Rumour about Ganesha on social media hampers conservation efforts
| Date :01-Sep-2019 |
Staff Reporter:
A string of falsified reports and rumours about the wild elephant Ganesha planted in the social/online media are hampering the conservation efforts of elephants, which have been displaced, harassed and then captured or killed due to human activities such as mining and encroachments in protected forests. Wildlife Conservationist Nitin Singhvi stated that there has been no official confirmation or repudiation about the allegations so far. However, these unproven reports are installing fear in the people. In the meantime, videos of people harassing the Ganesha also surfaced on the social media.
The video clearly shows Ganesha being extreme tolerant and patience until the harassers went too close to him for his comfort. Officials have claimed the Ganesha killed at least 2 men after July 23, yet neither was there any further elaboration nor any evidence to validate the accusations. The Department even made a terribly botched attempt at capturing and translocation of Ganesha. The elephant had fallen hard on the ground while the staff was trying to load it on a truck. Such serious slamming on ground must have caused Ganesha internal injuries.
There are lots of scare-mongering rumours regarding Ganesha circulating on the mobile phones of Korba, Dharamjaigarh and Raigarh Forest Divisions. Notably, there are a lot of elephants which roam in the same area. People even accused Ganesha of killing a truck driver, which was sleeping in his truck parked in the middle of protected forests on the morning of August 12, 2019 while a motorcyclist was attacked when he chose to ignore the warning of Forest staff and drove into the forested road despite being told not to do so. There is not a single case, where the Ganesha came after humans into villages. No one knows which elephant or elephants attacked the truck as mentioned in the report of Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Dharamjaigarh.
The report did mention that on the morning of August 12, 2019, deceased Sanojram alias Rajeshwar (35), resident of Aurangabad in Bihar, was sleeping in the cabin of his truck which broke down in the middle of forest on RF Chhal to Gharghoda main road b Beat-516 under Bojiya. At around 5:30 am, some elephant or elephants attacked the truck. The truck driver attempted to flee from the truck, but he couldn’t outrun the elephants, which trampled him to death.
The incident was reported by Bojiya Forest Management Committee President Mayaram Rathiya to Beat Guard Bojiya, who reported the matter to higher officials and Beat Assistant Banhar. Range Officer Chhal and subordinate staff reached the spot and carried out necessary inspection and wrote the circumstantial report (Punchnama). Ganesha has radio collar, yet the Department hasn’t given any details of his position or movement which clears the air. Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) Wildlife Atul Shukla stated that they are monitoring the movement and activities of Ganesha. Human life is above all for them and any action will only be taken after expert advice.