There was an article in a leading English newspaper about the beauty of the sprawling Manas National Forest in lower Assam. It spoke largely about the tourist attraction it had and published a photo of a foreigner sitting on a elephant.
I have a large group of friends from Assam settled in many Metros and whenever I speak to them, the first question they ask is "Howz Assam doing?" And many a times our whole evening had just one question to discuss....Assam. This subject used to draw discussion on various topics of terrorism, ethinicity, politics, development etc. But there has always been a topic that never caught people's attention...the rampant illelegal wood smuggling going on.
The presence of terrorist groups and their control over the huge natural resource of Wood...Manas National forest shall feature strongly on all the maps and google earth images...except on ground !!
Over last many years, there has been a consistent deforestation and illegal smuggling of wood in this area...with many kms of forested areas being cut of all the quality trees. This is not possible without a strong understanding between the forest officials and other govt agencies. Large number of "thella's" cross the forest in the night and trucks loaded and wood despatched to various parts by morning.
Here...its an open secret...any village boy shall let you how to get good quality wood from deep inside the jungles and how is it "managed" to cross the check points and loaded on to the trucks.
I wonder sometimes all the major campaign that are started by many NGO's or campaign that get publicity from the media have any effect on the reality that is prevailing...
Its a sad state of affairs...and my answers sometimes demoralise the evening with my friends from Assam in hyd...There shall be greenery but of all bushes and grass and all the major trees shall be confined to few photographs that are placed in the Assam state museum...
I came...I saw...I hope to see them again !!
