BHOPAL:
Two ‘forest watchers’ at Kanha National Park in Mandla district of Madhya Pradesh have been arrested and booked under UAPA for alleged ties with Maoists, triggering unrest among forest staff. Many are seeking transfer for fear of getting caught between Maoists and police.
‘Watchers’ are the ones who patrol the forest on foot, venturing into the deepest, most dangerous parts of the forest that others dare not. “Hamare logon ko tiger se dar nahi lagta saheb, police se lagta hai (We are more scared of police than tigers),” said a forest officer, expressing anguish over the arrest of two forest watchers.
This has not only raised concerns about the infiltration of insurgent sympathizers within state’s wildlife sanctuaries, but left ground-level forest staff shaken.
Ashok Kumar Lal and Santosh Kumar Lal, both 28 and from Mandla district, were arrested during a Maoist encounter on Sunday evening in which an insurgent was killed, said police.
“Both of them were good patrol guards, always vigilant. What are they supposed to do? Maoists threaten to kill their families if they don’t help them and if they do, police arrest them for siding with anti-nationals. Watchers play a very important role in tiger conservation. They are indispensable as they patrol several hectares of dense forest on foot and unarmed,” said the forest officer, requesting not to be named.
Mandla district police say the duo was caught ‘signalling’ information to Maoists on movement of security forces. From atop a hillock, they would whistle in a certain way or strike stones together as per a prearranged code to warn Maoists, say police.
Forest officers maintain the duo was indeed ‘signalling’ to Maoists — but to collect their food and ration. “They were not signalling Maoists about movement of forces. It’s a wrong perception,” said the officer.
“Forest watchers are in a Catch-22 situation, trapped between the threat of Maoists and police action. If they cooperate with Maoists to avoid retaliation, they risk arrest by police. If they refuse, they face violence from insurgents or suspicion from law enforcement,” said another forest officer.
“Registration of cases under serious sections like UAPA against our people without analysing the situation is uncalled for,” he added. Insiders say that other forest watchers and field staff are now reluctant to work.
Though Ashok and Santosh claimed it was their first interaction with Maoists, investigators say they have found handwritten notes and other evidence suggesting a much deeper connection with the insurgents. The two were not passive observers — they provided vital intelligence to Maoists about security force movements and facilitated supply of essential materials, say officers.
Stationed in the heart of Kanha, the forest watchers held a strategic position to aid Maoists, allege police, pointing out that they not only compromised national security and endangered conservation efforts, but also dragged their colleagues under a cloud of suspicion as police now wonder how deeply Maoist sympathizers may have infiltrated sensitive areas.
Kanha, one of India’s most iconic tiger reserves, is a symbol of conservation success. Moist movement has been reported in around 40% of the core area of Kanha, in areas bordering Balaghat. “We are now battling the expanding presence of Maoists within these protected zones. There are a joint camps of forest and police near Mukki in Kanha. Khatia has no such camp,” said a police officer.
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