In The Dang

A hilly region in South Gujarat, Dang missed the Modi miracle. The forests remain as they have been since time immemorial, the district devoid of industrial development, and its tribal population left to sustain itself on the rich forest produce from the hill like its fathers and forefathers did. 

While the lack of development means that Dang is one of the most impoverished regions in the country, it remains bounteous. Dang’s forest has some of the world’s finest teak, second only to the world-famous Burmese teak. Teakwood is highly sought after for its strength and durability, making it an important commodity in the region. Bamboo is another valuable commodity. It grows wild and is used by communities such as the Kotwalias to make products such as furniture, baskets and homeware. The forest is also a rich repository of medicinal plants that locals harvest to make potions and ointments.

Despite being surrounded by natural riches, the people who have inhabited the forest for centuries endure much hardship. One of the reasons is the problematic approach of various regimes to the forest and the indigenous people. It began with the British who, in the nineteenth century, entered into a treaty with the kings of Dang to log teak and, in the process, monopolised the trade. They also put into place the Indian Forest Act of 1927 that regulated the extraction of forest produce. Essentially, this meant that indigenous folk, who had for generations relied on the forest for sustenance, were denied access to resources they considered a birthright. 

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