Citizens meet demands CBI probe into rhino killings
Guwahati, February 13: A citizens meet, organized by
the Journalists Forum, Assam (JFA), on Wednesday
demanded a CBI inquiry into the killings of rhinos
going on unabated in Assam to unravel the truth behind
the entire episode.
Held at the Guwahati Press Club auditorium with JFA
president Rupam Baruah in chair, the meeting urged
State Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi to break his silence
on the issue and let the people know his governments
stand and the steps he has taken, if any, to stop the
menace. Incumbent forest minister Rockybul Hussain has
miserably failed to protect the rhinos and prevent
their poaching, the citizens pointed out and said his
failures have proved he is not fit for the job.
The speakers, who included All Assam Students Union
adviser Dr Samujjal Kumar Bhattarcharya, Natures
Beckon director Soumyadeep Datta, senior journalists
Hiten Mahanta, Nava Thakuria, Ranen Kumar Goswami and
Sabita Lahkar and social activists Akhil Ranjan Gogoi,
Ajoi Dutta and Jawaharlal Saha, expressed the opinion
that only the indigenous people living in areas
surrounding the wild life habitats can ensure the
safety of rhinos. And the illegal foreigners settled
in these areas are a threat to wild life and a source
of poaching. The meeting demanded protection to
indigenous peoples rights and eviction of illegal
foreigners.
The citizens demanded a committee to monitor incidents
of rhino poaching, natural death and stocks of wild
life parts in custody of the state forest department.
This committee should include representatives from
cross sections of concerned citizens and exclude
forest department officials and NGOs operating with
forest department funds.
In another demand, the citizens asked the concerned
authorities to conduct a yearly census of wild life
including rhinos and make the results public.
Issued by:
Rupam Baruah, Hiten Mahanta, Nava Thakuria and Ranen
Kumar Goswami on behalf of Journalists Forum, Assam
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