As #Maharashtra heads to the polls today, how will tribal communities, whose lives are caught between tiger attacks and government inaction, shape the electoral outcome? A thread by LCW researcher @sukriti_vats

In the run-up to the assembly election, the increasing number of human-tiger conflicts across the Nagpur division have fueled political tensions, with the Congress backing the tribal communities’ protests.

The outrage began after Meeta Kumar (65) died in a tiger attack, in Jhinjhariya village, located in Pench Tiger Reserve’s buffer zone, in September. The mauling  occurred just a few hours after neighbouring villagers had informed authorities of aggressive predator’s presence.

The forest department officials allegedly laughed off the warning initially. The department later issued a notice restricting villagers’ access to the forest and depriving them of grazing grounds.

Following protests, the villagers were promised a meeting with the district collector. But the protesting locals boycotted the meeting as it was held 50 kms away. They were also angered by sitting MLA Ashish Jaiswal’s failure to visit them immediately after the violence.

Congress leaders held demonstrations in solidarity in Nagpur and Chandrapur districts. While the human-tiger conflict is not mentioned in the party manifesto, the leaders said that it would be a part of their local campaigning.

‘The problem is not specific to Ramtek but is faced by all the villages that exist near the forest in the state,’ said Ramtek MP Shyamkumar Barve, who is from the Congress.

The protest simmered down in the beginning of October, but the death of 58-year-old Sukram Saryam, another villager of the same taluka triggered another round of agitation from locals.

The protest simmered down in the beginning of October, but the death of 58-year-old Sukram Saryam, another villager of the same taluka triggered another round of agitation from locals.

Read full story by LCW Researcher @sukriti_vats in @MaktoobMedia

https://maktoobmedia.com/india/maharashtra-elections-rising-human-tiger-conflict-fuels-political-tensions/…