Keonjhar: The traditional ‘Akhand Shikar’, an annual religious ritual of tribals has led to the destruction of forest cover and the loss of lives of wild animals in this district, officials and environmentalists stated here Wednesday. This ritual has led to human-animal conflicts leading to loss of lives and injuries to both sides.
Due to this ritual, animals are fleeing from forests and straying into human habitats, officials pointed out. The sudden appearance of an injured female wild boar in a pharmacy store in this town Tuesday is a case in point. Reports said the ‘Akhand Shikar’ takes place during ‘Pana Sankranti’, which was recently celebrated April 14. It is a mass hunting practice where a large number of people from several villages take part. They enter forests and kill various types of animals as part of their religious ritual. They completely disregard the rules and regulations implemented by the Forest Department. Crackdowns and arrests by police or Forest department personnel do not deter them. Villagers, when they enter the forests, carry a variety of weapons including lathis, bows and arrows, axes and spears.
Using these weapons they kill animals including deer, wild boars, rabbits and jungle fowl. Once the hunting is over they return to their respective villages with the carcass. They then distribute the meat to other residents of the village. When the kill is large, a feast is organised in the village to celebrate the occasion. This tradition has been followed for generations.
Earlier, the villagers hunted openly. However, since laws to prevent poaching have been implemented, they now do so secretly, sometimes even deep into the night. Restrictions and rules do not mean much to them. Environmentalist Bimbadhar Behera pointed out that mass poaching during ‘Pana Sankranti’ endangers the lives of wild animals to a great extent. He pointed out that the Forest department needs to conduct an awareness programme before the ‘Akhand Shikar’ ritual to prevent the poaching of animals.
Moreover, Forest department officials should chalk out concrete plans to prevent the unnecessary slaughter of animals, Behera opined. Bhakta Batshal Mohanty, another environmentalist lamented the unnecessary killing of animals. “Keonjhar town is surrounded by forests and hills where various species of wild animals live. They frequently stray into human habitats in search of food and water. On many occasions, animals are killed after they enter residential areas. The Forest department should give priority to the protection of these animals,” Mohanty pointed out. The environmentalist also informed that a large number of Sal trees have been felled during ‘Pana Sankranti’. “This should have been prevented at any cost as it is loss of forest cover,” he opined.