Scientific forestry and social change in Uttarakhand

This paper, a study of the development of forestry science in the hill districts of Uttar Pradesh collectively known as Uttarakhand, addresses itself to three sets of issues;

1. the utilisation of forests in the indigenous social system;
2. the specific forms of state intervention, and the interpretation of scientific techniques in terms of traditional patterns of resource use; and
3. the social changes that were a consequence of scientific forestry.

In contradistinction to other studies, this paper focuses on the content of colonial forestry science, with a view to understanding its social and cultural underpinnings. It is argued that the structure of forestry science was predicated on its "other"-viz the cultural and social meaning traditionally ascribed to the forests in different parts of India. Having disrupted existing forms of resource utilisation, scientific forestry had to contend with recurrent and widespread protest. This led to the evolution of sophisticated techniques, described in this paper, that could meet the often conflicting aims of commercial timber production and the preemption of peasant protest. Not surprisingly, this lead to a major dislocation in agrarian relations in Uttarakhand.

ArticleType: research-article
Issue Title: Special Number
Full publication date: Nov., 1985
Copyright © 1985 Economic and Political Weekly

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