The Sundarbans, a unique ecosystem, harbors communities where matriarchal belief systems thrive, led by deities like Bonodebi, Bonobibi, and Bishalakshmi. In this tiger-infested jungle and crocodile-laden waters, daily survival is deeply rooted in mother goddess worship.

Despite this, a Sundarbans paradox exists: women’s access to the jungle is significantly limited compared to men. This is due to various factors; many jungle activities are physically demanding and risky for women. However, through firsthand accounts, it’s clear that the reality of tigers profoundly impacts Sundarbans women, albeit in distinct ways.

This article, an extension of previous discussions on tigers and human psychology, focuses on “Tigers and Women of the Tidal Forest.” It explores the courage, perspectives, and unique bond that Sundarbans women share with tigers and their jungle environment.

Sundarbans Women: Diverse Jungle Perspectives

Jungle work in the Sundarbans varies by resource: fish, crabs, honey, timber. Women’s involvement in most fishing methods is minimal. High-risk, prolonged tasks like honey collection or timber work have traditionally excluded women. Crab fishing, however, is a notable exception with significant female participation.

Here are the jungle perspectives of Sundarbans women categorized by their engagement level:

1. Village Homemakers: The Psychological Impact of Tigers
These Sundarbans women, often living near the tiger jungle, rarely encounter tigers directly, even if family members do. While sharing other forest stories, direct tiger encounters are often avoided. For them, the tiger’s ferocity is primarily psychological. Most have not seen a wild tiger and prefer not to. Yet, they universally acknowledge the tiger’s crucial ecological role in the Sundarbans. Their traditional animosity towards tigers has significantly decreased.

Amidst evolving village life, these women diligently maintain traditional rituals and prayers for family members engaged in jungle work. They manage local shrines and temples. Their direct tiger experiences include hearing tiger roars at night near villages, or rare glimpses of tigers that previously entered homes or gardens. They also view rescued tigers, helping them align mental images with reality. Observing tigers near net barriers, hearing nightly roars, or witnessing boats return from tiger encounters at the ghat further shapes their understanding. Many have seen sudden tiger appearances or fresh paw prints while fishing or gathering leaves. As men increasingly seek migrant work, many women now favor reduced jungle engagement, demonstrating successful conservation awareness.

2. Occasional Forest Workers: Partial Jungle Engagement
These women have an intermediate involvement with the jungle. They often hold other village jobs and join jungle expeditions with family or neighbors. Their participation involves daily fishing and crabbing from boats, without disembarking into dense forest. They have less direct tiger experience, focusing on boat-based fishing or using “don” (a type of trap) for crabs. In crabbing, they assist in setting/retrieving “donuri” or “don” from boats, or collecting/processing crabs with “jalti” (net). They frequently become privy to direct tiger encounters and other jungle experiences, similar to full-time workers. Numerous tiger-human conflict case studies show that many such women have direct, often dangerous, experiences.

3. Full-Time Jungle Dwellers: Resilient Women of the Sundarbans Forest
These women display courage and determination equal to men. Lighter builds are advantageous for navigating dense mangroves, explaining higher female participation in specific crab-catching methods. Historically, many women joined groups for bagda (tiger prawn) fry collection, experiencing conflicts with tigers, crocodiles, and “kamot” (a biting fish). Women’s participation in crabbing has since increased significantly. Highly risky “thopa” (trap) work, involving daily direct and indirect tiger encounters, presents similar dangers. Beyond “thopa,” women’s involvement in “don,” net, “beri” (another trap), or digging for crabs is notably high.

Beyond authorized daily “pashi” (licensed) boat work, many women engage in unauthorized jungle activities. In “bepashi” (unlicensed) work, besides tigers, “foresters” pose another threat. To evade patrol boats, they enter canals, hide deep in the jungle during low tide, or navigate narrow waterways for “don” work, often bringing them very close to tigers. Some women also participate equally in multi-day “pashi” boat expeditions, staying overnight in the jungle. In these groups, reactions to tigers are strikingly similar between men and women, demonstrating that full-time women jungle dwellers possess comparable courage, fear, preparedness, and risk-taking.

Evolving Traditions & Conservation in Sundarbans

Historically, women’s jungle entry and work were not permitted by traditional beliefs. Socially, their participation in timber, honey, or “khalpata” (leaf collection) was unrecognized. Thus, despite a matriarchal social structure and devotion to mother goddesses, restrictions on women’s involvement in jungle-dependent livelihoods persisted.

Jungle life is delicate; rules were established for men and women to maintain restraint, given inherent dangers and physical demands. Concerns about exertion, menstruation, and women’s vulnerability in danger were considered valid. However, these perceptions have gradually relaxed, leading to increased women’s presence in the forest, initially through simpler activities like net fishing along rivers.

My extensive experience across the Sundarbans, encountering “Babule” or “Gunin” (shamans/medicine men), indicates that even experienced mantra experts often favor retaining old rules for jungle work. Most skilled, middle-aged fishermen and “Baules” (traditional collectors) overwhelmingly prefer all-male groups. Notably, the forest department also exclusively employs men for field duties in core “Tigerland.” Conversely, in tourism or remote, less-equipped areas, women’s participation in jungle-related work is more accepted. Across the tiger jungle interface, social approval for women’s jungle involvement is more liberal. Lastly, in socio-economically disadvantaged communities, these rules are more relaxed; in more advanced sections, female participation is traditionally lower and continues to decline.