MGNREGA is a better option than Poaching-- from an ex poacher.

[Shivaji.Dasgupta]

Yesterday I was with few of my friends for a trip to a near by check Dam (Made on a small Hill water channel) . We were in search of freshly netted fish from the Dams. A MGNREGA work was going on to construct a road on the side of the Dam as well to increase the height of the Dam with the Surplus debris. I saw an old Fellow nick named "hapon" ( can't disclose his Actual name), I meet him after a long time and in our teens he used to be a lad of around 30 yrs. A renowned poacher and very well versed with the territory of not only our state but Orissa and CG as well.

just surprised to see him as a MGNREGA worker, asked him jokingly that now you are enough " Buddha" to lure a DOE or a SOW leave aside a deer or Bear for a kill.

His Blunt reply was babu neither I am that old to take a kill shot nor the Games are scarce if you know the place to look for them, its the System which force me to leave our ancestors profession ( He is actually from a hunter tribe i.e Kharia ).

A deer skin with Horns intact will fetch me 15 to 18 K, meat and other parts will for another 2k , for a leopard skin is 25 K and Tooth and claws bone a and meat for another 8 to 10k. almost same for a black bear ( elephant and tiger is considered as a big game and risk of alarming the authorities are more so tribal poachers rarely touch them)

now the forest guards will take at least 10K and police will take another 10/12 k. I will hardly get 8 to 10 k to survive with. MGNREGA and BPL ration is much more better option at least I can have minimum food and money to survive.
( His last words were babu our next generation will born and die as Majdoors or BPL ration candidate, they will never know what is a free living of a jungle dweller)

Regards

[SMJ]

Another very interesting share...thanks man[emoji106]

Mans greed has obviously brought us to this stage- I have also learnt that the word poacher is pretty broad- ones who mass slaughter for commercial gains and one who kill for their needs and know the importance of balance in nature- sadly both clubbed in the same category!



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[peacelover]

Forests and animals are very important for life on this planet,If we want to see our children happy and healthy then we should contribute something for saving forests and animals.
Poachers should be given beter jobs from government...Govt should also do something for hunters who like it as a sport,so that they dont poach illigally.....I dont know how practical this is though...At least they should be allowed to hunt domestic goats on their properties......

[arni_genius]

There was an article in The Hindu, where forest rangers in Kaziranga are given free hand to shoot and kill poachers. One ranger admitted to killing about 15 people in 2 years. There have also been reports that a number of local villagers had lost their way in the dark in the forest and never returned to their villages. The question that was raised was
1. How did the rangers identify that they were poachers in the dark? (the rangers say they track people, before shooting)
2. Is it not extra-judicial killing if not shooting in self defence?
Such 'encounter' mentality will create further problems. Rangers have been given new rifles and their quota of ammo was also increased. This I believe is a short-cut way of trying to deal with the problem. Now with increased risks, the poached animals will fetch higher prices in the black market. This may incentivise poachers in the long run. Plus the poachers are good investigation leads to unearthing the whole network. I believe we need more work and patience in such matters. Instead of more ammo and guns, we need more rangers/beat officers/drones (with night/thermal vision systems)

Regards,
Arnab

Added in 18 minutes 34 seconds:
In fact it is best to make these poachers as turncoats. They know the ways of the trade

[Shivaji.Dasgupta]

There are few things Which the news agencies never mention.. They Publish the stories as per their benefit. In reality its not that simple. Villagers always claim that wild animals destroyed their crops, Rangers shot at them without any reason. Lots a Compensation Claims are piled in Forest dept. filled by near by Villagers. Actually the original poachers never lived in near by villages. they only hire trackers from the villages to reach to their target and Many times Rangers also forced to take hard steps. actually there are few things which never come in light..

1. If there is any village in or near the core area of any reserve forest it it is usually resettled at some other location just to avoid Human /animal conflict. Right now very few forest have villages in their core area.

2. Rangers also avoid killing a poacher as the retaliation on them would be heavy. Rangers are not police or Armed forces that they are mostly lived in a secured or urban area. In vast wilderness they are more vulnerable than Wild animals.

3. If a villager is going through a reserved forest at or any sort of forest after sunset then be sure there is something unusual. I am saying this because I spent a lot of time with Jungle dwellers and they never venture in forest ( in Single or Groups) after dark. They are very superstitious in this matter.

4. If a Ranger is Killing a poacher then there must be some Solid Ground ( Kaziranga may be a separate story as they were issued With SLR and Other Weapons). Its a rare chance that a Jungle Dweller lost his way and go in Dense area even if its Dark. They know the Jungle better than the animals.

5. differ from other countries Indian Poachers rarely use guns b.coz a gun shot can be heard from a long distance. Traps, Poisoned meet or food, A poison arrow or Poisoned Spear. Specially in summer poisoning the small water holes, Dug holes with spikes are the usual tactics used here. Poachers need to be silent and fast. They are so good with Bow and Arrows that I saw one of them shot down a Jack rabbit from almost 40 yrds in just blink of an eye. they are almost invisible with the surroundings armed with Bow and arrows, edged weapons, country made Guns etc.

they move in two types of formations like one Tracker who is very well versed with the jungle. two or three shooters and one person experienced with skinning and removing the body parts of the animals as fast as possible. Second one is one man army style. the second is more Dangerous. they are actually Tracker/shooter/ Skinner etc... etc ... jellied in one person. hard to track or trace them.

so if a ranger get a chance to trace one then they do the best thing i.e Eliminating that threat from root. If he failed to do that then it may cost some animal life or his own.

the other side of the picture is more Tragic. the Villagers and the poachers are from so poor background that they don't have anything to loose except their life. If they succeed then they will get ration for at least 6 months if they not then jail or Lose of life in Encounters. and simply they are optimistic .......

its a never ending story.. poaching/logging/stone crushing/Sand lifting from Forest water channels are curse which we urban people dumped on forest people to live with and Die...
Earlier the Forest people consider jungle as their soul but now its a Source or earning or in a more Hi Tech word Its a Profession.

[arni_genius]

But sir....all said and totally agreed to,
I would still beg to differ. Because poaching is a crime by law. Wildlife Protection Act. The fate of a criminal's life can only be decided by a judge. How can rangers become the arbiter of a man's fate. The best by law he can do is to incapacitate him (shoot below waist at least). Rangers also don't come under martial laws sir.

Added in 2 minutes 30 seconds:
They do not have that discretion given to armed forces.....that's what I meant sir

Added in 6 minutes 18 seconds:
I have seen most of your photos in IFG on nature. I know you have experienced the jungle and appreciate it more than I have or do I am only speaking from a legal perspective.

Added in 2 minutes 25 seconds:
And I am a beer down with some ahem from Shillong Happy holi Shivaji-da

[Shivaji.Dasgupta]

happy holi to you Bro.
there is one more thing written in our law, You can Shot or even kill a person in act of saving urself.
In jungle both sides follow this religiously. only thing the Rangers/forest guards have a legal cover up to some extent, which poachers are lacking.
Was in Shillong twice for short trip, Some of my Friends are still there.