Hundreds of tribal women in Jharkhand’s East Singhbhum district tied rakhis to Sal trees in the Sunsunia forest area of Chakulia on August 27, turning a traditional Raksha Bandhan ritual into a pledge to protect forests and wildlife. Led by Padma Shri awardee and environmental activist Jamuna Tudu, the women performed puja and aarti before tying rakhis to the trees, which they regarded as their brothers.
They pledged to prevent illegal tree felling and protect the forest and its wildlife. Tudu said the rakhis were tied for the trees’ long life and that the women had vowed not to allow the trees to be cut. Chakulia police station in-charge Rajesh Kumar also attended the event as chief guest and tied a rakhi to a tree.
A Forest Promise
The gathering took place in the Bhalukbinda-Sunsunia forest area, where women arrived in traditional attire and began the programme with rituals for the trees. After the puja and aarti, they tied colourful rakhis around the trunks of Sal trees and took a collective pledge to safeguard them.
The celebration also included traditional music and dance, with women performing to the beats of the mandar and dhamsa. Tudu said she considers the trees her brothers and has been observing Raksha Bandhan with this belief for years.
Community Conservation
The event was not simply a symbolic celebration. Participants pledged to protect forests and wildlife, stop illegal tree felling and take an active role in environmental conservation. Rajesh Kumar, the Chakulia police station in-charge, joined the ceremony and also tied a rakhi to a tree, adding an official presence to the community-led conservation message.
Tudu also appealed to people to plant more trees and contribute to protecting forest resources. The initiative reflects the close relationship many forest-dependent communities maintain with their natural surroundings, where forests are linked not only to ecology but also to cultural traditions and community life.
Jamuna Tudu’s Journey
Known as the “Lady Tarzan”, Jamuna Tudu moved to Muturkham village in East Singhbhum’s Chakulia block after her marriage in 1998. After witnessing extensive tree cutting in the surrounding forests, she began organising local women to protect them from illegal felling and the timber mafia.
Tudu and a small group of women formed the Van Suraksha Samiti, a forest protection committee, and their efforts subsequently expanded to cover thousands of hectares of forest. Her grassroots conservation work earned national recognition when she was awarded the Padma Shri in 2019 in the field of Environment. Her continued involvement in the Raksha Bandhan tradition reflects her long-standing association with community-led forest protection.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Raksha Bandhan is traditionally associated with a promise to protect and care for another person. In Chakulia, that idea was extended to the trees and forests that communities depend on. While tying a rakhi cannot by itself prevent deforestation, the ceremony sends a powerful message about collective responsibility and the value of community participation in conservation.
It also places local knowledge and cultural traditions at the heart of environmental protection rather than treating conservation as the responsibility of institutions alone. Meaningful forest protection, however, requires such pledges to be supported by sustained action, effective enforcement against illegal felling and participation from local communities.
Could community-led traditions like this help inspire more people to see protecting nature as a shared responsibility?
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