While we mourn the death of a forest officer who was trampled by an elephant in Nagarhole Tiger Reserve, we need to understand the risk our forest guardians take each day to protect our forests, wildlife and ecology.
The life of forest guards and watchers is at huge risk each day, each hour, each minute. These unsung heroes of our forests are the ones, like our brave heart soldiers who guard our borders, who walk on beats everyday. They are the nose, ear and eyes of our forest landscape, covering 10 to 12 kilometers on each beat.
A tiger could pounce on. A bear could rip them apart. A tusker could gore and trample them. Yet, they risk their lives to protect our forests and us (we would perish if our wildlife species and forests are decimated).
They are paid frugal salaries. Most of them are temporary staff (petty cash payment/ muster role). Their home is the anti-poaching camp (APC). Their family at most times are the denizens of the forest.
Most times they don’t get salaries on time. They get paid once in two or three months. Most often they borrow at stifling interest rates to ensure that their families are fed and clothed.
Their life is miserable. Yet they put their best foot forward to guard our forests. They soldier on, watchful every step they take.
These courageous forest soldiers should be given the best protection amenities. But they carry guns which malfunction (imagine walking in the core area of a wildlife habitat with broken guns as depicted in the attached image). One gun doesn’t cock. Another comes apart when you cock it.
Last year, an ‘armed’ guard had a narrow escape in Bandipur tiger reserve when an elephant charged him. “I fired in the air to scare it. But the gun failed. Fortunately, I fell in the melee and elephant went over me. I could have been killed. But I was lucky,” said the shaken guard.
This is the common refrain of scores of forest watchers, guards and range forest officers.
They also need to protect themselves and challenge well-equipped poachers. And even when they overcome forest offenders, they are harassed by local leaders who support the accused and even help them foist false atrocity cases against them. All for a few votes.
There has been a lot of discussion over the death of Nagarhole Tiger Reserve director Manikandan. Some argue that he could have been saved had his staff carried a gun. Some lament that protocol had not been followed.
From what we gather, from people who were in the vicinity of the attack, it all happened in a jiffy, in less than 30 seconds.
We have lost an upright senior forest officer. Our heartfelt condolences to his family.
If the Karnataka government truly grieves for Manikandan, it should make it a priority to arm our watchers and guards with functional guns and ammunition. If it doesn’t, we will lose our forest foot soldiers, without whom our forests and wildlife will be vulnerable to decimation and poaching.
The need of the hour is to look after our beleaguered forest watchers. Lift up their morale.
Their salaries are very, very low, for the sacrifice they make, the risk they take.
They are not even provided boots and uniforms.
Worse, they are ill-treated by superior officers.
Some have commited suicide. Though condemned, some don’t quit for fear of being humiliated by their local friends and neighbors.
“If I go back to the village they will think that I have been removed from the job. Just to save that embarrassment, I continue to work here,” said a watcher.
May Manikandan’s soul Rest In Peace.
May the government provide state-of-the-art guns and ammunition to our forest personnel.
May senior officers from the Indian Forest Service cadre take up this issue with the forest minister and chief minister.
May the Karnataka finance secretary be more generous in his dole outs for environment.
Amen.
