MAHARASHTRA-Warlis and Forest Land Issue

Warlis and Forest Land Issue C S Lakshmi AN imaginative school-teacher, while teaching her class about Red Indians once, decided to divide the class into 'Red Indians' and 'Americans' to stimulate some interest in the subject. The 'Americans' promised small schools, living, quarters and other facilities and assured that they would bring in 'civilisation' there soon. We cannot give back your land because there are buildings on them now, they said. "Take back your buildings and give us back our land and our buffaloes'' squeaked a tiny 'Red Indian' and the 'Americans' lost the battle! One is reminded of this incident when one talks to the Warlis. "We belong to nature. We live off the forest. We are only asking for what belongs to us", one of them said. While this is irrefutable logic, the Warlis have found out that things don't work that way.