Jamshedpur : Members of the Dalma Buru Sendra Samity (DBSS), will ensure no entry of firearms and traps inside the Dalma wildlife sanctuary on Sendra-eve on April 26.
The outfit has made an appeal to the tribal community to celebrate the annual festival in a symbolic manner but it is not taking chances when it comes to the safety of animals.
The initiative compliments the efforts of the Ranchi wildlife division which has already pulled up its sleeve to ensure a bloddless Sendra (Vishu Shikar).
DBSS chief priest Rakesh Hembrom said that Sendra should be celebrated with traditional weapons but some from our community slip into the sanctuary with firearms and traps. We have tried to educate the tribals that carrying firearms is illegal under the Wildlife Protection Act.
With the samity chipping in with support on the animal safety front, the forest authorities can look forward to a double security net for the animals inside the 192 sq km elephant sanctuary.
The forest department’s drive to conserve wildlife by putting a ban on hunting and killing of wild animals, tribals have shown results with Sendra Samiti, Dalma and villagers declaring to celebrate their indigenous annual hunting festival peacefully.
Hembrom re-iterated that there would be no bloodshed. ” We have asked the hunters not to carry nets, guns or any tranqualisers. This year the focus would be much on cultural programme and related activities,” he said.
Chhote Hembrom, the adviser to the samiti said that they would also keep a close watch on hunters from neighbouring Bengal and Odisha who climb the hill with lethal weapons.
” We will prevent entry of hunters from the neighbouring states, who usually take shelter in the Dalma wildlife sanctuary the night preceding the festival,” he said adding that the samiti members would keep a vigil on all the entry points to the sanctuary.
The samiti informed about their decision to forest officials. The samiti would also appeal to all the tribal organisations in the next couple of days to not kill animals during Sendra but observe token rituals.
Jointly with the Dhalbhum forest division, the samiti would also chalk out the cultural and other programmes to be oranised on the day of the festival to attract the tribals.
“We are hopeful that the tribals would wake up early in the morning and worship their deities but will not go ahead for hunting as the senior functionaries of the Sendra Samiti has assured us about their plans, “noted a Dalma range forest officer.
It may be mentioned that every year, the forest department tries to aware villagers about the importance of wildlife and animals but still dozens of animals including deer, boar and wild buffaloes are killed during.
Clad with hunting weapons like bows and arrows, they go into the jungle in search of animals by beating drums and chanting of holy hymns.