DEHRADUN: Over 2000 women drawn from around 250 villages across Garhwal will be participating in a unique competition which seeks to inculcate ecological awareness among them, and will lead to one of them being crowned the best ‘ghasiyari’ (grass-cutter).The winner will be decided on the basis of a contest in which each participant will be judged on the basis of her speed and skill at grass cutting (which has to be done without harming beneficial plants) followed by an interview in which her awareness about the forest ecosystem will be gauged.The winner will get a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh and a silver crown, while the first runner-up will be awarded Rs 51,000 and a silver crown. The third prize winner will get Rs 21,000 and a silver crown. Shankar Gopalakrishnan , joint convener of the Chetna Andolan , an NGO that works towards ensuring equal rights for the rural poor, which is organising the contest, told TOI, “Ghasiyaris have protected Uttarakhand's forests for hundreds of years and have a deep, intimate understanding of these ecosystems. They have also been at the forefront of every struggle to protect the state and its resources, from the Chipko Andolan to the ongoing struggle against illegal dams and industrial projects. It is their heroism that has protected the mountains and rivers that feed all of north India. Yet, till date they suffer grinding poverty and exploitation. This contest is our way of acknowledging their immense contribution.” Trepan Singh Chauhan , convener of the Chetna Andolan, said that the Centre and state governments continued to “grossly violate the Forest Rights Act, 2006, whose foremost beneficiaries would be the ghasiyaris.” “Through this event, we wanted to give dignity to the women and their labour by keeping a substantial amount as prize which would act as motivation for them.”According to Gopalakrishnan , the preliminary rounds of the competition have already begun in the villages. From December 8 to 18, elimination rounds will be held and eventually, 33 finalists will participate in the final round which will be held at Akhori village in Tehri Garhwal.