Porba, September 15 (MExN): The Porbami Youth Organisation (PYO) has condemned the detention of Vezhoto Hesuh by the Department of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Nagaland, in connection with photographs and videos posted on his personal Facebook page, and demanded his immediate release and the return of a Great Barbet allegedly seized from Porba Village.
In a press release issued on September 15, the PYO claimed that the detention and questioning had caused “immense stress, anxiety and mental harassment” to Hesuh and his family, and alleged that the circumstances surrounding the social media posts had not been properly ascertained.
According to the organisation, the posts included a video of Hesuh offering a sweet to a monkey while he was in Assam, another video showing him admiring a Great Barbet kept in a cage and “traditionally reared” by a person at Porba Village, and a photograph of a Spotted Owlet perched on his shoulder.
The PYO contended that posting such photographs or videos, without establishing how the animals or birds were acquired, possessed or kept, could not by itself justify what it termed “arbitrary or disproportionate action.” It called on the department to disclose the specific legal provision allegedly violated, the facts constituting the alleged violation and the legal basis for the action taken.
The organisation also alleged that ₹1 lakh was demanded for Hesuh’s release, describing the alleged demand as a “serious matter” requiring an impartial inquiry. It called for the facts to be made public.
The PYO further demanded the immediate return of the Great Barbet, which it said was taken from Porba Village on September 14.
On the issue of the bird’s traditional keeping, the organisation said such practices were associated with longstanding social and cultural practices in the community and that the birds were traditionally valued for their presence, companionship and distinctive call, rather than reared for killing or consumption.
It further claimed that the Great Barbet’s call traditionally served practical purposes in village life, including signalling the beginning and end of agricultural activities and reminding farmers of mealtimes. The organisation argued that such practices should not be dismissed without considering their cultural and social context, which it said is safeguarded under Article 371A of the Constitution.
At the same time, the PYO stated that it recognised the importance of wildlife conservation and biodiversity protection, stressing that its demand was not for the “destruction or commercial exploitation of wildlife.” It claimed that the community had a longstanding interest in protecting the biodiversity of its ancestral land.
The organisation also highlighted what it described as a 24-hour community response and monitoring system maintained by the Porba youth organisation to prevent and respond to activities threatening wildlife and the environment. It said volunteers monitor and discourage illegal hunting and trapping, destructive fishing methods, indiscriminate collection of forest resources, forest burning, habitat destruction and other activities affecting biodiversity.
Accordingly, criticising what it termed as “arbitrary detention, harassment, intimidation, and unlawful monetary demands” by department officials, the PYO demanded “immediate and unconditional release of Hesuh without any monetary demand” as well as immediate return of the Great Barbet seized from Porba Village on September 14.
