Devaji Tofa, who was born on 20 August 1956, suffered for the ills that plagued tribal society, and that shaped his determination to work for the betterment of his people. Like many tribal men of his times, his father, too, brewed liquor and consumed it in large amounts. Devaji had an elder brother who was a daily-wage labourer too. He died of alcoholism. As Mendha did not have a school, Devaji studied in one at a village close by that had only up to Class IV. After that, like other boys of the village, Devaji grazed cattle and worked for daily wages. Right from childhood, Devaji took a keen interest in his surroundings. Having seen and suffered for the ill effects of alcoholism among his village and family, he kept away from the bottle. When he was growing up, two things that were extensively discussed in his community were the need for prohibition, and forest rights. From the age of sixteen, he began to take part in these discussions. ‘I realized that we will have to search for solutions on our own and no government body or organization could get us what we wanted,’ remembers Devaji, who now speaks with a smattering of English words. The arbitrariness of forest officials was always a cause for worry among forest dwellers, who depended upon the jungles for their livelihood and sustenance. There were always discussions about forest rights.