Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
I ask them, why they are raising this issue now. After all, they have always
lived in this forested region where animal attacks are common. The older
women reply, quickly and strenuously, We have never seen anything like
this. The numbers have multiplied many times. I then say that this is
clearly because we have destroyed habitats of monkeys and other wild
animals. Forests are being destroyed and so animals are turning to human
settlements to find food. It is our fault, I say. We have not encroached on
the forests. It is the city that has grown and taken over forest habitats, they
point out. What surprises me is the next response: These are not our
monkeys. These are aggressive and violent. I probe more. The forest
department, it seems, was bringing drugged monkeys from other places
and leaving them in the forested villages. All this was being done at night
and people had no information.
This does not surprise me. Even in Delhi, where the rich and famous live,
when monkeys became a big menace they were relocated to forested
regions on the outskirts of the city. Now people like me can be wildlife
enthusiasts without having to deal with animals in their backyard. But it
does make me realise just how callous (indeed criminal) our conservation
policies are.
I summon courage to ask what they want. After all, monkeys are
worshipped as descendants of Hanuman. Will they allow killing? First, there
is silence. I can feel the tension. Then one woman bursts out, Yes. These
monkeys are not Hanuman but Bali the evil one. The rest join in. We
want the government to act. This would mean that the Uttarakhand
government would have to declare monkey vermin and then undertake
culling.