Encourage to discourage hunting

For Nagas, hunting as a community practice is steeped in history and culture. Hunting goes beyond the act of killing and eating – or selling. For us, it is a way of life. Or, it used to be. Our forefathers hunted for what they needed and hunting was more of a seasonal activity. That is how they could maintain a balance and their hunting expeditions never disturbed nature. They were very knowledgeable about nature – they knew what to hunt, when to hunt. They respected nature and they lived with nature. Today, with the proliferation of air guns and rifles, hunting has depleted our forests of all wildlife. Our forefathers hunted for protein and nourishment; hunting was an assertion of control over land. They would never hunt on another’s territory, not because they couldn’t but because they respected each other.

Today, it is common knowledge that almost every Naga household has at least an air gun. These days, sophisticated air rifles are easily available in the market and it is the urban dwellers who own the most of these guns. It can be safely said that urban dwellers are hugely responsible for killing off most of the birds in our area. It is in this context that makes one wonder how the educated urban lot fail to understand the importance of preserving wildlife and birds. There is a need to find a way to persuade our ‘trigger happy’ urban dwellers to desist from shooting birds and engage in non-destructive activities like promoting the shooting sport.

There is also a dearth of advocacy groups and individuals in Mokokchung as far as wildlife protection and conservation is concerned. We need role models like Megovisa Sophi, the hunter turned conservationist of Khonoma village. There is this uplifting news of Asukhomi villagers in neighbouring Zunheboto district voluntarily surrendering their hunting weapons and guns to the village council. Similar news has also been reported in Arunachal Pradesh which even won the admiration of the Prime Minister. These acts are results of years of advocacy and persuasion. Unfortunately, there are no known vocal advocates of wildlife conservation in Mokokchung.

Yes, there are laws like the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 as well as respective villages making their own rules to preserve and protect wildlife. Yet, something is amiss in Mokokchung when it comes to wildlife conservation and protection efforts. It is dreadful to see people going out for hunting even during the bird nesting season. Identifying and rewarding individuals and conservationists, and felicitating villages that are making conservation efforts by the government or its agencies might be considered to encourage as a means to inspire others to follow suit. Apart from executing the law, certain proactive measures need to be undertaken to discourage rampant hunting and proliferation of air rifles and guns.

Mokokchung Times