Tribal fest ‘Sendra’ on May 9, forest department on toes

Jamshedpur, April 12: Almost the entire state forest machinery will be camping at Dalma wildlife sanctuary to ensure that Sendra (Bishu Shikar), the annual hunting festival of tribals on May 8, is sans bloodshed.

Top forest officials, including the principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife), chief conservator of forests, assistant chief conservator of forests, divisional forest officers and range officers will start arriving in Jamshedpur from May 6 and leave once Sendra concludes.

The range here office has booked all the accommodations at Dalma – guest house at Pinderbera, cottages at Makulakocha and a two room facility as well as the forest guest house in Mango from May 6 to 9.

“All accommodations have been booked from May 6 to 9. We are not entertaining any bookings though the craze for Pinderbera is very high. Booking will be accepted only after May 9.” a forest staff at range office said.

Keeping in mind the rush of forest officials, the range office has also booked Nirmal guest house at posh circuit house area.

An official said senior officials will be monitoring the security aspects during Sendra. “Yes, most senior forest officers are coming to monitor the security arrangements. We will be making elaborate security arrangements to ensure a bloodless Sendra,” he added.

He was today busy finalising a chart for deployment of forest security guards at the sanctuary.  “I am busy preparing charts keeping in mind the festival. Security is of paramount importance,” he added.

 Adequate number of four-wheelers (jeeps) and cars will be arranged for swift movement across the 192 sq sanctuary. Trackers (village youths recruited as daily wagers to keep a tab on movement of animals) will also be part of the security apparatus.

 The forest range office has also launched an awareness campaign in the 85-off villages inside the sanctuary as well as those at the foothills. Members of the Dalma eco development committee and some NGOs are also involved in the campaign, distributing pamphlets  among rurals on futility in killing animals in the name of a festival.

 Decision by Dolma Buru Sendra Samity (DBSS) and Dolma Buru Sendra Dishua Samity (DBSDS) to celebrate Sendra on a single day has come as a huge relief to the forest department. The two outfits had celebrated the festival on separate dates.

DBSS chief priest Rakesh Hembrom said the festival has been celebrated for over a century now and they have decided to organise the rituals on May 9.

According to him, they would assemble near Fadlugora along NH 33 for puja and then shoot  arrows as a symbol for Sendra. “We have asked our brethrens from Jharkhand, Bengal and Odisha to not come for the festival,”he said while announcing the date at his residence.