Medleri village lies in the semi-arid tract of Rannebennur taluka in Dharwad district. It has a population of about 6,000. Dry, degraded, red, stony soil, remnants of failed tubewells and proliferating Prosopis juliflora indicate a stressed environment. Agricultural yields are low and fodder supply limited.

About two km from Medleri is a 10-ha gomal land -- a traditional pasture -- from where villagers would cut grass. In 1981, the panchayat handed the pasture over to the forest department to raise a forest. Eucalyptus and Acacia were planted. The produce of the plantation belonged to the village as a whole and the poorer sections of the village were assured a share.

However, the mandal panchayat formed in 1987 had other ideas. It decided to auction the plantation in June 1987. The villagers protested and two local youth clubs requested cancellation of the auction. About 60 families, according to the India Development Service workers in Rannebennur, submitted a demand for 898 eucalyptus poles. Due to the protests, the auction was not held.

In April 1988, the mandal panchayat again decided to auction the trees. The villagers, along with a social action group -- Samaj Parivartana Samudaya -- filed an appeal with the zillah parishad to stay the auction, but this was dismissed on technical grounds. A second appeal to the zillah parishad brought a stay order in July 1988.

However, a public interest petition filed by the villagers in the high court was dismissed. In March 1990, the panchayat sold the plantation to a contractor, who was the brother-in-law of the local MLA. Despite the villagers' protests, the trees continued to be cut.