Shashi SinghKoderma, Dec. 25 -- In the dense Simarkundi forest under Markaccho block, Raksha Bandhan became more than a symbolic festival.Villagers, forest officials and district administrators came together to turn a traditional ritual into a collective pledge for forest protection, signalling a growing shift towards community-led conservation in rural Jharkhand.
The programme, organised by the Forest Department in a remote forest village of Koderma, saw participants tying sacred threads to trees after performing rituals at a forest altar. The demonstration was rooted in the idea of protection and mutual responsibility, drawing a direct parallel between familial bonds and the relationship between people and forests.
Addressing villagers,...