Anindo Dey, TNN, Nov 18, 2010, 12.41am IST
SARISKA: Having lived up to tough expectations imposed on them by forest officials since relocation of tigers from the Ranthambore tiger reserve began in 2008, villagers in and around the Sariska tiger reserve are now only looking back in anger.
It was an infringement of their new-found freedom that came along after the last tiger was poached from this reserve in 2005. Yet, they were willing to put with it all. But the deaths despite the apparent strictness of the forest officials now makes them feel cheated.
"What is the result of all our sacrifice. Day in and day out we were told to do this and refrain from that so as to keep the tigers safe and we obeyed. But now they are the ones who seem to have gone all wrong, failing in their duty to protect the tiger," said Hiralal Saini, former sarpanch of the Indok village here.
"If our cattle strayed into the forest by mistake they fined us Rs 500 per head of cattle but now we are told that the king of the forest is dead. It was their duty to protect the animal and they could not deal with just fiver tigers," points out D R Meena, another villager.
The anger is widespread. Another villagers Ram Avtar Meena recalled when a wedding took place in a forest village. "They would not let people accompanying the bridegroom enter the forest. The restricted their number and we had to accept it despite the shame we faced. They would not let us carry the goods inside too," he said.
"Just look at the road in front of the forest. It is full of potholes and the government is refusing to repair it. They have put curbs on traffic plying on it. This road, the forest, the tigers and the villagers have all existed since time immemorial. Prior, to 1995 we have seen up to two pairs of tigers every hour and they were safe. But the curbs they have brought in have evoked the anger of Bharthari Maharaj and Sariska's jinx with tigers are a result of it," said Bhadra Prasad Meena.
Even the visit of chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Monday following the death of the tiger has not gone down well with them.
"In 2007 about 50 persons from Indok village died after disease struck the village, but not one politician came down let alone the chief minister. And now the tiger's death has managed to bring officials from all across the country. No one cares for us, despite the fact that we generate revenue. There is no hopsital or school or even a post office here. Depsite generating revenue our lands are not being regularised and our houses contuinue to be a shanties. We are being forced to evacuate our village for the tiger. How can it survive after so much of wrath?" questions Hiralal.
