Has Rajasthan Become Unsafe for the Chinkara?

Chinkara

The magnificent chinkara or the Indian gazelle continues to be poached in Rajasthan for its meat primarily by the Bawariya community supposedly at the order of the wealthy Rajputs. In 2017 so far, a dozen of these gazelles have been illegally hunted in Bikaner district. According to data from the forest department, Jaisalmer and Jodhpur districts each registered about about six to ten incidences of chinkara poaching every year. However, activists stress that real numbers are twice or thrice than those reported. Remarkably, poaching of chinkara is rife in a region with a large population of the Bishnoi community which passionately protects the animals and trees and fiercely assaulting the hunters when they are caught. However, according to Rampal Bishnoi, a conservationist from Jodhpur, the poachers have resorted to other methods of hunting since gunshots alert the Bishnois. Their new method consists of using a tape recorder to play the sound of a chinkara fawn while hiding nearby in a forest area. At times, the poachers would use a battery-operated fan in a tin can to produce a whirring sound to lure the animals. When the gazelles come, the poachers come out from the hiding and strike at the animals' legs, crippling one or two, and beat them to death. They would then quickly sever the head and legs, dump them, and flee with the animals' torsos.

Rajputs in 1876

The poachers are mostly of the Bawariya community, a scheduled caste whose occupation has been hunting and traditionally serving the Rajputs, who are the politically dominant caste in Rajasthan. The Bawariyas are generally poor and live in thatched or one-room houses. The Bishnois dislike both the Bawariyas and the Rajputs, and stress that members of the Bawariya community hunt at the order of the Rajputs who are fond of chinkara meat. According to Sudeep Kaur, deputy conservator of forests, Indira Gandhi Nahar Project - Stage II, Jaisalmer, the number of chinkara poaching cases increases in winter when there is a tourist flow in the region. He further added that the conviction rate is poor, in which out of almost hundred cases in Bikaner, there has only been one conviction and a couple of acquittals while the majority is pending in courts. Chief conservator of forests Raghuvir Singh Shekhawat elaborated on the conviction rate, indicating difficulty in getting evidence or witnesses is difficult in case of an animal death. In addition, the poor Bawariyas are able to get top lawyers to fight their cases.

A Bishnoi woman

Despite its protection under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, the chinkara is continuously poached in its homeland. Even with protection of the Bishnoi people, it is still unsafe as poachers have resorted to far subtle means of killing it without the Bishnois noticing. But what is even more appalling is that the rate of convicting the poachers is very poor, as they are able to have access to top lawyers defending them due to their allegiance to their wealthy employers. However, despite the promise of acquittal from alleged poaching cases, many Bawariyas remain poor and earn as little as Rs. 500 per chinkara they kill. This clearly implies that members of the Rajput community are behind the illegal trade of chinkara meat and benefiting from it. Because they are so wealthy and politically dominant, the Rajputs have little to fear of being tried and convicted on charges related to Rajasthan's ongoing chinkara poaching. It is unconscionable that such members of the Rajput community see themselves as untouchable from law enforcement officials and the judicial system. It is highly essential to take action against this crisis by training the forest department staff on how to frame cases for higher convictions. Furthermore, it is crucial to reach out to the Bawariya community and encourage them to give up the traditional practice of hunting by providing harmless alternatives that can guarantee them a fair pay to support themselves and their families. This could include employing former poachers in the forest department to help in tracking down and capturing other poachers. Most importantly, it is necessary to form a peace treaty between the Bishnois, Bawariyas, and the Rajputs. While some members of the Rajput community are involved in Rajasthan's chinkara poaching, it does not mean that the entire caste is involved. It would be very useful if the Bishnois and the Bawariyas join forces with one another in the battle against poaching in their homeland. If the poaching of the chinkara continues in Rajasthan, then the state would become unsafe for the gazelle.

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