Correct Option
The correct option is 1 and 3 only.
Explanation
Conservation strategies in India have evolved to include significant community participation. This approach recognizes that local communities often have traditional bonds with nature and can play a pivotal role in protecting wildlife and forests through legal activism, cultural practices, and cooperative management schemes.
Statement-wise Analysis
- Statement 1 is Correct: In the Sariska Tiger Reserve (Rajasthan), villagers have actively fought against mining activities in the area. They have cited the provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act to oppose mining, demonstrating how local communities use legal frameworks to protect habitats.
- Statement 2 is Incorrect: The Bishnoi community of Rajasthan is historically and culturally renowned for its strict protection of nature. They do not hunt blackbuck and nilgai; on the contrary, they hold these animals in high reverence and aggressively protect them from poachers and hunters. The community is famous for the Chipko movement and their devotion to conserving flora and fauna.
- Statement 3 is Correct: The Joint Forest Management (JFM) programme is a partnership between the state forest departments and local communities. Its success depends entirely on the formation of local (village) institutions that undertake protection activities mostly on degraded forest land. In return, the members of these communities are entitled to intermediary benefits like non-timber forest produces.
Key Takeaway
Community conservation takes various forms in India, ranging from the cultural protection of species (e.g., Bishnois) and legal activism (e.g., Sariska) to formal state-community partnerships like the Joint Forest Management (JFM) programme.