How were the Lives of People Affected?
The section explores the significant impact of colonial forest management policies on local communities, primarily highlighting how these changes disrupted traditional practices. Under colonial rule, the introduction of the Forest Act restricted the use of forest resources, leading to hardships, forced displacement, and the outlawing of essential activities such as cutting wood and hunting. Villages that depended on forests for fuel, food, and medicinal plants experienced increased difficulties after these restrictions, as they were coerced into informal economies, often in conflict with colonial laws. While some benefited from new opportunities in forest product trade, many communities faced poverty, loss of livelihoods, and displacement. The rise in deforestation due to industrialization, agriculture expansion, and railways further exacerbated hardships, driving social tensions and rebellions among the affected populations.