India's rhino protectors are challenging views of conservation works
The BBC feature shows park rangers who have been given the license to “shoot-on-sight”, a power they have used with deadly effect. In 2015 more than 20 poachers were killed – more than the numbers of
rhino poached that year.
The programme accuses the rangers of extra-judicial killings of suspected
rhino poachers. This resonates with a wider trend in the use of violence in defence of the world’s protected areas and the growing use of
military surveillance technologies to support the efforts of conservation agencies.
In India, the Forest Department, which is responsible for the protection of
wildlife sanctuaries and
national parks, has always been a “uniformed” service. Rangers wear military-style khakis, are allowed to carry arms, and have powers to prosecute offenders. Recently, the government allowed them to use
drones as an anti-poaching measure in Kaziranga.
To justify such escalation and its talk of a “war” against poaching, the government cites the growing power and sophistication of the crime syndicates involved in the illegal
wildlife trade. However, as with all wars, a serious conflict over rhinos risks collateral damage. The worry is that increased militarisation is not conducted within strict legal limits or subject to judicial scrutiny. The BBC alleges that such checks and balances were not in place in Kaziranga.
But actually in the cover of forest conservation and anti poaching campaign India is killing civilians who are in a constant struggle to get freedom from India. In forest conservation program the sects being targeted are the Naga People of India these ethnic groups want independence from India and have set up their freedom fighting groups.
United Liberation Front of Assam, Nagalim and Tripura are the groups being targeted by the Indian Gov and India seems to be on the path of slow ethnic cleansing of the Naga people of India.
