Title: Alok Shukla: The Activist Fighting to Protect India’s Hasdeo Forests
Deep in the heart of India, activist Alok Shukla stands resolute, leading a decade-long grassroots campaign to protect the Hasdeo forests from being turned into coal mines. Shukla’s efforts were rewarded in 2021 when the government established an elephant reserve in a 445,000-acre swath of the threatened Hasdeo Aranya forest, an area bigger than London. However, the fight is far from over, as large stretches of the forest remain earmarked for coal projects.
Shukla’s campaign has been marked by a combination of protest marches, pressure on lawmakers, and court cases. Through his work, he has rallied support from thousands living in the forest’s isolated tribal communities to battle the mining giants. The activist’s efforts led to the closure of 17 proposed mining sites, but six others remain, including one run by the Adani Group, which is already operational and plans an expansion.
The Hasdeo forest is estimated to sit atop an estimated five billion tons of underground coal, eagerly sought by conglomerates such as that owned by tycoon Gautam Adani, who has branched into ambitious green energy projects but built his fortune on meeting India’s voracious appetite for coal.
Shukla and the Hasdeo forest’s inhabitants have maintained a sit-in protest for the past two years at the village of Hariharpur, set to be swallowed up if the expansion proceeds. The campaign “isn’t just a struggle to save the forests or environment but an effort to question the prevalent view around economic development,” Shukla said.
India is the world’s third-biggest emitter of greenhouse gases but has committed to achieving a net-zero emissions economy by 2070. For now, it is overwhelmingly reliant on coal for power generation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government says the fossil fuel remains central to meeting India’s rising energy needs and lifting millions out of poverty.
Shukla’s work has been recognized with the prestigious Goldman Prize, awarded to campaigners for “sustained and significant” efforts to protect the environment. However, the fight to protect the Hasdeo forest from the encroachment of mining companies is far from over. Shukla and his fellow activists remain determined to protect the forest and the way of life of those who call it home.
