Nagpur: “Latest Policy of National Tiger Conservation Authority has struck out participation of private shooter and mandated to deploy only departmental personnel with desired proficiency to eliminate animal declared dangerous to human life.
That, though this was already a mandate in Wildlife Protection Act 1972 to use departmental personnel to carry out the tranquilizing process as per the weapon licence allotted, the question of inviting private shooter doesn’t arise at all. No official invites private shooter, these nuisance shooters themselves approaches the forest officials,” said Delhi based animal activist, Sangeeta Dogra.
“Sports shooters are well versed with laws and due to their criminal behaviour they know how to trick different ministry i.e Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports & Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change.
They manipulate and trick both, this is what Shafath Ali Khan has been doing for years. He himself offers services earlier by writing letters and by now built brand image through media help. He pays money to villagers gain their sympathy, and instigates them to make hue and cry in a smart way, so that he can appear as a “Shehanshah”, savior of villagers,” she alleged.
“He tricks Forest Officials in a manner and convinces them that he will only tranquilise the said Animal, but he hunts down animal by breaking every protocol in the name of self defense.
As per Arms Rule Term Shooting refers to Target Practising, which Shafath Ali Khan and Party manipulates it. Then he threatens IFS officers to drag them to Litigation if any action is taken against him. Officials by the time they realise its already a played game of Lust to hunt animals, Govt trust Shafath Ali Khan as he is a great aerator no doubt, and declares himself as a conservationist, there are many like him, It’s a trick game he has been playing since years,” Dogra mentioned.
She further asserted that, “As per the new policy mandate it’s a great policy introduced and should be clubbed with Wildlife Protection Act 1972. But if this policy is not followed for that matter Law enforcement power is also to be granted to NTCA, however a lapse is still there and Shafath Ali Khan and his kind of nuisance will again Trick Forest Officials, in order to avoid such situation MoEFCC and National Rifle association Regulations and Shooters information should be shared.”
Dogra suggested that for Forest Department’s Personnel a quarterly drill should be arranged. Second, The NTCA has abandoned the term man-eater, even though it never existed as Carnivores is the right term for flesh eating animals.
“No animals are dangerous to human life, it’s just that animals who has instinct of hunt their food can’t be defined as dangerous to life, only if you try to access their comfort zone they will attack, Wild Animals are not trainable, humans are. Human needs to understand to have a control on the increase in population for co-existence,” she lamented.
“NTCA also needs to make strict laws and needs to have strict monitoring on Compensation issued to wild animals attack by scrutinising previous 1 years, compensation issued, as villagers has been noticed faking injuries.
Once NTCA has Law enforcement Power to take cognizance, which will make them a complete Tiger, else they are a Tiger without Canine and Claws, like a drugged Tiger of Tiger Temple,” she added.
