Villagers park at Ranthambhor, graze cattle, scare guards away

After Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot convened a high-level meeting this morning, Additional DGP N N Meena, Sawai Madhopur Collector Paras Kumar Gangwal and other senior forest officials went to the park and tried to persuade the villagers to leave.

The villagers, armed with scythes and sticks, have reportedly driven out the park’s 160 forest guards. Park director G.V. Reddy claims that he has received a number of death threats from the villagers and now has police protection both at home and office.

Warning that the situation is at a critical point, Reddy says, ‘‘Once the park is destroyed, it will be destroyed forever. The force alone cannot deal with the situation. Some solution has to be worked out. Tourists do not come here to see buffaloes and if one shot is fired inside, it could be disastrous for tourism.’’ According to him, though the government has set up fodder depots outside the park, the villagers are not prepared to pay.

Forest Minister Bina Kak, who returned from Delhi last night, said she was monitoring situation. The government, she said, was planning schemes to make the farmers self-sufficient in fodder so that wouldn’t need to enter the forest.

‘‘But the farmers seem determined to fight for their grazing rights this year’’, she added. This isn’t the first such instance. On August 24th, a band of villagers attacked 16 personnel of the Special Task Force and snatched their rifles — the arms were recovered after seven days.

Since September 6, when SP M N Dinesh, known for his tough approach, was transferred after villagers raised a hue and cry, the district has seen a change of two SPs. Neither was successful in keeping the villagers out of the park.