Rhino Poaching In Assam Is A Major Problem And The Assamese Youth Want A Government That Will End It

A day after the British Royal Couple - the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge - visited the Kaziranga National Park (KNP) recently, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a rhino was killed by poachers to take the total number of poached rhinos to seven so far this year. While the Congress-led Tarun Gogoi government was quick to order an inquiry committee, it was more of the customary hogwash when seen in the milieu of the heated political argument that went around rhino poaching during the recently held assembly elections in the state.

Hindustan Times

There is a clear and present danger for the survival of this majestic animal. They are killed for their horns that are traded in the international black markets for humongous value. The state government has miserably failed to contain, let alone stop, poaching of rhinos in Assam. The central government also has to share the blame, even if it is a state subject, for not acknowledging the gravity of the situation or taking adequate measures at appropriate times to address the problem, in a swift and cooperative manner in association with the state government.

Mail Today

Rhinos of Assam: Where do they stand?

The Hindu

There are five surviving species of rhinoceros left in the world. Assam takes great pride in conserving the great Indian one-horned rhino (rhinoceros unicornis) as it is home to more than two-thirds of the wild population in the world. They are majorly found in Kaziranga National Park, Manas National Park, Orang National Park, Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary and Laokhowa Wildlife Sanctuary, covering an area of around 1100 square kilometers.

The KNP authorities conducted the 12th rhino population estimation exercise in 2015 as illustrated in the table below.

KNP Website

Poaching

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora & Fauna (CITES) has acknowledged the problem of poaching as a grave danger to the survival of the Great Indian one-horned rhino. The government has to remain alert and augment its effort to stop poaching.

More than 90 rhinos were killed since 2013 with KNP conceding the highest incidents.

The Telegraph

There are six methods that poachers use to kill a rhino. They are either shooting down a rhino, trapping it in a pit, electrocuting it, poisoning it by smearing it on salt licks, or tying it with a noose that cuts through to strangulate the rhino to death.

The poaching syndicate

Rhinos are being targeted by trans-national crime syndicates that are organised with components of arms smuggling, money laundering, cross border smuggling, terrorism and international illegal wildlife trade. The demand for poaching originates in foreign countries. CITES also reported that during the above period all the rhino horns seized during the time were from Assam.

Atree

Why is the rhino horn so revered?

National Geographic

Rhino horns are made of ¡®keratin¡¯ similar to hair or nails. Contrary to popular belief about its use in traditional Chinese medicines, the demand emanates majorly from Vietnam. It is also believed that many in China are also driving `the demand for horns for having some medicinal and aphrodisiac properties'. However, such claims are now bogus as the Chinese government removed the rhino horn use from the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China. This may have slightly diminished the use of horns as a medicinal ingredient but many practitioners still believe it to be a major life saving medicine. It is sold mainly for medicinal purposes as a panacea for a range of ailments from cancer to a hangover.

Recent steps by the government: Are they enough?

The Hindu

The government from time to time has come under severe criticism for failing to address this burning problem of poaching adequately. The Rhino war has led to the killing of 108 poachers along with a number of guards while more than 500 rhinos perished since 1985. Innovative steps like Rhino DNA indexing system (RhODIS), Camera Traps, a specialised dog squad, proposed deployment of drones and satellite surveillance to track the intruders and others are being conceived and put to use. But it is important that the government corrects the basics first. Steps like the Assam government¡¯s amendment of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 2009 by raising the penalty for second offences against wildlife such as rhino to minimum of seven years, and maximum of life imprisonment, and fines is good but it has to be executed to realise its full impact.

Associated Press

The Forest personnel is armed with outdated weapons, mostly obsolete. 303 rifles left by the British after World War II, are no match with stronger poachers equipped with modern AK series rifles. It has also been reported that terror groups like Karbi People Liberation Tigers (KPLT) and National Democratic Front of Bodoland(S) have been involved in poaching. Contrary to government claims of increased vigil against poachers, a Mail Today report points out that neither one of the 243 poachers arrested in the last five years has been convicted under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972. Nor has a single poacher out of the 52 arrested by the KNP authorities been brought to book.

The Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests Prakash Javadekar in his visit to KNP in 2015 spoke about establishment of a ¡°central protection force¡± with a caveat ¡®the selection needs to be facilitated by the state government.¡¯ It is yet to be seen how far this proposal of the minister has progressed or whether it will be another example of claptrap in due course of time as politicians conveniently play up the blame game.

A detailed report prepared by the Forest department of KNP mentioned that police was not giving enough priority to trans-national wildlife crimes like rhino poaching. There is no co-ordination between the enforcement agencies and the forest department of the neighboring states. There are glaring loopholes in police investigation, no practice of collecting samples at the crime scene for DNA tests of the criminals, no ballistic analysis of the arms, and no verdict in rhino poaching cases since 2009.

Rhino poaching has become a major poll issue for people who want an end to this menace

While campaigning for Atul Bora, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) candidate from Bokakhat in Kaziranga, PM Modi struck a chord with the voters when he appealed, ¡°While poachers use guns to kill rhinos in Kaziranga, all you need to do is to press the right button to stop the relentless poaching.¡± It resonated with the overall theme of ¡®Poriborton¡¯ (read change), the larger narrative of this election, as rhino poaching has become a major election issue. With over 190 rhinos poached since the Tarun Gogoi-led Congress government ruled Assam since 2001, the public displeasure over its failure to tackle and apprehend the poachers is a major factor of disapproval for the incumbent government. As the election results are announced on May 19, it is imperative that the newly elected government take immediate steps to make a swift end to the poaching of rhinos in order to honour people¡¯s wishes.