Man versus nature has been an everlasting debate. Some individuals view man’s progress as being a continuing wrestle towards nature. People say that if we don’t push again towards the forest and declare some land for ourselves, we’d nonetheless be caught at midnight ages. The indigenous populations, which have all the time shared an affinity with nature, frowns on such a line of thought. They have been recognized to take care of a lifestyle which states that man is an inherent a part of nature. That harming nature is akin to harming oneself. These sentiments are amply echoed in director Rucha Chitnis’ seminal documentary brief, Van Versus Vikas.
The 15 minute movie encapsulates the wrestle of Prakash Bhoir and his household, who’ve been on the forefront of the struggle to save lots of the Aarey forest located within the coronary heart of Mumbai. Prakash belongs to the Adivasi group and is an Adivasi activist. He lives in an Advivasi hamlet located contained in the Aarey forest. He grows vegatables and fruits close to his residence and forages the forest for different objects, dwelling intently with nature. He’s additionally a gifted Warli artist and so is his son. Their work are on show within the documentary. They depicted the Adivasi lifestyle and the modifications introduced in by the pressured march of progress.
Prakash Bhoir has led many protests towards the destruction of Aarey’s biodiversity and the relocation of Adivasis from their ancestral lands. There are 27 Adivasi hamlets within the Aarey forest. In 1949, Aarey Milk Colony was arrange by the federal government to assist arrange a gradual milk provide to Mumbai metropolis. In 2019, after the 2008 Mumbai terror assaults, round 100 acres of land was cleared for a NSG commando base camp in Aarey. All that is proving detrimental to the existence of the Adivasis within the space. But the largest risk, because the movie showcases, comes within the type of the Mumbai Metro shed that’s been constructed in the midst of the area. Hundreds of bushes have been reduce due to it, threatening the delicate forest ecosystem.
What’s extra, the tribals have been advised to evict the land the place they’ve been dwelling for generations collectively. The movie factors out that the plenty have been fed the false narrative that slum dwellers have encroached upon the land and should be resettled elsewhere. It’s not the slum dwellers however the tribals who’re getting affected. Prakash Bhoir, his spouse Pramila, and different tribals interviewed within the movie state that they discover the forest an extension of their very own selves and vice versa. They can’t consider dwelling anyplace else because the connection they really feel with the land is assimilated into every thing they do, be it delicacies, artwork, tradition and even language. They are conscious of the roaming patterns of even the leopards and worship them because the guardians of the jungle. And they acknowledge that coexistence is the important thing, asserting that animals have as a lot proper to the forest as males.
All-in-all, the movie is a watch opener certainly and offers you with a glimpse of the fantastic forest space located proper in the midst of Mumbai’s excessive rises. It’s not simply the indigenous people who find themselves threatened by the depletion of the inexperienced cowl. These areas function lungs for us all and it’s excessive time we took discover of it and made a vow to reach in droves when protests towards pointless discount of bushes happen.