Written by, June 5 -- Kishor Kumar Kalita and Mahesh Deka

Jagiroad: Nestled amid lush paddy fields, rolling green hillocks, and forests dotted with sonaru (golden shower) and krishnachura (flame trees), the villages near Jagiroad in Assam's Morigaon district present a picture of rural tranquillity. For generations, indigenous communities-primarily the Tiwas, along with Nepali and Kaivarta (SC) families-have cultivated these lands, nurtured forests, and built their lives around agriculture.

Today, however, beneath this idyllic landscape lies a growing sense of uncertainty and fear. In villages such as Sindhisar, Naldhara, Bihita, Palashbari, and Rowmari, residents worry that the fields they cultivate and the forests they helped create ma...