Kaziranga National Park | SabrangIndia

In the Name of Conservation, Militarization & HR Violations in Kaziranga: NAPM

Fri, 23 Jun 2017 07:31:49 +0000

The Govt. of India & Assam must End Impunity: Ensure rights of scheduled tribes, forest, park dwellers and safeguard environment-wildlife with an objective & holistic conservation policy

Serious investigations, related to gross hand rights Violations I the Kaziranga National Park (KNP) have come to light: 57 cases of extra-judicial killings over the last three years, as against 106 since 1996 alone The recent deaths include 27 in 2014, 23 in 2015 and 7 in 2016. In the killings, not a single forest staffer has list his/her life in "encounters" since 1985.

This has been brought out recently by the National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), an apex body of a large number of people's organisations across India. The NAPM in details sent to Sabrangindia , has alleged that these facts raise “some crucial questions about the official claims that all the killings are of poachers in cross-fire.”

The NAPM has also pointed out that local activists protesting this repression, villagers and activists like Akhil Gogoi, associated with the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) are sought to be suppressed by governments and the administration, in and around Kaziranga.

Recently , The issue once again came to spotlight with the Govts ban on BBCs documentary Killing for Conservation which has exposed the shoot-at-sight policy of KNP and the grim situation of the locals being threatened, harassed, tortured and even killed by the Forest Dept, using conservation a shield. The documentary has graphically portrayed the serious issues faced by communities living at the periphery of KNP by the Forest Dept. in the name of conservation.

The Impunity which shields government officials and the administration is stark.

The repression on the KNPs forest dwellers as well as in its arbitrary ban on BBCs film, threat of blacklisting the media group and revoking its filming permission across the country!

Pointing that the killings are being carried out in what is being termed as ‘good faith’, citing Section 197 of CrPC, NAPM adds, this is the direct result of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), which is applicable in the North-Eastern states, allowing “blanket immunity” to “shield for fake encounters, rapes and torture” of scheduled tribes and other forest dwellers of Kaziranga.

NAPM's strong reaction comes amidst a sharp upturn in the struggle against the allegedly repressive attitude of the forest department of Assam and “silence” of the Government of India in the garb of conservation.

Activists like Pranab Doley, Soneswer Narah and others of the Jeepal Krishak Shramik Sangha Akhil Gogoi, associated with the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti and face “continuous threats, trumped-up charges, hand-cuffing and arrests”, because they have been highlighting the “immunity” of the forest department in dealing with the local people.

The forest departments own Report of 2014, while hundreds of alleged poachers have been shot dead in encounters over the years, not a single forest staffer has been killed in an encounter between 1985 and June, 2014.

This record over 3 decades raises some crucial questions about the official claims that all the killings are of poachers in cross-fire!

The NAPM states that " there is enough reason to suspect periodic abuse of the Order dt. 14/7/2010 issued by the Govt. of Assam according legal immunity to all the forest guards of Kaziranga using Firearms, in addition to the existing immunity from judicial proceedings they enjoy for actions done in good faith under Sec 197 of CrPC. India has been witnessing the abuse of draconian legislations like AFPSA for decades in Kashmir, Manipur and other North-East states, where legal immunity is used a shield for fake encounters, rapes and torture." Besides, they add, " We fear for the well-being of the scheduled tribes and other forest dwellers of Kaziranga in the light of such provisions, granting blanket immunity to forest authorities."

Across the country, whether in Niyamgiri, Narmada, Nilgiris or elsewhere scheduled tribes and other forest dwellers are always forcefully made to pay the price for development, many times with their livelihood (displacement) and at times even with their life.

Hence, People’s movements are compelled to ask, if "the Governments of Assam and India, if what the State is doing at KNP is indeed Conservation or Militarization."

The NAPM endorses the key demands of the local people including immediate review of the 33 Highlands Project in the KNP core zone, disclosure of the Environment and Forest Clearance, Environment Impact Assessment Report and allied documents in relation to the Highlands Project within KNP, implementation of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 as well as the LARR Act, 2013; complete reservation to the inhabitants of KNP and its periphery and reservation for ST(P), OBC, MOBC as per government guidelines; regularization of all the casual employees in KNP, immediate release of compensation for loss of life or property during the 2016 floods, a loan waiver for affected farmers, permanent jobs to family members of victims who have lost their life to wild animal attack or innocent victims who have suffered at the hands

The NAPM had also demanded the withdrawal of false cases, end to all forms of threat, arbitrary arrests and a dialogue with the peoples organizations in the area to address the concerns of scheduled tribes, forest ad park dwellers, and involve them in the conservation efforts.

The Govt. must ensure that there are no evictions, without lawful rehabilitation. We also call upon the State Govt. to institute an independent inquiry into all the killings by forest guards and adequate compensation for survivors / family members of state violence. Govt. of India must revoke its ban on BBCs documentary and abstain from issuing any form of threat to media or other public organization that report the ground realities.

The post In the Name of Conservation, Militarization & HR Violations in Kaziranga: NAPM appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Centre threatens to blacklist BBC correspondent for film on anti-poaching policy in Kaziranga

Wed, 15 Feb 2017 06:28:33 +0000

The documentary, Killing for Conservation, shows that rangers are allowed to shoot people.

The Environment Ministry has recommended that the British Broadcasting Corporation’s South Asia correspondent be blacklisted for filming a documentary that highlights the government’s aggressive policy in Kaziranga National Park to protect rhinos from poachers. “They [BBC] have misrepresented facts and selectively over-dramatised interviews and old footage. They had a different agenda fuelled by certain foreign NGOs and local elements opposed to conservation. We are exploring all options including legal steps,” park director Satyendra Singh told The Indian Express.

Correspondent Justin Rowlatt’s documentary, Killing for Conservation, shows that rangers are allowed to shoot people. According to Rowlatt, this shoot-at-sight policy has led to the killing of 23 people by forest guards, while 17 rhinos have been poached at the park in the past one year.

The National Tiger Conservation Authority issued a notice on Tuesday against airing the programme without getting approval from the Ministries of Environment and External Affairs. The documentary was aired on February 11.

In the notice, the NTCA has threatened to cancel all future permits to BBC if the programme is not removed from various online portals with immediate effect. “The immunity provided to forest officials under Section 197 of the CrPC has been construed as a ‘Shoot to Kill’ policy,” read the notice. It added that Rowlatt had changed the storyline. The NTCA has also requested the Indian High Commission in United Kingdom to initiate action, reported Mail Today.

A BBC spokesperson defended the documentary, saying that it is expected to present a “full picture”. He told The Indian Express, “The issues raised in the film are part of an important international debate on the appropriate way to combat poaching. We did approach the relevant government authorities to make sure their position was fully reflected but they declined to take part.”

The Kaziranga National Park houses around 2,400 one-horned rhinos, or two-thirds of the world’s population of the rare animal. The park is a world heritage site and considered the most prestigious wildlife reserve in India.

Courtesy: Scroll.in

The post Centre threatens to blacklist BBC correspondent for film on anti-poaching policy in Kaziranga appeared first on SabrangIndia.

काजीरंगा से किसानों को बेदखल करने की कोशिश फायरिंग में दो महिलाओं की मौत, दस घायल

Wed, 21 Sep 2016 11:23:17 +0000

इस महीने 19 तारीख को असम का नगांव जिला प्रशासन काजीरंगा नेशनल पार्क के नजदीक बंदरडुबी के सैकड़ों किसान परिवारों को उनकी जगह से बेदखल करने जा पहुंचा।

Assam protest (Representational Image) DNA

पिछले साल गुवाहाटी कोर्ट ने इन लोगों से यह जमीन खाली कराने आदेश दिया था ताकि काजीरंगा नेशनल पार्क को और बड़ा किया जा सके। हाईकोर्ट ने कहा था कि जमीन खाली कराने से पहले इसके लिए जरूरी कानूनी प्रक्रियाएं पूरी की जाएं। इसके बाद ही जमीन खाली कराने का कदम उठाया जाए। किसान परिवार 1980 से ही यहां बसे हुए हैं और उन्हें इन जमीनों का पट्टा भी दिया गया है।

इस साल हुए असम चुनाव के प्रचार में भाजपा ने बड़े जोर-शोर से यह कहा था कि सरकार में आने पर वह इन परिवारों को यहां से हटा देगी ताकि काजीरंगा नेशनल पार्क को बचाया जा सके।

पिछले कुछ दिनों के दौरान असम की बीजेपी सरकार ने लोगों को जमीन से बेदखल करने की अपनी कवायद शुरू कर दी है। कुछ दिन पहले असम के वित्त मंत्री हेमंत विस्वसर्मा ने इलाके के किसान परिवारों को इकट्ठा कर कहा कि उन्हें पहले जमीन छोड़नी होगी इसके बाद ही मुआवजा देने पर विचार किया जाएगा। लेकिन जब किसान परिवारों ने कहा कि बगैर मुआवजा लिये वे यहां से नहीं हटेंगे तो सरकार ने कहर ढाना शुरू कर दिया।

चंद दिनों पहले केएमएसएस ( किसान मुक्ति संघर्ष समिति) ने एक प्रेस कांफ्रेंस कर किसानों को मुआवजा देने और उनक हक के मुद्दों को सुलझाने की मांग की थी। संगठन ने किसानों की जीविका के सवाल को सांप्रदायिक रंग देने से बाज आने की भी अपील की थी। लेकिन 19 सितंबर की सुबह असम पुलिस और सीआरपीएफ के 1000 जवान जेसीबी और हाथियों के साथ इलाके में पहुंच गए और किसानों के घरों को जलाना शुरू कर दिया। जब किसान परिवारों ने इसका विरोध किया तो पुलिस ने उन पर गोलियां चला दीं। इस फायरिंग में दो महिललाओं के घटनास्थल पर ही मारे जाने की खबर है। दस लोग गंभीर रूप से घायल हो गए हैं।

इसके बाद भी पुलिस नहीं रुकी और किसानों के घरों को जलाती रही। इससे किसानों की संपत्ति को भारी नुकसान हुआ। किसानों की संपत्तियों को हाथियों से कुचलवा दिया गया।

(कृषक मुक्ति संग्राम समिति, असम (केएमएसएस) के अध्यक्ष अखिल गोगोई की ओर भेजी गई रिपोर्ट पर आधारित)

The post काजीरंगा से किसानों को बेदखल करने की कोशिश फायरिंग में दो महिलाओं की मौत, दस घायल appeared first on SabrangIndia.

2 Women Shot Dead in Forceful Eviction of Kaziranga National Park

Mon, 19 Sep 2016 07:15:28 +0000

Assam Police Burns Downs Homes, State Government Does not Follow Due Process

Assam protest (Representational Image) DNA

On the early morning of September 19, the district administration of Nagaon in Assam arrived in Bandardubi area near the Kaziranga National Park to evict several hundreds of peasant families.In 2015 the Gauhati High Court pronounced a judgement to evict people from the land to enable proposed additions of the Kaziranga National Park. The high court had ordered that due process of law must be completed before eviction could be carried out. The peasant families were settled here by the AGP government in 1980s, and land leases had been even given to them. During the recent, high-pitched election campaign, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) BJP had stated that it would evict these families to ‘save’ Kaziranga National Park.

Over the past few days, the Assam government had begun preparation for eviction. A few days ago, the Assam finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told the gathering of the peasant families that they must leave and the government would address the issue of compensation only after the eviction. When the families refused to accept the promise of the government and demanded that compensation be given beforehand, the government appears to have given orders for its high handed actions.

The KMSS had a press conference yesterday and demanded that the government must give compensation first, settle the rights of the farmers first. There was also a demand not to communalise the question of the livelihood the peasant families. Early in the morning of September 19, more than 1000 personnel from the Assam Police, CRPF elephants, JCB arrived there and have started burning the houses. When the peasant families started resisting, the police has even fired at them, it is reported leading to the death of 2 women on the spot and leaving more than 10 people severely injured.

Even as this report is being written, the police have burned down large numbers of houses or the property has been trampled down with the help of elephants.

(Based on a report sent in by Akhil Gogoi, President of the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti, KMSS, Assam)

The post 2 Women Shot Dead in Forceful Eviction of Kaziranga National Park appeared first on SabrangIndia.