For centuries, Adivasi villages in Surguja have depended on the forests around them. In many ways, they are inseparable. The identity, culture, and everyday life of these communities are deeply connected to these forests. Yet for decades, the very people who protected them had no legal ownership. In the remote forest landscapes of Surguja, this was not just an administrative gap; it was deeply personal.

This began to change when Chaupal Gramin Vikas Prashikshan Evam Shodh Sansthan chose to walk alongside these communities, focusing on strengthening their institutions. What existed in law had to become real in people’s lives, and that took time, patience, and trust. A key step in this journey was supporting 262 Gram Sabhas in Surguja to secure Community Forest Resource (CFR) rights. Today, all 262 have received these rights, covering 88,096.716 hectares of forest land, a clear shiſt from exclusion to ownership.

But rights alone were not enough. The real challenge was to make them meaningful on the ground. Community Forest Resource Management Committees, rooted in the Gram Sabha, became central to this effort. Chaupal continued to support these institutions as they found their footing.

With this support, government funds began reaching villages more effectively. In 231 Gram Sabhas, ₹7,546 per committee helped set up basic systems and open bank accounts, something Chaupal actively facilitated so that no village was leſt behind. In 29 Gram Sabhas, an additional ₹50,000 per committee helped communities begin managing and protecting their forests. These were small but important first steps toward community-led forest governance.

Today, the change is visible. Forests are being protected not out of compulsion, but with a sense of responsibility. Gram Sabhas are meeting, discussing, and making decisions. Villages are relying less on external intermediaries and more on their own institutions. There is a growing confidence and understanding that these forests, and the decisions around them, belong to the people.

This is not a loud transformation, but it is a deep one. Power is slowly shiſting back to the communities, and in that shiſt lies something bigger than forest rights; it is about dignity, identity, and the confidence to shape one’s own future.