Maneka Gandhi reacts to Himalayan Black bear killing in Jammu and Kashmir: Forest Department takes exception to remarks

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Police arrest 4 for roasting bear alive

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Posted Wednesday, December 20, 2006 at 23:49

Updated Thursday , December 21, 2006 at 00:25

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[image: WHEN HUMANS TURNED ANIMAL: An endangered black bear was set afire

by a group of villagers in Kashmir.]

WHEN HUMANS TURNED ANIMAL: An endangered black bear was set afire by a group

of villagers in Kashmir.

 

*Srinagar:* " Just how inhuman could anyone be? " was the reaction of animal

conservationist and MP Maneka Gandhi after a TV channel showed distressing

footage of an endangered black bear being set afire by a group of rowdy

villagers who pelted stones at the animal until it died.

 

The incident exposed the inefficiency of Wildlife Department in the

management and protection of wild animals in the Valley. While the wildlife

officials blamed the people and the police for the incident, the government

later ordered a probe.

 

The Wildlife Department people had reportedly acted as mute spectators when

the bear was first beaten and then ruthlessly set ablaze by the mob. Though

the incident took place on November 18, it was kept under carpet till a TV

news channel showed the footage of the incident on December 17.

 

Black bears are a protected animal under the Wildlife Act and their killing

is punishable by up to six years' imprisonment. Police started probing the

killing in Arigam, a village 65 kilometers (40 miles) south of Srinagar, the

summer capital of Jammu-Kashmir state, following public outrage after a

television news channel last week showed villagers killing the bear.

 

''We have registered a case and arrested four people so far,'' said Hemant

Lohia, a top police officer. The arrests were made Tuesday, he said.

 

''Officials had reached there but they were helpless before hundreds of

villagers carrying batons and stones. It was a shameful act and the

government has ordered a probe into the incident,'' said Farooq Ahmed, an

officer in the wildlife department.

 

http://www.greaterkashmir.com/Home/Newsdetails.asp?newsid=1638 & Issueid=94 & Arch

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*Qazi objects to Maneka's remarks*

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GK NEWS SERVICE

Jammu, Dec 19: Minister for forests and wildlife Qazi Muhammad Afzal has

said that Maneka Gandhi's remarks on the burning of a bear by people in Tral

have hurt the religious sentiments of people of the state.

Maneka Ghandi, according to Qazi Afzal, in a television interview had said

that people of Kashmir were hunting wild animals for meat causing decline in

populations of bears and leopards.

Reacting on the statement Qazi Afzal told Greater Kashmir that before making

any comment, Manika should have tried to know the ground situation. He said

that population of wild animals including bears and leopards has witnessed a

sharp increase during past fifteen years with the result that these animals

often stray into villages and attack people. He said every next day there is

a report about a wild beast injuring people living near forests.

Qazi however added that his department has already lodged an FIR about the

killing of a bear.

Taking strong exception to her statement about the people of the state for

eating meat of wild animals, he said, " people in Kashmir do eat meat but not

of leopards and bears but sheep and goat. With such remarks she has hurt the

religious sentiments of people here. "

" We have lot of regard for her concern for the protection of wildlife, but

she should desist from making statements that hurt religious sentiments of

people, " Qazi said.

http://www.saharasamay.com/samayhtml/articles.aspx?newsid=67028

 

*http://www.kashmirobserver.com/index.php?id=1382*

 

*Bear Burned Alive, Probe Ordered*

 

Srinagar, Dec 18 The Jammu and Kashmir government has ordered an inquiry

into the burning and killing of a wild bear by a mob in Tral area of Pulwama

district on November 18 even as the wildlife authorities termed the incident

as ''unfortunate and shameful''.

 

Talking to UNI here, Regional Wildlife Warden Kashmir Syed Farooq Ahmed

Geelani said the Chief Wildlife Warden has ordered an inquiry into the

incident which occurred in Tral area on November 18.

 

However, the footage showing a mob of 4000 people setting the bear on fire

and hurling stones and bricks at the wild animal was telecast by a private

TV channel yesterday.

 

The bear was eventually killed by the mob.

 

The Jammu and Kashmir Police have registered a case after the wildlife

authorities lodged an FIR at the Tral police station.

 

Mr Geelani said the investigations have been launched into the ''unfortunate

and shameful'' incident.

 

''We strongly condemn and feel ashamed and sorry over the incident....It is

a serious crime and has hurt the sentiments of millions of animal lovers

across the world. We will take all possible measures to prevent recurrence

of such incidents in future,'' he added.

 

Mr Geelani said the incident, though an isolated one, was an eye-opener for

the Wildlife Department as more corrective measures would be taken to

prevent man-animal conflict in future.

 

He said the department would soon launch several programmes in the Kashmir

valley to create awareness among the people about the wildlife and initiate

measures for its protection.

 

Mr Geelani said police observed restraint on opening fire on the mob that

day as it would have resulted in several casualties.

 

''It was a mob fury. Any police action would have resulted in a number of

human casualties. Besides the mob was enraged as the wild animals had killed

many people during the past few weeks,'' he said.

 

Mr Geelani said six deaths by wild animals had been reported from different

parts of Kashmir over the past several weeks. While hundreds have been

wounded, about 50-60 badly mauled people were undergoing treatment,

including plastic surgeries, in various hospitals across the Valley, he

added.

 

During this year, Mr Geelani said there have been 60-70 incidents of

man-animal conflicts. However, in most of these cases the animals were

driven to the jungles by the wildlife officials, he added.

 

Mr Geelani said there was an increase in the incidence of man-animal

conflict over a period of time due to population explosion, disturbance of

their natural habitation and the people moving to forest areas. UNI