Arunachal: Aohali village of East Siang Dist becomes state’s first Zero Hunting village
The village Head Gaon Burah, Sunary Umbrey and village Secretary, Dinesh Mepola led the zero hunting village declaration programme amidst the presence of village community people.
PASIGHAT ( By Maksam Tayeng ) – In a bid to revive the rapidly declining wildlife population in the region due to excessive hunting practices, the Aohali village of Mebo Sub-Division here in East Siang District declared the Aohali village as Zero Hunting village today in the presence of Sibo Passing, Addl. Dy. Commissioner, Mebo, Dr. Ista Pulu and Ere Linggi, President and General Secretary of Idu Mishmi Cultural & Literary Society (IMCLS) respectively.
While celebrating the declaration of Aohali village as Zero Hunting Village, the people of Aohali pledged to preserve the wild animals and birds by stopping any form of hunting, trapping etc in and around the village territorial jurisdiction from today onward.
The village Head Gaon Burah, Sunary Umbrey and village Secretary, Dinesh Mepola led the zero hunting village declaration programme amidst the presence of village community people.
Speaking on the occasion, IMCLS President, Pulu and GS Linggi said that the Idu Mishmi communities living in the region have been friendly with nature and wildlife. “In our tradition we treated Tigers as our brothers and Monkeys as our sisters due to which hunting was minimal among the Idu Mishmi communities in comparison to other tribes of the state.
But due to rampant hunting prevailing in the area, wildlife population has miserably decreased which is a serious concern for the ecological balance and healthy environment”, said both Pulu and Linggi. Village HGB Umbrey and secretary Mepola has also appealed to the entire fellow citizen dwelling around and in the district to support the initiative of the Aohali village to preserve and protect the wildlife population including the forest timbers which are being rampantly damaged in recent years thereby directly and indirectly affecting the mankind and its survival.
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Village heads of Aohali and IMCLS also appealed the forest and wildlife department of the state and the district to support the village in their endeavour to keep the village jurisdiction hunting free
On the part of Sibo Passing, ADC Mebo, he deeply appreciated the initiative of the Aohali villagers and he hoped that such a noble step from the village will inspire other villagers also. “I have personally witnessed the side effects and bad repercussions of hunting in our own Adi community who are known for hunting due to a kind of manhood/manly replication from hunting of a man who happened to be a good hunter in the old days”.
“My own father, both paternal and maternal uncles and a cousin brother had passed through accidents related to hunting in the recent past. So, I too personally discourage hunting and killing of wild animals which is not only bad for the ecological balance, but it is also bad for the economical and health concerns of an individual hunter who mostly dedicate his time in the hunting”, added Passing while taking the example of his own village friend group (Angong Sirum) from Meka village under Roing circle of Lower Dibang Valley district who have also initiated measures to stop hunting.
An administration head of Mebo Sub-Division, Passing also assured to extend all his support to the Aohali villagers in their endeavor toward zero hunting village.
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Aohali village is the only village of Idu Mishmi tribe in East Siang District located on the border region of East Siang and Lower Dibang valley district with nearly 44.3 KM distance from district HQ Pasighat and 21 KM from Mebo ADC HQ. With only around 40 households and around 216 population, Aohali village is dwelled along the National Highway-13 and is approachable from both Pasighat and Roing, the district HQs of East Siang and Lower Dibang Valley districts.
The closest village of Aohali is Silluk village which is located at the distance of around 6 KM and is popularly known for its cleanliness tag for having won cleanest village of East Siang district for three consecutive times.
With this declaration of Aohali as zero hunting village, ADC Mebo, Passing said that, Aohali will be the first in the state to officially have declared zero hunting village. On the other hand, IMCLS President, Dr. Ista Pulu went on saying that, Aohali will perhaps be the first in India among the tribal villages, because every tribal community are hunters by tradition.
