IDUKKI: Seventy-year-old Saraswathy got the inspiration to work sans remuneration in Idukki’s Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) 20 years ago for a very simple reason: she wanted to protect the forest near her home, which was once a source of livelihood for hundreds of people settled in the area.
Despite being a cancer patient, Saraswathy scouts the reserve forest twice every month along with other members of Vasantha Sena, a self-help group of women formed in 2002 to protect the reserve forest from illegal activities, conduct patrolling in the reserve area and keep the forest area free of plastic and waste.
Speaking to TNIE, Saraswathy said that sitting idle in old age can make no difference in life. “Guarding the forest gives me a sense of fulfilment, and wandering through the wilderness keeps me rejuvenated and fresh,” she said.
When she was young and settled with her family in the fringe area of the reserve before 1990s, they used to exploit forest resources for survival, Saraswathy said. However in 1998, when the department launched India Eco Development Project aimed at preserving forest and wildlife through community participation, continuous campaign and awareness made Saraswathy realise that greenery and environment are essential to be preserved for the sustenance of human life on earth.
The realisation made her set out on a mission to guard the forest and the formation of Vasantha Sena happened when women who shared the same idea joined hands. Women conduct patrolling in the reserve every day and keep watch on sandalwood to protect them from smugglers, and poachers targeting wild animals. “We patrol an 8-km periphery of Sakunthalakadu, a sandalwood reserve located in Edapalayam forest section of PTR.
Earlier we used to patrol till the boat landing area to check whether outsiders have entered the reserve or poachers have killed any wild animals,” she said. In the past 20 years of experience as unarmed guards protecting the reserve, Saraswathy said the Sena members have come face to face with tigers, wild elephants and other animals, but they haven’t caused any harm to them.
Although Vasantha Sena initially began with 101 members including tribes and women from general category, the group presently has only 40 active members and Saraswathy is the senior-most member.
“Since the members of Vasantha Sena are women from the local community, who are mostly plantation and daily wage workers, the 40-member group is further divided into 12 teams comprising three to four members and each team conducts patrolling on a rotation basis every day. Hence the women will have to set aside only two or three working days in a month to engage in the conservation activity,” Vasantha Sena chairperson Indira Subrahmanyam told TNIE.
Saraswathy lives in a makeshift hut in Kumily after her house was sold for treatment purposes 10 years ago and she now survives on the income she gets from running a night eatery in Kumily town. However this has not dampened the elderly woman’s spirit for environmental conservation and is a regular attendee on patrolling duty.
“Being a septuagenarian, I was able to visit various reserve forests in the country in the past 20 years in connection with the study tours conducted by the forest department for sena members every year. We may not be armed. However turning PTR into a plastic- free zone and bringing down exploitation of forest resources by outsiders are results of the joint effort of Vasantha Sena members,” said Saraswathy.
Although financial issues, death and family issues forced some of them to leave the group over the years, Saraswathy said new members from the family of deceased members are coming forward to join the group to continue the mission taken up by their mothers or mothers-in-law.
“But I am not concerned about whether my daughters will take up my mission after me. As long as I can, I will continue to protect the forest for future generations,” she said. Though she has to go to Regional Cancer Centre in Thiruvananthapuram once or twice a month for treatment, she waits eagerly for her turn every month because the forest has become a home and the Sena members a family to share her happiness and sorrow.