Guwahati: Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma and forest and environment minister Jayanta Mallabaruah on Friday paid tribute to forest personnel killed in the line of duty, highlighting the continuing risks faced by those protecting the state’s forests and wildlife.At least a dozen forest personnel, including guards, have died while performing or returning from duty in Assam over the past decade. Wildlife attacks, road accidents and clashes have emerged as the major causes of death.Marking National Forest Martyrs’ Day, Sarma said the sacrifices of forest personnel underscored the dangers involved in protecting Assam’s natural heritage. He said the govt was committed to strengthening the forest force and expanding women’s participation in frontline protection through Van Durga initiative.Van Durga teams assist in patrolling vulnerable stretches, surveillance, reporting forest offences and wildlife protection in protected and forested areas.Sarma said Assam would carry forward the courage of the forest martyrs and protect its forests for future generations.Mallabaruah recalled the sacrifices of forest guards, game watchers, mahouts and other frontline personnel killed by poachers, extremists and wildlife. “A forest does not protect itself. There are people behind every patrol camp, every rescued animal, every night vigil and every kilometre of forest that remains safe,” he added.He cited game watcher Akshay Kr Rajbongshi and mahout Atowa Munda, who were killed by poachers at Lafasari Camp in Manas on Feb 16, 1989.“They had families waiting for them too. They simply never returned home from work,” he said, adding that several others had met a similar fate.Records from Manas National Park showed that at least 10 forest personnel died between 1989 and 1998 in incidents involving poachers, armed encounters or extremist violence, Mallabaruah said. He added that organised poaching and extremism had since been brought under control through sustained efforts by successive govts, security agencies, the forest department and frontline personnel.But the risks, he said, had changed rather than disappeared.“In more recent records, we find forest personnel losing their lives to elephants, rhinos, tigers and wild buffalo. Some drowned while on duty. Some died while patrolling. Others lost their lives in road accidents while responding to wildlife emergencies,” he said.Mallabaruah said forest personnel continued to move towards danger when others moved away.“When the Brahmaputra rises and Kaziranga begins to flood, we worry about the animals moving towards the highlands. Our forest guards move towards them,” he added.Urging people to recognise the human effort behind Assam’s conservation gains, he said, “For most people, a forest is a place they visit, while for forest personnel, the forest is their office.”
