The songs and poems our mother composed for us were about trees, forests, and India’s forest civilizations. When officials arrived at the forest, the women held up lighted lanterns although it was broad daylight. And since we all depend on the Earth, Earth Democracy translates into human rights to food and water, to freedom from hunger and thirst. Today, just as in Tagore’s time, we need to turn to nature and the forest for lessons in freedom. The forest is a unity in its diversity, and we are united with nature through our relationship with the forest.