The recent encounters in the Seshachalam forests of Chittoor district that resulted in the killing of 20 woodcutters has posed a fresh challenge to law enforcement agencies, said Deputy Inspector-General of Police at the National Industrial Security Academy (NISA), Shikar Sahai.
Addressing the 4{+t}{+h}batch of Forest Range Officer trainees at the inaugural of their 18-month induction training course, Mr. Sahai said the incident underscored the need for evolving a holistic solution to the problem instead of ‘making scapegoats of officials’.
He said that Seshachalam incident had raised allegations of extra judicial action and violation of human rights.
Coordination
The veteran police officer pointed out how the sandalwood smuggler Veerappan made headlines for years, operating from a 6,000-hectare spread of forests and how he evaded arrest for two decades before he was killed in 2004. Coordination between police and forest departments was important he said.
While extremist too was a challenge, the livelihoods of locals, mostly tribals and the rural economy were inter-linked.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) and Chief Wildlife Warden of Telangana, P.K. Sharma likened forest wealth to ornaments of Mother Nature .
He told the trainees that “it is our job to ensure that Mother Nature is decorated with all her ornaments.
It has raised allegations of extra judicial action and violation of human rights, says NISA DIG Shikar Sahai
