‘Intangki National Park has gone out of department’s hand’
Karaiba Chawang
Dimapur | March 8
The 202 sq km, ‘Intangki National park’ appears to be grappling for survival amidst a three cornered tussle between the State government, the NSCN-IM and ‘encroachers’, over this vast forest land. Although, the State government has declared the forest as a National Park some years back, a high level official of the forest department has admitted that the ‘Park’ has completely gone out of the control of the State government and that it may not be able to do anything unless a strong ‘political will’ is adopted.
While the State government wants to protect the ‘National Park’ under the Indian law, the NSCN-IM has reportedly objected to the idea, asserting that Indian laws cannot be taken into cognizance, when it comes to natural resource of the Nagas. This tussle is one of the main hurdles for the state government in carrying out various activities in the park, a source said.
The NSCN-IM has also earlier issued ‘shoot-at-sight’ order inside the forest; however, this order became a dead letter due to some differences amongst their own functionaries. Various reports and sources revealed that almost all the logging inside Intanki Forest has been carried out by NSCN-IM officials, with the exception of few private individuals. The organization has also imposed total ban on logging from the forest, but some ‘self-interest’ officials flouted this order and there has been heavy felling of trees still now, a source revealed.
Even as a total bandh was called in Peren district on Thursday by All Zeliangrong Students’ Union (Assam, Manipur and Nagaland) and Zeliangrong Students’ Union Nagaland to protest against the encroachment into the forest area, about ten truckloads of logs, which was being hauled from Intanki to Dimapur, was seized by members of the Zeliangrong Baudi while crossing Jalukie and has been unloaded. The logs belong to one high official of the NSCN-IM, source said.
The Supreme Court of India has made partial relaxation on logging in areas where ‘work scheme and management plan’ are being implemented. However, Intangki National Park does not come under the purview of this relaxation, said L. Kire, Forest Secretary, as such logging of any kind is illegal.
Apart from the heavy logging, the ‘encroachers’ have also started a settlement inside the park, despite the two - authorities, the Nagaland government and the NSCN-IM - assurance that the encroachers will be evicted and the park protected, illegal activities are still rampant in the forest, source also said.
The state government has also adopted several policies and guidelines, but this could not be implemented due to the presence of NSCN-IM cadres, a Forest official said.
Earlier, the State government has struck a land exchange deal with Besumpuikam village, but this deal has not been carried out till today.
Hocto Sema, Wild Life Warden and in-charge of Intangki National Park disclosed that the Forest Colony and all the staff quarter has been occupied by the NSCN-cadres, and often Forest guard and officials were prevented from entering the forest.
Intangki Forest, besides being home to numerous flora and fauna is a natural habitat of Mithun and a corridor of wild elephants. The Forest department has declared it as ‘Elephant Reserve’ and an ‘Elephants Project’ has been launched, but this project has been stalled. The park is under Peren district and is 111 km away from state capital Kohima.
“In the presence of underground cadres, Forest personnel are handicapped”, said Hocto. Now, because of the human presence and massive devastation of forest, the Mithun has been forced to migrate for Assam”, said Hocto.
About sixty percent of the forest area has been destroyed by illegal logging. Besides, heavy hunting and fishing are also rampant, which has forced mass emigration of animals and birds from the Park, sources said.
Initially, it was a reserved forest, then promoted to Wild Life Sanctuary and in 2003 the state government has recognized it as a national Park. While recounting his argument with underground cadres, Hocto, ruefully admitted that the Park has gone out of the hand of the department. But, still the state government can revive if they want to, however, it will require strong political will and firm policy.
“It has gone out of the hand the department. But still the government can revive provided they have a strong political will and policy”, Hocto asserted. Civil societies can also contribute their bits in preservation and conservation of the Park. Most importantly, Hocto, opined that the Minister in-charge of the Forest department should have a knowledge of flora and Fauna and natural interest in preservation and conservation. “Otherwise, our future generation will not see those Mithun”, he added.
Meanwhile, the Zeliangrong Students’ Union has threatened to intensify its agitation if the state government fails to respond to their demand in time. It said that the Union may stage dharna in the state capital Kohima in case their Wednesday bandh failed to evoke any response from the Nagaland government as the second phase of agitation.
The students also cautioned that Zeliangrong people, who are the sole owner of the Forest, will move to own it back if the state government cannot live up to its promise of preservation and conservation of the park.
