Sahvaniya, General Secretary of the Tharu Tribal Mahila Mazdoor Kisan Manch and a law student, has championed community rights in Dudhwa National Park for over a decade. As an activist, she fosters awareness on social and environmental justice, drawing from close collaborations with her own Tharu community, to strengthen their claims using the Forest Rights Act, resolve conflicts with the Forest Department, and document their ecological wisdom.

 

Sahvaniya’s work uncovers narratives of sustainable resource management, intergenerational knowledge related to forest conservation, and life-sustaining traditional practices directly challenging colonial models of exclusionary conservation. Her project is systematically recording Tharu traditional knowledge, folklore, and coexistence practices and maps resource use via seasonal calendars to strengthen formal forest management plans; reconnects youth to their ancestral heritage; and builds networks for dialogue with governance bodies. By formalizing this knowledge, the project bolsters management, demonstrates community contributions to conservation, and empowers younger generations. Coexistence is about rebuilding trust, minimizing conflict, and enabling collaborative decision-making where Tharu lives, Forest Department goals, and wildlife thrive.

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