Abstract
Due to deforestation, there is a growing trend in India, that the Government has started planting eucalyptus and other varieties of trees under the afforestaion programme for their commercial value. This has caused the disappearance of traditional forest trees and has triggered the change of the total eco-system of the forest in the eastern part of India. As leaf plates and bowls are made from the leaves of sal trees, the use of these plates and bowls can draw the attention of the Government towards the importance and economic value of the sal trees. This can definitely encourage the Government and the forest officials to plant more sal trees than eucalyptus trees, if the former are now regarded as “commercial plants”. Such practice can directly help indigenous people to sustain their livelihood, preserve the traditional craft and prevent the deforestation in this region as well.
Highlights
In India, it is a well-known fact that the forest dwelling scheduled tribes are residing on their ancestral lands from times immemorial
We need to rejuvenate this practice as these materials are very eco-friendly, easy to use, a great piece of art to the urban people and most importantly it can be a crucial source of subsistence for the tribal economy
From the above discussion, it can be mentioned that the contribution of unique knowledge of sal leaf plates and bowls making is a very important income source among the indigenous people
Summary
In India, NTFPs collection, processing and sale is a major livelihood for the people especially the tribals living in and around the forests. Out of all NTFPs, Sal (scientific name Shorea Robusta) leave is one of the most important NTFPs collected and processed. Sal is so important for tribals that there is a custom of worshiping Sal tree among the indigenous communities in India. The leaves of sal tree are used as plates for eating food. The indigenous people collect these sal leave and stitch them into plates and cups. In India there are many sal leaf plate and cup making clusters mainly in the states of Bengal, Orissa and Jarkhand. Sal leaf plates and bowls are mainly used to serve food in temples, hotels and marriage and other ceremonies. The demand for sal leaf plates and bowls is increasing in India but in other countries as these are eco-friendly
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