Jadav Payeng
{{Short description|Indian environmentalist, nature scientist (born 1959)}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2023}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Jadav Payeng
| image = Jadav Payeng Forest Man Of India.jpg
| caption = Forest Man Of India
| birth_name = Payeng
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1959|10|31|df=y}}
| birth_place = Jorhat, Assam, India
| other names = Molai
| citizenship = Indian
| occupation = Environmental Activist
| years active = 1959
| spouse = Binita
| children = 3
| awards = Padma Shri (2015)
}}
Jadav "Molai" Payeng (born 31 October 1959) is an environmental activist{{cite web | url=http://www.currentscience.ac.in/Volumes/106/04/0499.pdf | title=Jadav Molai Payeng – the 'Forest Man of India', Current Science, 25 February 2014 | access-date=21 March 2014}} and forestry worker from Majuli,{{cite news| url=https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/meet-jadav-payeng-a-man-who-created-550-hectares-of-forest-single-handedly/article26589168.ece| work=The Hindu | title=Meet Jadav Payeng, India's Forest Man, who created 550 hectares of forest single-handedly}} popularly known as the Forest Man of India.{{cite news| url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/sunday-toi/special-report/The-man-who-made-a-forest/articleshow/12488584.cms | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120406001621/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-04-01/special-report/31269649_1_forest-wild-elephants-red-ants | url-status=live | archive-date=6 April 2012 | work=The Times of India | title=The man who made a forest}}{{cite news| url=http://www.cbc.ca/strombo/alt-news/this-guys-a-one-man-forest-planting-machine.html | publisher=CBC News | title=Strombo – This Guy's A One-Man Forest-Planting Machine}} Over the course of several decades, he has planted and tended trees on a sandbar of the river Brahmaputra turning it into a forest reserve. The forest, called Molai forest after him,{{cite web|url=http://greenjacketmoments.com/2012/06/29/jadav-molai-payeng/|title=Jadav "Molai" Payeng|publisher=greenjacketmoments.com|access-date=3 November 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130125023823/http://greenjacketmoments.com/2012/06/29/jadav-molai-payeng/|archive-date=25 January 2013|url-status=usurped}} is located near Kokilamukh of Jorhat, Assam, India and encompasses an area of about 1,360 acres / 550 hectares.{{cite news | url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/03/indian-man-jadav-molai-pa_n_1399930.html?src=sp&comm_ref=false | title=Indian Man, Jadav "Molai" Payeng, Single-Handedly Plants A 1,360 Acre Forest in Assam | work=HuffPost | access-date=6 March 2013 | first=Dominique | last=Mosbergen | date=3 April 2012}} In 2015, he was honoured with Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award in India.{{cite web|url=http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/detailsnew.asp?id=jan2615%2Fat055|title=Padma Bhushan for Jahnu Barua, Padma Shri for Dr LN Bora, Jadav Payeng|access-date=30 January 2015|archive-date=31 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150131165807/http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/detailsnew.asp?id=jan2615%2Fat055|url-status=dead}} He was born in the indigenous Mising tribe{{cite web |url=http://www.sanctuaryasia.com/magazines/features/9122-the-strange-obsession-of-jadav-payeng.html |title=The Strange Obsession of Jadav Payeng |access-date=3 November 2013 |archive-date=11 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190711153414/https://www.sanctuaryasia.com/magazines/features/9122-the-strange-obsession-of-jadav-payeng.html |url-status=dead }} of Assam.
Career
In 1979, Payeng, then 16, encountered a large number of snakes that had died due to excessive heat after floods washed them onto the tree-less sandbar. That is when he planted around 20 bamboo seedlings on the sandbar.{{cite web | url=http://www.successstories.co.in/incredible-story-of-persistence-and-devotion-jadav-payeng-single-handedly-converts-a-sandbar-into-a-prosperous-1360-acre-forest/ | title=Incredible story of Persistence and Devotion: Jadav Payeng Single-handedly Converts a Sandbar into a Prosperous 1,360-acre Forest | publisher=Success Stories | access-date=11 February 2014}} He not only looked after the plants, but continued to plant more trees on his own, in an effort to transform the area into a forest.
The forest, which came to be known as Molai forest, now houses Bengal tigers, Indian rhinoceros, and over 100 deer and rabbits. Molai forest is also home to monkeys and several varieties of birds, including a large number of vultures. There are several thousand trees, including valcol, arjun (Terminalia arjuna), ejar (Lagerstroemia speciosa), goldmohur (Delonix regia), koroi (Albizia procera), moj (Archidendron bigeminum) and himolu (Bombax ceiba). Bamboo covers an area of over 300 hectares.{{cite web | url=http://archive.asianage.com/india/man-creates-forest-single-handedly-brahmaputra-sand-bar-972 | title=Man creates forest single-handedly on Brahmaputra sand bar | publisher=The Asian Age | access-date=6 March 2013}}
A herd of around 100 elephants regularly visits the forest every year and generally stays for around six months. They have given birth to 10 calves in the forest in recent years.
His efforts became known to the authorities in 2008, when forest department officials went to the area in search of 115 elephants that had retreated into the forest after damaging property in the village of Aruna Chapori, which is about 1.5 km from the forest. The officials were surprised to see such a large and dense forest and since then the department has regularly visited the site.
In 2013, poachers tried to kill the rhinos staying in the forest but failed in their attempt due to Molai who alerted department officials. Officials promptly seized various articles used by the poachers to trap the animals.
Molai is ready to manage the forest in a better way and to go to other places of the state to start a similar venture. Now his aim is to spread his forest to another sand bar inside of Brahmaputra.{{cite web|url=http://www.ajithkumar.cc/my-thoughts/one-of-the-greatest-achievements-of-the-human-race-jadav-payeng/ |title=One of the Greatest Achievements of the Human Race – Jadav Payeng |publisher=Ajith Kumar. CC |date=3 August 2012 |access-date=31 December 2012}}{{cite web |url=http://www.ecotourismsociety.in/real-eco-heroes |title=Real Eco Heroes | ecotourismsocietyofnortheast |publisher=Ecotourismsociety.in |access-date=31 December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120818134420/http://ecotourismsociety.in/real-eco-heroes |archive-date=18 August 2012 |url-status=dead }}
Personal life
He belongs to the indigenous Mising Tribe which located in Assam India. He, along with wife and 3 children (1 daughter and 2 sons), used to live at the house which he had built inside his Forest. In 2012, Jadav built a house at No. 1 Mishing Gaon near Kokilmukh Ghat and shifted to this house with his family. Since then, they have been living in this house. Jadav, however, travels everyday to his Forest to tend and look after the plants and trees. He has cattle and buffalo on his farm and sells the milk for his livelihood, which is his only source of income. In an interview from 2012, he revealed that he has lost around 100 of his cows and buffaloes to the tigers in the forest, but blames the people who carry out large scale encroachment and destruction of forests as the root cause of the plight of wild animals.
Honours
File:The President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee presenting the Padma Shri Award to Shri Jadav Payeng, at a Civil Investiture Ceremony, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on April 08, 2015.jpg award from President Pranab Mukherjee]]
Jadav Payeng was honoured at a public function arranged by the School of Environmental Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University{{cite web|url=http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/showpage.asp?id=Horizon%2C1%2C84%2C375%2C1332%2C1176|title=Green Crusader|last=Kr. Deka|first=Dr. Arun|work=The Assam Tribune|access-date=13 October 2012|archive-date=10 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160310124804/http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/showpage.asp?id=Horizon%2C1%2C84%2C375%2C1332%2C1176|url-status=dead}} on 22 April 2012 for his achievement. He shared his experience of creating a forest in an interactive session, where Magsaysay Award winner Rajendra Singh and JNU vice-chancellor Sudhir Kumar Sopory were present. Sopory named Jadav Payeng as the "Forest Man of India".{{cite web | title = 30-year journey from tribal boy to Forest Man | url = http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/developmental-issues/30-year-journey-from-tribal-boy-to-Forest-Man/articleshow/39510215.cms|date=3 August 2014| access-date = 12 November 2014 | work = The Times of India}}{{cite news|author=Manimugdha S Sharma |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/JNU-honours-forest-man-on-Earth-Day/articleshow/12845235.cms |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131104082300/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-04-24/delhi/31392426_1_jadav-payeng-jnu-vice-chancellor-sudhir-kumar-sopory |url-status=live |archive-date=4 November 2013 |title=JNU honours 'forest man' on Earth Day |date=24 April 2012|work=The Times of India |access-date=31 December 2012}} In the month of October 2013, he was honoured at the Indian Institute of Forest Management during their annual event Coalescence. In 2015, he was honoured with Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award in India. He received honorary doctorate degree from Assam Agricultural University and Kaziranga University for his contributions.
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In popular culture
Payeng has been the subject of a number of documentaries in the recent years. His character was the basis for a fictional film made by a Tamil director Prabhu solaman casting Rana Daggubati released in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi as Kaadan, Aranya and Haathi Mere Saathi (2018 film). A locally made documentary film, produced by Jitu Kalita in 2012, The Molai Forest,{{IMDb title|qid=Q123750278|title=The Molai forest|description=2012}} was screened at the Jawaharlal Nehru University. Jitu Kalita, who lives near Payeng's house, has also been featured and given recognition for good reporting by projecting the life of Payeng through his documentary.
The 2013 film documentary Foresting life,{{cite web |url=http://www.humanitywatchdog.org/films/foresting-life-2013/ |title=Foresting life |publisher=Humanity Watchdog |access-date=29 April 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140509044350/http://www.humanitywatchdog.org/films/foresting-life-2013/ |archive-date=9 May 2014}}{{IMDb title|qid=Q123750279|title=Foresting life|description=2013}} directed by the Indian documentary filmmaker Aarti Shrivastava, celebrates the life and work of Jadav Payeng in the Molai forest. These are also the focus of William Douglas McMaster's 2013 film documentary Forest Man.{{IMDb title|qid=Q123750276|title=Forest Man|description=2013}} With US$8,327 pledged on its Kickstarter campaign, the film was brought to completion and taken to a number of film festivals.{{cite web|url=https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/59012691/forest-man-post-production|title=Forest Man post production|date=14 February 2013|access-date=29 April 2014}} It was awarded the Best Documentary prize at the Emerging Filmmaker Showcase in the American Pavilion at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival.{{cite news|title=Payeng film gets Cannes award|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1140527/jsp/northeast/story_18384889.jsp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140726111126/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1140527/jsp/northeast/story_18384889.jsp|url-status=dead|archive-date=26 July 2014|access-date=17 July 2014|work=The Telegraph, Calcutta, India|date=26 May 2014}}{{cite web|title=The American Pavilion 2014 Finalists Emerging Filmmaker Showcase|url=http://www.ampav.com/index.php/student-programs/cannes-emerging-filmmaker-showcase/2014-finalists-emerging-filmmaker-showcase-presented-by-american-express/|access-date=17 July 2014}}
Payeng is the subject of the 2016 children's book Jadav and the Tree-Place, written and illustrated by Vinayak Varma.{{Cite web |title=Mixtape |url=http://mixtape.in/post/136804343739/jadav |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160314192005/http://mixtape.in/post/136804343739/jadav |archive-date=14 March 2016 |access-date=14 March 2016 |website=Mixtape}} The book was published by the open-source children's publishing platform StoryWeaver,{{Cite web |date=8 September 2015 |title=Download, print, read 800 children's stories for free |url=http://www.deccanherald.com/content/499726/download-print-read-800-childrens.html |access-date=14 March 2016 |website=Deccan Herald}}{{Cite web |title=StoryWeaver |url=https://storyweaver.org.in/about |access-date=14 March 2016 |website=storyweaver.org.in}} and its production was funded by a grant from the Oracle Giving Initiative.{{Cite web |title=StoryWeaver |url=https://storyweaver.org.in/our_supporters |access-date=14 March 2016 |website=storyweaver.org.in}}{{Cite web |title=StoryWeaver |url=https://storyweaver.org.in/campaign |access-date=14 March 2016 |website=storyweaver.org.in}} Jadav and the Tree-Place has been translated into 39 languages,{{Cite web |title=Jadav and the Tree-Place |url=https://storyweaver.org.in/en/stories/5052-jadav-and-the-tree-place |access-date=2024-01-03 |website=storyweaver.org.in/}} published in print by Pratham Books in 8 Indian languages,{{Cite web |title=Jadav And The Tree Place : |url=https://store.prathambooks.org/productDetails?productId=jadav_and_the_tree_place_ |access-date=2024-01-03 |website=store.prathambooks.org}} and has won the Digital Book of the Year prize at the Publishing Next Industry Awards, 2016,{{Cite web |title=Publishing Next Industry Awards |url=https://www.publishingnext.in/publishing-next-industry-awards/ |access-date=2024-01-03 |website=Publishing Next |language=en-US}} and the Best of Indian Children's Writing: Contemporary Awards, 2019.
Payeng is also the subject of the 2019 children's book The Boy Who Grew A Forest: The True Story of Jadav Payeng,{{cite news|date=3 June 2022|title=Book Themed On Forest Man Of India Jadav Payeng Shortlisted For North Carolina Children's Book Award|publisher=North East Today|url=https://www.northeasttoday.in/2022/06/03/assam-book-themed-on-forest-man-of-india-jadav-payeng-shortlisted-for-north-carolina-childrens-book-award/ }}{{cite news|date=5 June 2022|title=The True Story of Jadav Payeng: An insightful story of environmental success|publisher=North East Now|url=https://nenow.in/environment/the-true-story-of-jadav-payang-an-insightful-story-of-environmental-success.html }} written by Sophia Gholz and illustrated by Kayla Harren.{{cite book|title=Sleeping Bear Press Sophia Gholz: Author of The Boy Who Grew a Forest|publisher=Sleeping Bear Press, Cheery Lake Publishing Group|url=https://sleepingbearpress.com/shop/show/52374}} Published by Sleeping Bear Press, the book won the Crystal Kite Award,{{cite web|title=Crystal Kite Winners 2020|date=2022|publisher=Society of Children's Book Writer's and Illustrators|url=https://www.scbwi.org/awards/crystal-kite-member-choice-award/crystal-kite-winners-2020/}} the Sigurd F. Olson Nature Writing Award (SONWA) from Northland College,{{cite web|title=SONWA Winners 1991-Present Nature Books for Adults and Children|date= 31 March 2021|publisher=Northland College|url=https://www.northland.edu/news/soei-news/your-earth-day-reading-list-23-years-of-sonwa-winners/}} and the Florida State Book Award.{{cite news|date=10 March 2020|title=Florida Book Awards announces 2019 winning writers|url=https://www.tallahassee.com/story/life/2020/03/10/florida-book-awards-announces-2019-winners/4974630002/}} It has been translated into German and French, and adapted for stage.{{cite web|title=Little Heroes and Heroines|url=https://www.humboldtforum.org/en/programm/termin/literature/reading/little-heroes-and-heroines-32433/|website=Picture Book Cinema|publisher=Humboldt Forum}}{{cite web|title=THE BOY WHO SAW A FOREST Based on the children's book by Sophia Gholz|url=https://www.staatstheater-meiningen.de/produktionen/der-junge-der-einen-wald-pflanzte.html?ID_Vorstellung=9323&m=594|website=staatstheater-meiningen.de|publisher=Staatstheater Meiningen}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category|Jadav Payeng}}
- {{cite news|url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news//assam-green-warrior-jadab-payeng-plants-trees-at-isolated-sand-bar/384807-3.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131208001611/http://ibnlive.in.com/news//assam-green-warrior-jadab-payeng-plants-trees-at-isolated-sand-bar/384807-3.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=8 December 2013|title=Assam: Green warrior Jadab Payeng plants trees at isolated sand bar|last=Sen|first=Arijit|publisher=CNN-IBN|date=12 April 2013}}
- [http://zeenews.india.com/news/eco-news/man-creates-forest-on-brahmaputra-sand-bar_765997.html Man creates forest on Brahmaputra sand bar]
- {{Cite AV media |url=https://youtube.com/watch?v=HkZDSqyE1do |title=Forest Man |first=William Douglas |last=McMaster |year=2013 |type=full film}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Payeng, Jadev}}
Category:Indian environmentalists
Category:People from Jorhat district
Category:Tribal people from Assam
Category:Sustainability advocates
Category:Indian climate activists
Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in other fields