Rhino killings in Assam – Senseless Poaching, Shameless State!

 This article was published in The Sentinel on November 27, 2013.

Mahatma Gandhi once said, “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” Indeed, the flora and fauna have been considered as some of the greatest treasures of a nation.

The Great Asian One–Horned Rhino is an integral part of the Assamese identity, both in the regional and the global context and is an important component of its tourism potential. This gentle animal has been the focus of an entire gamut of activities, be it documentaries, literature or campaigns celebrating its majesty and its importance in the Assamese ethos. However, it has also, unfortunately, become the target of relentless poaching and is mercilessly hunted for its body parts, most of which are coveted for perceived benefits which, in many cases, have no scientific basis.

The rhinos in Assam have been braving poachers, unrelenting human encroachment on its habitat and an indifferent state government for several years now, although conservation attempts have seen an increase in intensity in recent times. But even though a host of new technologies, modern arms and ammunition are being supplied to the forest officials and guards, rhino poaching continues unabated.

According to the 2012 census, Assam has a total population of 2,505 rhinos. 2,186 of these rhinos are in Kaziranga National Park. While the numbers are encouraging, it is a matter of grave concern that a total of 524 rhinos have been killed for their horns between 1986 and 2011.

According to media reports, till November this year, 41 rhinos have been killed for their horns. In 2012 itself over 40 rhinos were killed. In 2011, nine rhinos died, seven in 2010, 14 in 2009, 12 in 2008, 21 in 2007, nine in 2006, 12 in 2005, five in 2004, six in 2003, five in 2002, nine in 2001 and 14 in 2000.

Year	Nos. of Rhino Killed/Died
2013 (till November)	41
2012	40
2011	09
2010	07
2009	14
2008	12

Assam, which is a biodiversity hot spot, has seen regular killings of wild animals due to
improper management by the forest department and immature behaviour of Assam’s forest minister.

Assam lags behind many other states of the country in protecting its wild animals. We have not seen any collective approach, integration or coordination among the forest officials–guards and other allied/concerned departments like Tourism, Police and District Administration etc to protect the fauna of Assam. We, the people, chose the government to implement the laws and regulations properly and to manage the state and its resources in a judicious manner. But it has been noticed that the Government of Assam itself has been ignoring and violating the laws and
regulations of the Constitution of India, even though Article 51A (g) of the Constitution of India provides that “It shall be the duty of every citizen of India to protect and improve the nature environment including forest, lakes, rivers and wildlife and to have compassion for living creatures.”

Fresh incidents of poaching continue even after the state government in 2012 created an elite Assam Forest Protection Force (AFPF) and armed the personnel with automatic weapons like Self Loading Rifles (SLRs) to match the fire power of the poachers, who have been known to switch from the .303 rifles to sophisticated machine guns.

According to media reports, poachers generally use three methods to kill and dehorn
rhinos—pit poaching, electrocution and guns—of which guns are the most favored and most widely used in recent years. Forest guards and officers know everything but they are unable to do anything.

Assam, which has five national parks, 17 wildlife sanctuaries and five elephant reserves, also adopted Sub–section (3) of section 197 of the CrPC 1973 (2 of 1974), which provides immunity to all forest personnel against any criminal procedure in the event of causing death to a person while discharging their duties. But nothing much has been achieved, mainly because inefficient officers are still holding important positions in the department besides Assam’s Forest Minister.

Following amendment of the Wildlife (Protection) (Assam Amendment) Act 2009, for the first time in the country, poaching has now become punishable by imprisonment from seven to ten years in place of the earlier provisions of three to seven years. For a second offence, the quantum of punishment has been extended from ten years to life imprisonment. Poaching has been made a non–bailable offence in the state. But it is a matter of great trepidation that no kind of punishment has been given to the poachers. If forest guards catch a poacher, then he gets jailed for hardly 3–4 months.

The government had also announced that Kaziranga National Park will soon have thermal cameras installed at several locations inside the park to detect any unwanted movements inside the park, including those of the poachers. But in spite of such measures, there has been no abatement in rhino poaching, especially in Kaziranga National Park, which contains the largest number of rhinos in the state. This is in spite of environmentalists and concerned citizens crying themselves hoarse demanding protection of the one–horned rhino in the last few places on earth where it still roams free.

Even World Wildlife Foundation (WWF), which is working extensively with the state government in protecting the rhino population in Assam, has shown serious concerns about the level of commitment of the Assam State Forest Department and the Bodoland Territorial Council in providing protection to rhinos. Gauhati High Court has taken a suo moto case against illegal killing of rhinos vide PIL number 66/12 but the Government of Assam has yet to provide the reply to the Honorable High Court. This itself exposes the inability of the Assam Government and the Forest Minister.

Urgent measures need to be taken to ensure safety of these animals. The Eco Task Force (ETF) Battalions raised to protect the forests in Assam should also involve the local people in and around national parks and wildlife sanctuaries. Assam should emulate some of the greatest conservation stories across the world which involves participation of the local communities in protecting the animals and conserving the bio–diversity.

The public are yet to see any poacher or others involved in illegal trades of animal parts given any exemplary punishment for their crimes under the provision of the Wildlife (Protection) (Assam Amendment) Act 2009. There is also an urgent need to fast track cases related to the Wildlife act so that the accused do not get opportunity to post bail.

Instead of the state government spending crores of tax payers’ money by sending the forest minister and his entourage to foreign countries for seminars and workshops on conservation issues, they can go and visit other states within the country which have won accolades in for their conservation efforts.

The moot question now is—who will take responsibility for the brutal and inhuman killings of rhinos in the state? Will the forest department finally get its act together and do something for these gentle giants? Will they be finally able to fix responsibility for the killings and punish the guilty?

Here I must point out that not only are poachers guilty of mercilessly killing these animals, the forest officials and the minister who sits at the helm of affairs of the department are to be equally blamed.

Forest and environment minister, Rakibul Hussain, who has held this portfolio for two
consecutive terms must answer why rhinos continue to be hunted, often under the very nose of forest officials even though the number of forest guards has increased exponentially and they are now provided with better weapons.

He must also answer for the poor safety measures by his department for protection of the rhinos during the monsoon when these animals stray out of the reserved forests and wild life sanctuaries to escape the floods which inundate major portions of these protected areas. I also question the state government, led by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi over the continued patronage of the forest minister, who has time and again only demonstrated his incapacity in protecting the state animal.

As a concerned citizen, I demand that the state government and the forest department take immediate and effective steps to ensure that the remaining rhinos do not fall prey to poachers’ bullets. They should take special notice of reports of the presence of militants in the poaching business.

To the forest minister, I can only say that he should have resigned from his post a long time ago, owning moral responsibility for the killings, and for his utter failure in discharging the duties of his office.

For the people of Assam, it is my sincere request and prayer to help bring a change so that we can save the last of the rhinos in the world—because if we do not act now, the only time we will probably see the rhino will be in photographs and documentaries, government logos and books.