India, Sept. 3 -- Indian society is extraordinarily diverse, and Indian culture has historically accommodated varied ways of living and using natural resources. Forests have long been home to human communities that depended on them for their livelihoods while also maintaining deep cultural relationships with the environment. Yet socio-economic disadvantage, geographical isolation and administrative neglect left many forest-dwelling communities marginalised. The Vantangiya community of Uttar Pradesh is a striking example. For decades, its members lived in forests, contributed to colonial and post-colonial afforestation programmes, but remained deprived of basic civic amenities and development opportunities.

The history of the Vantangiyas ...