Tribals gear up for hunting festival

Jamshedpur, Apr 29 (UNI) Hundreds of tribals from Jharkhand, Orissa and West Bengal have geared up for the traditional hunting festival, 'Bishu Parv' or 'Sendra', in Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary to be held here tomorrow.

Despite the forest department making all arrangements to prevent the killing of wild animals, Dolma Buru Sendra Samity (DBSS), led by Rakesh Hembram, had decided to go ahead with the festival and threatened to oust the UPA government in the state if the hunters were arrested.

The forest department had taken stringent action against the tribals last year, arresting several hunters for killing wild animals in and around the Dalma hills.

A DBSS delegation led by Demka Soy met the East Singhbhum Deputy Commissioner Nitin Madan Kulkarni last week here to apprise him about the festival.

The Samity members informed Mr Kulkarni that this year also the tribals were preparing the festival, observed to appease the forest God 'Dolma Buru', with traditional weapons.

Mr Kulkarni urged the tribal leaders to desist from hunting down the precious wildlife in the name of traditional rituals.

The officials of the forest department and the police force would be deployed in all entry points of the Dalma hills to prevent the tribals from entering into the sanctuary, he added.

Meanwhile, Jharkhand Deputy Chief Minister Sudhir Mahto, who also has the forest portfolio, urged the tribals to observe the festival in a symbolic way.

The tribals should observe the festival not by killing the wild animals, but by preserving them, he added.

UNI