Natural Resources and Customary Institutions: Nomadic People and the Siwalik Forest Commons 1849-1993

Abstract

"It is the aim of this paper to map out the customary institutions of natural resource-use systems which underlie the ecology of the Himalayan region of North West India. These are rules by which the nomadic people bring order into their relationship with others similarly placed, and more important with nature itself. The system is then the core of an 'ethics' whose first principle is one of responsibility to the environment. Hence these customary rules have dual significance - for, on the one hand they are practical measures for survival and on the other they reveal a moral responsibility -- something like the Gandhian concept of 'trusteeship' -- trust being its guiding principle. The dynamics of such a system are set by the rhythm of the seasons and biotic diversity of the region. For the upkeep of this 'natural order', a degree of consensus is required among all the people who derive sustenance from the eco-system. Competition for these resources may well damage the eco-system rather than enhance its efficiency. Therefore a system based on customary usages is at variance with the dictates of competitive equilibrium in a political economy; customary usage rather than entitlement and the rule of majority decide issues of allocation of resources. The State and the voluntary community are thus external to the customary system."