The Inconvenient Truth, a hard-hitting documentary on global warming, has earned former US vice president Al Gore a special  award from India’s northeast. 

Village headmen of Meghalaya on Saturday conferred Mr Gore the special award for his unrelenting crusade against global warming.  An official of the US consulate in Kolkata accepted the award on behalf of Gore in a Dorbar Ri (People’s Parliament) at Mawphlang.

Indigenous communities are getting increasingly concerned over the impact of climate change on the region’s largely unspoilt nature.

Meghalaya’s three dominant tribes – Khasis, Jaintias and Garos – have been preserving the sacred forest groves across the state since time immemorial. Environmentalists and botanists from around the world visit the state to study these ancient groves, which are revered by all the indigenous tribes.

The grove at Mawphlang is believed to be the most celebrated and a treasure-trove with myriad varieties of plants – some of which are not found anywhere else.

“We wanted to honour Mr Gore for his campaign to make the world more conscious about the dreadful consequences of global warming,” said Robert Kharshiing, MP from Khasi Hills and Chairman of the Grassroots Democracy Advisory Council (GDAC).

The GDAC organised the People’s Parliament on Saturday.

The cloud-kissed state boasts of Cherrapunji and Mawsynram, which vie for the title of the place with the most intensive rainfall. Both are located on the Khasi Hills.

“We are also concerned over global warming, as it could rob us of our rain. Both Cherrapunji and Mawsynram now receive  lesser rain these days,” said Mr Kharshhing.

The People’s Parliament is a non-political forum. Here, descendants of ancient rulers, tribal chieftains and heads of clans and traditional institutions of Meghalaya meet common people to discuss issues related to environment and socio-economic development of indigenous people.