 Siliguri,
Aug 9: In 1992, after the invasion of the Bodo militants
the Manas Wildlife Sanctuary was included in the red-list
by the UNESCO – which meant that the site was in danger.
Manas had been declared a World Heritage
Site in 1985, which had a tiger reserve; a biosphere reserve;
a national park and a reserve forest. But after the militant
campaign the sanctuary suffered damages worth $ 2 million.
However, after the Bodo gave up their militant
life and the formation of the Bodo Council on February, 2003,
took place they resolved to put the sanctuary back into the
UNESCO’s World Heritage list.
The Bodo people with their determination
and reformed outlook scripted a spectacular success with the
Northeast’s first community-based eco-tourism project
in Manas. Now they are positive enough to hope that the name
of the World Heritage Site will be struck off the UNESCO’s
“red-list” for good.
The Siliguri-based Help Tourism and Ashoka Holidays had formed
the Manas Maozigendri Eco-Tourism Society (MMES) two years
ago. The society mainly consisted of reformed Bodos who were
previously poachers or hardcore militants. They involved themselves
in several conservation and tourism programmes and did a commendable
job which won them praise and appreciation from all quarters.
The MMES and the people of Manas were hopeful when Kishore
Rao, Deputy-Director, UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre,
and David Shepherd, Head of the World Conservation Union’s
Programme on Protected Areas, visited the sanctuary to assess
and review the status of the area.
The MMES is supported by the Manas Tiger
Reserve, Bodo Territorial Council, All Bodo Students’
Union, Chapguri Koklabari Anchalik Committee and ACT.
Many people are quite upbeat that given
the success of the MMES project they might be removed of the
red-list. If not, at least they will be shown in a positive
light after the shameful episodes in the past. |
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