[ Samshum Changmi ]
MIAO, 2 Jul: The 57 employees of the Namdapha Tiger Reserve (NTR) who have been terminated from their jobs launched a democratic movement on Tuesday, following the expiry of the four-day ultimatum they had served to the authorities concerned.
The laid-off employees, who were dismissed from service as members of anti-poaching squads on 31 May due to “fund constraints,” on Tuesday began a sit-in protest outside the office of the conservator of forests and the field director of the Namdapha National Park & Tiger Reserve here in Changlang district.
The protest marks the beginning of a series of planned demonstrations by the laid-off workers. They are demanding immediate reinstatement, arguing that their termination from job was unjust and has left them without any means of livelihood.
One of the laid-off employees said, “We have given the authorities ample time to address our grievances, but there has been no response. We have no choice but to take this stand to fight for our rights.”
The laid-off employees, comprising various categories of casual workers, were crucial to the anti-poaching efforts within the reserve. Earlier, they had submitted a memorandum to Environment & Forests Minister Wangki Lowang and the PCCF (WL&BD) in Itanagar, requesting their reinstatement.
The NTR is one of the largest among the three tiger reserves in the state, relying on protection provided by over 196 anti-poaching squad members. But their job termination has raised concerns over the impact on the reserve’s wildlife protection measures.
The Miao unit of the Arunachal Pradesh Labour Union, along with various civil society groups and community organisations, including the All Tangsa Students’ Union, the Kharsang Circle Unemployment Youth Association, and the Miao Singpho Ramma Hpung, have extended support to the laid-off employees and urged the authorities to resolve the issue promptly to ensure that the conservation efforts in the NTR are not compromised.
The laid-off employees have vowed to persist with their democratic movement until their demand is met.
The authorities have yet to issue a statement in response to the ongoing protest.
