Quick facts about Tendu Leaves

• The tendu tree (Diospyros melanoxylon) is found widely across central India.
• Leaves plucked from its shrubs are used to wrap bidi, the poor man’s cigarette.
• Gathering tendu is labour-intensive and employs millions of tribals.
• Tendu leaf is the financial lifeline of the tribal people. Many tribals in central India depend of tendu leaf collection for subsistence.
• They collect the leaves as part of their right defined under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006.
• Madhya Pradesh is the biggest Tendu Leaves producing State of India.
• Tendu tree is endemic to Indian sub-continent. It is found in dry deciduous forests throughout India.

Concern:

• GST imposed on tendu leaves, a Minor Forest Produce (MFP), is 18%. The 18 per cent GST is made up of 9 per cent central GST (CGST) and 9 per cent state GST (SGST). Central tax on the leaf was earlier zero.
• Now, as the tax is high, the traders who get the tender from state corporations to collect tendu leaves pay even less to the tribals collecting the leaves.
• The hike in taxation will surely take a toll on the tribals who depend on the leaves for subsistence.

Quick facts

• Minor Forest Produce (MFP) as defined by the Forest Rights Act (FRA) is “all non-timber forest produce of plant origin and includes bamboo, brushwood, stumps, canes, Tusser, cocoon, honey, waxes, Lac, tendu/kendu leaves, medicinal plants and herbs, roots, tuber and the like.” Tribals have the right to procure and sell these products.