit Deepor Beel (billabong), a Ramsar site and part of local ecosystem. Not many villagers knew about the bird species and he collaborated with schools in creating awareness among children. “They are now enlightened. I began working for bird conservation before Deepor Beel was declared a bird sanctuary,” says the conservationist.
“I came in touch with many people with an interest in nature and environment, birds, etc,” says Teron. He continues to spread awareness about the harms of pollution.