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The Hindu
5 days ago
- General
- The Hindu
In Assam's Goalpara, children give lessons on coexistence with elephants
GUWAHATI Kabita Sutradhar, a Class 4 student of government-run Dorapara Lower Primary School in western Assam's Goalpara district, has a simple solution to reducing human-elephant conflicts (HECs). She says one must first know what the elephant is called in the language or dialect of each community sharing the animal's domain, and then try to understand what these communities think about the elephant and how they read natural signs to anticipate its moves. 'The elephant is called hathi, gaja, and oirabat in Assamese and Bengali, miyong in Bodo, mongma in Garo, midar in Hajong, huti in Rabha, jongli in Mishing, and hadi in the Tiwa language,' she said at an event to mark World Environment Day on June 5. The event was organised by the Centre for Microfinance and Livelihood (CML), an initiative of Tata Trusts, working with 159 primary schools in the Balijana Education Block of the Goalpara district. Some of these schools are on the routes elephants take to migrate or move between rivers and jungles. Many children of these schools are used to HECs in their villages, too. Witnesses to conflicts Kuldeep Das, the CML's coordinator for the district, said Kabita and other students displayed wisdom beyond their age and underscored, without probably realising it, traditional methods of handling a critical situation with a modern outlook. 'Some of these children have been witnesses to conflicts near the schools in our project area, when the elephants come down from the hills yonder during winter when paddy ripens,' he said. Dipanwita Kalita, the mathematics coordinator for the district, said a key component of the project has been to provide primary school libraries with quality books and learning materials to develop foundational literacy and numeracy and reduce dropout. Some of these 'child-friendly' books are on environment and elephants, which the children read aloud during the event. 'Our project involving the local communities goes beyond classroom activities. It focuses on coexistence with elephants and other animals just as diverse communities coexist in the area,' Mr. Das said. Conflict mitigation The focus was also on the elephants in north-central Assam's Udalguri district, where HEC-related crop damage and property loss are serious concerns for local communities. Members of Aaranyak, an Assam-based biodiversity conservation group, distributed high-intensity torchlights to 10 residents of Nunaikhuti village, one of the HEC flashpoints in Assam. 'These torches are intended to improve night-time visibility and help deter elephants, providing a simple yet effective tool for community safety in a HEC situation,' a spokesperson of the group said. The villagers were also taught practical mitigation strategies and the use of HaatiApp, a mobile phone application designed to monitor the movement of wild elephants and respond to conflicts with elephants. According to a 2024 survey by the Assam Forest Department, the State has an estimated 5,828 elephants. A year-old report by Aaranyak said 812 people and more than 300 elephants died because of HEC in about a decade.
United News of India
27-05-2025
- Politics
- United News of India
Apex students' body urges implementation of MHA directives to safeguard indigenous electoral rights
Itanagar, May 27 (UNI) The All Arunachal Pradesh Students' Union (AAPSU) has called for the strict implementation of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) directives to deport illegal Bangladeshi immigrants from the state, aiming to protect the electoral rights of the indigenous people. Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, AAPSU General Secretary Ritum Tali informed that a memorandum on the issue has been submitted to Chief Minister Pema Khandu. 'We have also sought an appointment with the Union Home Minister to raise the matter nationally, particularly regarding the long-standing Chakma-Hajong refugee issue in Arunachal Pradesh, and to demand a final legal resolution,' Tali said. He expressed deep concern over the increasing number of illegal immigrants, particularly from Bangladesh, alleging that many have managed to acquire voting rights and government benefits. Tali claimed that in many assembly constituencies, the indigenous communities are being outnumbered by outsiders, which is now influencing electoral outcomes. 'In recent times, districts such as Namsai, Lohit, and Lower Dibang Valley have witnessed a surge in non-indigenous voters. This trend directly threatens the political representation of indigenous communities and must be addressed through legislative and administrative action,' the AAPSU leader asserted. The apex students' body has urged the state government to issue clear guidelines on the enrollment of non-locals and warned of serious consequences if corrective measures are not implemented. In line with MHA directives, the AAPSU announced the launch of 'Operation Clean Drive', a month-long campaign to identify and report illegal immigrants. 'Peaceful dharnas will be organized across the state with support from district student unions and the general public,' Tali said. The student body also raised concerns over the increasing population of Chakma and Hajong communities in the Diyun area, alleging that their growing economic dominance is marginalizing local populations. 'The state government must implement a structured mechanism for their deportation or area confinement. We demand a time-bound resolution to this long-pending issue,' Tali emphasized. AAPSU further condemned China's repeated attempts to rename places in Arunachal Pradesh, describing it as a blatant infringement on India's sovereignty. UNI TD BD
Hindustan Times
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
SC calls plea on Rohingya abandonment in intl waters beautifully crafted story
The Supreme Court on Friday expressed doubts over a petition alleging that 43 Rohingya refugees, including minors, elderly persons, and some with serious health conditions, were abandoned in international waters during forcible deportation to Myanmar. A bench of justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh declined to pass any interim orders to halt more deportations, saying the petition lacked material evidence to support its 'vague, evasive and sweeping statements.' The court said it would not override a Justice Kant-led three-judge bench's May 8 decision denying similar relief in other matters concerning Rohingya refugees. Justice Kant questioned why similar allegations were being made now and demanded that the petitioners provide evidence to establish 'fanciful' allegations. 'Every day you come with one new story. Very beautifully crafted story. Please show us the material on record. When the country is going through such a difficult time, you bring such fanciful petitions,' the bench said, questioning the credibility of the petitioner's claims. Two Rohingya refugees in Delhi filed the petition alleging members of their community were detained under the pretext of biometric data collection and deported via Port Blair after being blindfolded and restrained aboard naval ships. Senior Advocate Colin Gonsalves, appearing for the petitioners, urged the court to intervene. He told the court that the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Office had taken cognisance of the allegations and initiated an inquiry. 'Time is against us. Please hear this next week. The UN report says they [refugees] were picked up and sent,' he said. The bench said it will not comment on the UN report when sitting in a three-judge composition. Gonsalves offered to place relevant reports and a tape recording allegedly from 'Myanmar shores' on record. The court said nothing barred a lawyer from placing such material on record, but added one must keep in mind that 'foreign reports can not override Indian sovereignty.' The court distinguished the matter from the 1996 case of National Human Rights Commission of India vs Arunachal Pradesh, in which the Supreme Court addressed the plight of Chakma and Hajong tribals and protected them from forcible evictions. It cited the 1996 case and said the Union government had said on record it was considering granting the tribals Indian citizenship. The court said that in the present case, there existed 'a serious dispute' on whether Rohingyas were refugees or not. It tagged the present petition with other pending cases on Rohingya deportation and posted it for hearing on July 31. Over 700,000 Rohingya Muslims were forced to flee Myanmar, mostly to Bangladesh, in 2017 to escape a military campaign, which the UN characterised as a genocide.
