objectives of community traditions which favour environmental protection
Answers
What is the role of community in the environmental protection ??
One of the major reasons there needs to be greater role of community in making environmental decisions, is to protect the rights of indigenous people. ... The right to protect and manage natural resources located on traditional indigenous lands. The right of citizens to live in a healthy environment.
THE INDIAN TRADITION
For the people of India, environmental conservation is not a new concept. Historically, the protection of nature and wildlife was an ardent article of faith, reflected in the daily lives of people, enshrined in myths, folklore, religion, arts, and culture. Some of the fundamental principles of ecology-the interrelationship and interdependence of all life-were conceptualized in the Indian ethos and reflected in the ancient scriptural text, the Isopanishad, over 2000 years ago. It says, 'This universe is the creation of the Supreme Power meant for the benefit of all his creation. Each individual life-form must, therefore, learn to enjoy its benefits by forming a part of the system in close relation with other species. Let not anyone species encroach upon the other's rights.'
The oldest visual image of the human fascination, love, and reverence for nature in India can be found in the 10,000 year-old cave paintings at Bhimbetka in Central India depicting birds, animals, and human beings living in harmony. The Indus Valley civilization provides evidence of human interest in wildlife, as seen in seals depicting images of rhino, elephant, bull, etc. Historically, conservation of nature and natural resources was an innate aspect of the Indian psyche and faith, reflected in religious practices, folklore, art and culture permeating every aspect of the daily lives of people. Scriptures and preachings that exhort reverence for nature and relate to conservation can be found in most of the religions that have flourished in the Indian subcontinent. Classical Indian myth is replete with similies of man in unison with the environment. The worship of trees, animals, forests, rivers, and the sun, and considering the earth itself as Mother Goddess, were part of the Indian tradition.
- SACRED GROVES
One of the finest examples of traditional practices in India based on religious faith which has made a profound contribution to nature conservation has been the maintenance of certain patches of land or forests as "sacred groves' dedicated to a deity or a village God, protected, and worshipped. These are found all over India, and abundantly along the Western Ghats, the west coast, and in several parts of Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu amd Maharashtra. In Kerala there are hundreds of small jungles dedicated to snakes.
In spite of the depletion of forests in many parts of India, some sacred groves still remain intact as oases in deserts, conserving rich biological diversity. The maintenance of sacred groves can thus he considered to be an outstanding example of a traditional practice that has contributed to forest conservation, albeit in a small measure. There are also examples of sacred ponds attached to temples in many parts of India. Some of these have been responsible for the protection of certain endangered species of turtles, crocodiles, and the rare fresh water sponge.
- SACRED PLANTS AND ANIMALS
Many plants and animals have from historcial times been considered sacred in India by various communities. The most outstanding examples are the peepal tree (Ficus religiosa). The banyan tree (Ficus 'bengelensiss, and Khejdi tree (Prosopis cineraria), and these have been traditionally revered and therefore never cut. There are a number of other trees and plants considered sacred and grown in temple premises and are protected in other localities. More than a hundred such species of trees/plants in India are considered sacred by various communities and religious faiths. These include the sandalwood tree, beetlenut, palm, neem, coconut palm, juniper, champa, lotus, tulsi, pepper, etc. Such traditional cultural attitudes, though based on religious faith, have made significant contribution in the protection and propagation of various species of trees and plants in India.
Many animals are considered sacred and worshipped by several Hindu and other communities, and have thus received protection for centuries. The peafowl, sacred to lord Karttikeya is never hunted, the blue rock pigeon is considered sacred to Saint Hazrat Shah lalal and is protected in the Bengal region. Even rodents are considered sacred and are allowed to breed in the famous temple of goddess Karnimata in Rajasthan. The tiger and the cobra, though greatly feared, are afforded protection on religious grounds.
Snake worship has been an established cult among the Nairs of Kerala. Snake groves or kavus abounding in wild trees and creepers housing a cobra's head carved in granite were found near the homes of many Kerala Hindus. The celebrated Padmanabaswami temple in Thiruvanthapuram has Lord Vishnu reclining on a mighty serpent. Many other animals are also worshipped as they are considered vehicles of gods and goddesses.
All these accounts vividly show how the ancient culture and traditions of Indian society contributed to the conservation of natural ecosystems, and the plants and animals that inhabited these.
Source: ccrtindia.gov.in/readingroom/nscd/ch/ch11.php