Imlisanen Jamir
We cannot allow disputes within ourselves to ruin one of the most remarkable conservation success stories that Nagaland has seen.
The Amur Falcons brought global attention to the state for all the wrong reasons in the beginning. Images of the birds being hunted in droves spread across media outlets, drawing concern and condemnation from all quarters.
What followed though was an extraordinary show of effort and solidarity from the government, civil society and communities concerned towards protecting the birds.
For the past several years, the Amur Falcon conservation effort has been conducted successfully, with the government displaying a strong will and encouraging participation from the communities concerned. This has led to even more conservation initiatives by villages and areas unaffected by the first Amur Falcon controversy.
However, the recent spate between the Amur Falcon Roosting Area Union (AFRAU) Pangti and the government threatens to derail this remarkable progress.
The point of tussle relates to what the AFRAU says is the non implementation of a project under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme 2016. The AFRAU informed last week that under the scheme, the Amur Falcon Observation Area was supposed to be connected by a road, work order for which was to be issued to a local deserving tender submission. The work was also supposed to be executed before the arrival of the birds this October.
The union alleged that despite a representation for the same to be executed, the concerned department failed to act on the issue, eventually leading to the union’s threat to stop conservation efforts.
It has been more than a week since the APRAU issued its threat, and notwithstanding any back channel deals or commitments made, the government has made no public response.
Conservation efforts are tough enough to succeed on their own without being mitigated by extraneous factors.
The AFRAU cannot be faulted for addressing a concern, which if left unaddressed brings to question the long term commitments of the state in holistically tackling the issue of wildlife conservation. The state needs to realize that participation of indigenous communities in conservation efforts require a reciprocal approach which provides sustainable development and progress to those communities.
At the same time, civil and state organizations need to partner with the AFRAU in making their voices heard, while also ensuring that the stakeholders do not abandon a project which has been immensely successful in protecting the Amur Falcons.
Comments can be sent to imlisanenjamir@gmail.com
