In Gadchiroli, local communities have invested in building institutions that view them as "rights-holders" rather than "beneficiaries," helping generate local employment, enhance incomes, and conserve forests.

For sacred groves and other ecosystems to thrive, a paradigm shift is needed: one that empowers local communities to manage forest and non-forest ecosystems based on their local environmental context through decentralised governance.

The Niyamgiri Suraksha Samiti and the MSS are demanding the immediate recognition of Community Forest Rights and Individual Forest Rights of tribals to their forests, as mandated under the FRA 2006.

Dec 2022, Mendha (Lekha), a village deep inside the forest area of Gadchiroli, moved the Nagpur bench of the Bombay HC for implementing Gramdan, a historic act born out of a movement by Vinoba Bhave

भारत शायद विश्व के उन चुनिंदा देशों में है जहां जंगल-जमीन की स्वाधीनता और स्वायत्तता के सफल आंदोलनों का इतिहास - अकादमिक अथवा शैक्षणिक संस्थाओं में लगभग हाशिये पर है

Apart from sharing traditional knowledge, the women at these meetings also spread awareness on ownership rights

A 100% of the landowners in the village surrendered their ownership and the whole village land came under gramdan.

"We know for a fact that if our forests are saved, our future generation is safe."

जैवविविधता संवर्धन व शाश्वत विकास या संकल्पनांना सोबत घेऊन आदिवासींच्या उपजीविकेच्या उन्नतीसाठी गौण वनोपजांवर आधारित हा प्रकल्प हाती घेण्यात आला आहे.