IMCLS reiterates appeal to halt process of notifying DWLS as tiger reserve

ANINI, 1 Feb: The Idu-Mishmi Cultural and Literary Society (IMCLS) has reiterated its appeal to halt the process of notifying the Dibang Wildlife Sanctuary (DWLS) as a tiger reserve until the longstanding grievances of the Idu-Mishmi community are resolved.

On Saturday, a sub-committee on behalf of the IMCLS met the minister for forest and submitted a reminder letter regarding the DWLS and the proposed tiger reserve.

Seeking the minister’s intervention in the matter, the IMCLS urged the minister to direct the PCCF to adopt in toto the recommendations of the fact-finding committee report submitted by the Dibang Valley deputy commissioner, vide Letter No DV/DEV/FRST-48/2013-18, dated 8 September, 2018, which recommends re-demarcating the DWLS to 1,500 sq kms instead of the existing 4,149 sq kms and issuing directive to halt the process of notifying the DWLS as a tiger reserve until the longstanding grievances of the Idu-Mishmi community are resolved.

“The illegal declaration of DWLS and the subsequent approval of the tiger reserve jeopardises the Idu-Mishmi community’s life and livelihood. It disregards India’s international legal commitments under the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which upholds the rights of indigenous communities over their traditional territories. Based on numerous public meetings and gram sabha resolutions, affected villagers from 42 villages across Mipi, New Aropo, Etabe, Mihundo, Gipulin, Alinye, Acheso-Angrim Valley, Apanli, and Malinye gram panchayat segments have expressed their strong concerns about the non-redressal of the DWLS issue and have objected to the proposed tiger reserve. On 4 March, 2023, representatives of the All Gaon Bura Association, Dibang Valley, and the district unit of the All Arunachal Pradesh Gaon Bura Welfare Association objected to the proposed tiger reserve and communicated their concerns to the chief secretary and the PCCF, Itanagar, through postal receipts dated 12 and 14 April, 2023. These concerns have been communicated to several high offices, including the prime minister’s office, chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh, governor’s office, ministry of environment, forest & climate change, ministry of tribal affairs, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes, NTCA, and various other authorities. Despite numerous appeals, our genuine concerns remain unresolved,” the letter read.