DEHRA DUN: The Uttarakhand Government's decision to form a special Corbett tiger protection force with 30 per cent reservation for Van Gujjars and other forest dwellers has been described as a good step, but it violates the fundamental right to a full-time job and security to the “technically skilled” forest dwellers. They would be hired as casual workers and tasked to take on the dreaded forest mafia. This means “dangerous duties” with no rights or social security for the forest dwellers once they are thrown out of the force by the officials or the labour contractor.
Organised poaching and timber smuggling are quiet common in Uttarakhand. The Government feels that the forest dwellers are the most suited for the job of forest (tiger) guards as they have rich traditional wildlife knowledge and can perform better than their urban colleagues with the basic minimum educational qualification for the post.
The force with special police powers to open fire on criminals will be led by an Assistant Conservator of Forests. Sixty Corbett forest guards would be recruited in general category and on attaining the age of 40 they would be absorbed in the department. But the 30 forest dwellers, recruited under reserved category (through a service provider), would be on a contractual basis. Here lies the catch. “Why can't the forest dwellers having a rich traditional knowledge of silviculture and wildlife but no formal educational certificates be taken in as permanent employees as they would be performing the same duties as others?” asked noted human rights activist Avdhash Kaushal, chairperson of Rural Litigation and Entitlement Kendra.
Mr. Kaushal hoped that Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank will ensure true empowerment of forest dwellers by paving the way for their absorption as government servants and not casual labourers who could be used and discarded at convenience.
As the tiger protection force is sponsored by the Centre, the Central Government should also mull over ensuring justice to the forest dwellers and save them from ending up as casual labourers, observed a senior bureaucrat.
