A South Asian researcher at Oxford University has helped to create the first ever world map of religious forests revered by millions.

Field studies by Dr Shonil Bhagwat, who has emerged as a global eco-warrior, have also helped to show how some parts of India have one sacred forest for every 741 acres. He has expert knowledge about threatened tree species in the religious forests of Karnataka, home to 'poison arrow' trees (Antiaris toxicari), and some unusual types of fig (Ficus microcarpa) and myrtle (Syzygium zeylanicum).

Dr Bhagwat has taken a particular interest in the Kodagu district of Karnataka where devarakadus, or sacred groves, have been damaged by illegal cutting, grazing and fires. Some of these devarakadus are also home to rare types of macrofungi not found in any other parts of the world.

A graduate of the University of Pune, he obtained his PhD from Oxford before accepting his current job as a Senior Fellow at Oxford's School of Geography and the Environment.

Commenting about his work, Dr Bhagwat said, 'We know so little about these sacred sites and how they should be managed and what biodiversity they hold. There are many different studies. We are trying to bring all the information on to one platform.

'We urgently need to map this vast network of religious forests, sacred sites and other community-conserved areas to understand their role in biodiversity conservation. Such mapping can also allow the custodian communities, who have protected these sites for generations, to secure their legal status.'

Bhagwat and his fellow researchers have calculated that India may have more than 100,000 sacred forests and that some 15 per cent of the world's land is 'sacred land' — much of it forest — with eight per cent of all land owned by a religious community. Examples of sacred sites that are not necessarily forested include Jerusalem's Western Wall, the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca and St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican.

In a jointly authored academic paper published last year, Bhagwat explained how India has the largest number of sacred forests in the world, how many are associated with a god or gods and are typically named after deities. He and co-author Alison Ormsby also documented traditional forest conservation practices, such as the sprinkling of saffron water around a piece of land that needs protection.

'Globally, sacred forests often have associated myths and taboos on the use of specific plants and hunting of certain species of animals within the area,' said the paper, published in Environmental Conservation. 'The traditions can serve a conservation role because some of the sacred forest fragments represent the sole remaining forests and the last remaining locations with potential for conservation of flora and fauna.'

Caste aside?

An Indian couple testifying before an employment tribunal in the British city of Birmingham has revealed a darker side to the age-old connection between South Asia and UK society. But the testimony of Amardeep and Vijay Begraj also reveals how the younger generation of South Asians is ready to stand up and fight for its rights.

In the first ever case of its kind, the Begrajes have alleged that they were discriminated against on caste grounds before they resigned or were dismissed from their jobs. Their former employers, Heer Manak, a group of mostly Indian-origin solicitors based in the city of Coventry, are understood to regard the allegations as outrageous.

Amardeep is the 33-year-old Sikh Jat woman who told the tribunal that her employers tried to discourage her from marrying the love of her life, Vijay, a practice manager at the same company, because he was from a lower caste.

In her testimony, Amardeep is quoted as telling how one of her senior colleagues warned of future difficulties. 'He said I should reconsider the step I was taking of marrying Vijay because he was a different caste. People of Vijay's caste were different creatures. Marriage would be very different from dating.'

Even worse was the reaction on her wedding day when one of her colleagues 'raised a toast to Jat girls going down the drain'. Amardeep resigned from her job earlier this year; Vijay was dismissed last year after working for the solicitors for seven years.

There was worse to come for the couple. After a British newspaper highlighted their case in a story entitled 'Forbidden Love', their car windscreen was smashed. Those responsible for the vandalism seem to have got hold of their identities even though the newspaper article made sure their names were changed for their own protection.
Although Amardeep and Vijay's lives may have been blighted, the publicity given to their case could benefit others suffering in the future from similar alleged discrimination.

'Under current British law, employers are specifically banned from discriminating on grounds of race, sex, religion and sexuality. If Home Secretary Theresa May has her way, caste discrimination could now be added to the list.

Artistic licence…

Truck art has been brought to the attention of a global audience, thanks to the efforts of a Lahore-born artist with an eye for highlighting contemporary social and political issues.

Novin Malik, who graduated from the National College of Art in Lahore, previously focused her efforts on miniature paintings with a contemporary slant, which explored issues of veiling, gender, child abuse and women's rights.
But it was not long before her practised artist's eye picked up an art form unique to Pakistan. This is truck art, so evident on the backs and sides of lorries that thunder along Pakistan's highways, which is often used to highlight current social and political issues.

Whereas Indian lorries may depict a few slogans, such as 'remove poverty' or 'work together for a better future', their Pakistani equivalents have gone several steps further.

Indeed, observing the mish-mash of colours and pictures on Pakistani lorries is like watching a cross-section of life itself. Pictures of men and women at work and play, sporting scenes and visions of Paradise are all carefully depicted. 'The tradition of painting trucks in the Asian subcontinent is a long and colourful one,' says Malik. 'It started out as a way for truck drivers to take reminders of home with them on long journeys, and over the years drivers have used everything from wool, metal, jangling chains, shiny objects and even three dimensional creations to decorate their trucks.

'The art takes the form of paintings, philosophical phrases and poetry and together creates a unique insight into the current issues that affect the “ordinary person”. Through my work I am trying to represent that section of society whose views should matter the most but are listened to least.'

One recent painting shows Barack Obama and David Cameron as surrogate parents to Pakistani President Asif Zardari, who luxuriates in a bath while his countrymen drown around him. Another painting highlights the role of women in the security services by depicting a uniformed Pakistani film actress Anjuma as woman armed with a pistol.

The Arab fall

The Arab Spring that led to the overthrow of Zine Ben Ali in Tunisia and Hosni Mubarak in Egypt has moved on to focus on another victim in the shape of Libya's Colonel Muammar Gaddafi.

Recent rebel military successes, helped by the support of Britain, France and the US, underline the endgame for Gaddafi.

What will be the eventual fate of the mercurial Libyan dictator, who had been in power for nearly 42 years, remains to be seen. Saudi Arabia is among the countries that have offered him exile, but it is another question whether Gaddafi is prepared to take up the offer.

The fate of Gaddafi also highlights the predicament facing another Arab dictator, Bashar al-Assad, who rules further to the East in Syria. Bashar succeeded his father Hafez nearly a decade ago and has been blamed by human rights groups for the recent deaths of some 2,000 people and the detention of another 10,000 who asked him to step down.

Until recently, the US and its allies held back from demanding regime change. But in a change of policy announced mid-August, President Barack Obama declared, 'The fate of Syria must be determined by its people, but President Bashar al-Assad is standing in their way.'

The problem with getting rid of Assad is that it also threatens the future of his minority Alawite sect that has ruled Sunni majority Syria for decades. If Assad goes, no-one can guarantee the safety and stability of the Alawite tribe, an off-shoot of the Shia, who drink wine and believe in reincarnation. Revenge attacks against the Alawites, who were persecuted in the past by the Egyptian Mamelukes and Ottoman Turks, could destabilize Syria for years to come.

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