Living on the fringes of human animal conflict

Exclusion is multi-dimensional and comes in various forms, one of which is who are the people most impacted by human-animal conflict. Adivasi (tribal) communities have coexisted peacefully with animals in forested areas for centuries, however, increased loss of forest cover has impacted both. Tribal communities have lost their livelihoods and animals have lost their habitat.

The loss of habitat has led to increased elephant attacks on communities living on the forest fringes, with 500 people and 100 elephants being killed annually in India due to this. The Economic Inclusion Program works with communities in West Bengal and Assam that are particularly vulnerable to elephant attacks.

In West Bengal, we work with the Sabar and Lodha communities, a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG), in collaboration with Anandadhara (WBSRLM). In Jhargram block the community faces 2 to 3 deaths and injuries daily due to elephant attacks. Our program participant Rebati Nayak Didi from Lodhasuli Gram Panchayat lost her entire family - husband, son and daughter to it. Many of our Didis are sole-earning members of their family with no assets - land or livestock - or other income sources. They depend on non-timber forest produce or uncertain daily wage labour for survival.

Two weeks ago in Assam’s Aie Puali Village, Sidli Chirang Block, Romita Didi’s house was attacked by elephants while she was having her evening tea with her husband, who is a daily wage earner, and two of her children were sleeping inside their home. Beramaya Sutradhar, another program participant, is over 50 years old and stays alone in a half-built kutcha house. That evening, when she heard noise and cries from Romita Baideu’s (Didi) house she was just about to run to enquire about what happened when she saw the herd of elephants come towards her. She recalls, “Had the elephants attacked my place that night, I don't know what and how I would have managed.”

Beramaya Baideu is a daily wage earner, who often goes to Bhutan and works as a helper in the vegetable market there. She doesn’t have any government ID so has to take a risk to go across the border. On days she can’t go and works as a domestic help in the neighboring village she earns Rs. 50. On difficult days she says, “there’s no way out, I drink some water and try sleeping.”

But throughout all this, our Didis still wait and look forward to the SETU Sarathi Baideu to visit their homes and for the weekly Small Group Meetings (SGMs). After the elephant attack when our changemaker Fulmaya Baideu met them Romita Baideu and Beramaya Baideu’s eyes lit up with eagerness to share their experiences. Beramaya Baideu said, “We have a lot of bitter days, but yet we wait for Fulmaya, who’s now like my daughter, and sharing all our bitter days makes it sweet.”

This story too has a sweet ending and one that proves the power of community-led action and community institutions. A week after learning about Romita Baideu’s loss,? Sadli Chirang block’s Cluster Level Federation (CLF), named Sunjurung Model CLF, under Assam State Rural Livelihood Mission (ASRLM) took complete responsibility for rebuilding the house. The representatives (Office Bearers) of the CLF, Jeevika Sakhi of the concerned Village Council (VCDC) and SETU Sarathi (UPCM Fulmaya Baideu) were present during the process.

The CLF purchased the required materials and hired and provided the cost for two labourers, who were local villagers and knew the representatives of the CLF, so they offered their services at a much lower cost. The rebuilding took the whole day, and all the representatives and cadre waited till Romita Baideu’s home was completely rebuilt. This is what everyday heroism and solidarity look like, the entire community coming together to support and protect each other.