[Karyir Riba]
ROING, 5 Feb: Amidst fear and grief over the recent tiger attack that caused the tragic death of head constable Chikseng Manpang, the Idu Mishmi Cultural and Literary Society (IMCLS) has held the forest department responsible and has demanded immediate relocation of the man-eater tiger.
The apex body expressed its deepest condolences to the deceased’s family, who lost his life in a tiger attack while returning from duty near the Mehao community forest area on Monday night.
“This tragic and shocking incident has plunged the community into grief, fear, and deep anxiety. We state this unequivocally that the human death was preventable. For several months, public representatives, village leaders and residents had repeatedly alerted the forest department and local authorities about the continued presence and abnormal behaviour of tigers in close proximity to human settlements and public roads. Numerous videos circulated widely on social media clearly showed tigers strolling on roads in daylight and night time, without fear of vehicular traffic or human presence, indicating a serious breakdown of normal wildlife behaviour and an escalating risk to human life. Despite these warnings, no effective preventive or emergency measures were taken on the ground. No high-risk alert zones were formally declared, no sustained monitoring or capture operations were initiated, and no visible deployment of rapid response team occurred. The failure to act in a timely and decisive manner has now resulted in the loss of a human life, which the IMCLS holds to be a grave case of administrative and management failure,” said the IMCLS.
It added: “The IMCLS places on record that the community had acted responsibly and lawfully by informing the authorities in advance. The death of a police officer in the line of duty due to a known and repeatedly reported threat represents a serious institutional lapse that must not be ignored. At the same time, the IMCLS strongly cautions that this tragic incident must not be used as a pretext to push for any hurried proposals such as declaration of a tiger reserve or critical tiger habitat and expansion of protected area status without due consultation, legal process and consent of affected communities. The IMCLS opposes any tiger reserve in Dibang Valley or Lower Dibang Valley without solving boundary issues of illegal Dibang Wildlife Sanctuary and Mehao Wildlife Sanctuary. The present situation is an emergency public safety matter requiring immediate conflict-mitigation action, not policy exploitation.”
The IMCLS added, “The Idu Mishmi community, by longstanding cultural taboo and customary law, strictly prohibits killing or hunting tigers, even when tigers have caused serious losses, including the killing of valuable livestock such as mithun. This deep cultural restraint has historically ensured that ecological balance is preserved across Idu Mishmi regions, where wildlife and humans have coexisted for generations. The community has consistently demonstrated responsibility and restraint even under difficult circumstances. However, this cultural respect for wildlife must not be mistaken for tolerance for administrative inaction in the face of a clear and present danger to human life. When a tiger begins to frequent public roads and settlements, and ultimately causes human fatality, the responsibility to act lies squarely with the competent authorities.”
The IMCLS demanded “immediate identification, capture and relocation of the man-eater tiger by competent wildlife authorities in accordance with law and established safety protocols.
“Human life must be treated as the highest priority. We demand deployment of a full-scale rapid response and monitoring operation in all affected areas around Mehao community forest and adjoining settlements, fixing responsibility and accountability on officials who failed to act despite repeated written complaints, public warnings and video evidence of the tiger’s presence for months. We demand immediate issuance of public safety advisories, movement precautions where necessary, and timely compensation to the bereaved family as per applicable norms.”
“The people of Dibang and Lower Dibang Valley districts are living in fear. Routine travel activities between these districts are being affected. The IMCLS urges the district administration and the forest department to act swiftly, transparently, and responsibly to restore public safety and confidence. If immediate and visible action is not taken, the IMCLS will be compelled to consider further democratic and legal steps to ensure accountability and protection of human life,” it said.
IYC demands accountability
Meanwhile, the state unit of the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) on Thursday blamed the state government, the forest department and the national wildlife authorities for failing to take timely preventive measures which, it said, led to the mauling to death of head constable Chikseng Manpang near the Mayudia pass in Lower Dibang Valley district on Monday.
“For several weeks, reports and videos of tigers roaming freely along the 40-65 km stretch of the Roing-Anini road had been widely circulated on social media. Despite these repeated warnings, the state government, the forest department, and national wildlife authorities concerned failed to take timely preventive measures,” the IYC unit stated in a press release on Thursday.
“Their inaction and negligence have now resulted in a tragic and irreversible loss,” it said.
Manpang was killed when he was on his way back to Roing in Lower Dibang Valley district from Anini in Dibang Valley district after doing his duties at the Cabinet Aapke Dwar programme held in Anini.
“Is it appropriate to organise cabinet meetings in such remote and high-risk areas, spending crores from the public exchequer, when the state already has a well-equipped assembly infrastructure?” the IYC sought to know. “Was this truly an administrative necessity, or an avoidable event that exposed officials and security personnel to grave danger?”
Saying that the loss of a dedicated government servant due to preventable circumstances is a matter of grave concern, the IYC questioned the silence of the forest minister and expressed alarm at the lack of accountability.
“All stakeholders responsible for wildlife management, road safety, and administrative planning in the region must be thoroughly investigated. Those found guilty of gross negligence must be held accountable,” it said.
It said that the demand for a compensation of Rs 1 crore and a government job for a family member of the deceased, raised by the bereaved family and the community, is justified.
“Human life must always be the highest priority. Preventive measures, proper wildlife monitoring, and safety protocols should have been ensured long ago. The government must now act decisively – both to deliver justice to the deceased’s family and to prevent such tragedies in the future,” the IYC said.
