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| September 15, 2009 | In Assam, former militants protect wildlife and promote tourism | | Manas National Park (Assam): Having realised the futility of violence, many individuals who were into poaching or worked as militant cadres, are now saving wildlife and promoting tourism
in Assam, which includes the Manas National Park. Pople of "Uttarkuchi" and adjoining
villages in lower Assam have witnessed the damage caused to nature and wildlife
in the last 20 years by poachers and militants. To safeguard wildlife and nature,
Bijoy Chaudhary, a former cadre of Bodo Liberation Tigers (BLT) insurgent group
started a wildlife conservation society in 2006 at Uttarkuchi called MANAS SOUSI
KHONGKHOR Eco-TOURISM (SOCIETY). With Bijoy's encouragement, several militants
and poachers today have surrendered and come together to conserve wildlife and
promote tourism. "My objective is to bring back the beauty of nature which has
been destroyed. This will attract tourists to the state. Through this the youth
too will be engaged in productive activities," said Bijoy Chaudhary, Chairman
and former Bodo Liberation Tigers cadre. The society presently has around 66 members.
Many of them are former poachers and militants. "Earlier we stayed in the village
and used to poach the animals. But with the help of Bijoy Chaudhary we surrendered
and he helped us get jobs in this NGO. Now we protect the animals and trees of
this forest," said Lohit Boro, a former poacher. "When we catch people inside
the forest our duty is to make them understand what will happen if the forests
are destroyed and why they should be protected. And we also help them understand
the beauty of nature," said Mangal Basumatary, a former poacher. Till date the
society has set up three active camps for wildlife conservation in the area. | |
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