A stunning case in Madhya Pradesh exposes negligence, unlawful cremation, and absconding forest workers – elevating doubts over tiger conservation efforts.
Madhya Pradesh which by no means misses an opportunity to flaunt its title because the “Tiger State of India,” now finds itself beneath a cloud of suspicion and criticism. A current incident within the Sonewani Conservation Reserve of Balaghat has revealed not solely negligence however what seems to be a deliberate cover-up by the very folks entrusted with safeguarding the state’s most iconic species. In July, a tiger was discovered lifeless within the reserve,however as a substitute of following necessary procedures, it was allegedly burnt with out informing senior forest officers. The matter solely got here to mild when images of the cremation surfaced in a WhatsApp group on August 2 2025. By then, important proof was already destroyed.
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The revelation triggered outrage,resulting in the arrest of six chowkidars. However the deeper rot grew to become evident when a deputy ranger Tikaram Hinote and a forest guard Himanshu Ghormere had been named as accused and promptly went absconding. On August 25, the State Tiger Pressure was pressured to announce rewards for his or her arrest. The absconding of presidency workers—who ought to have been the protectors of wildlife—speaks volumes in regards to the decay inside the forest division. If these on the entrance line of safety flip into collaborators in cover-ups, what hope is left for the tiger?, stated Abhay Kochar , a wildlife activist in Balaghat .
A Sample of Repeated Failures
The pinnacle of the forest pressure, V N Ambade, in a letter to subject administrators of nationwide parks and Chief Conservators of Forests, has already expressed concern in regards to the growing tiger and leopard deaths. Regretting the Sonewani incident, he stated that “ it was unbecoming for the forest division” .However mere letters don’t save tigers. What issues is enforcement, transparency, and the political will to punish these complicit in such crimes. To date, MadhyaPradesh’s file suggests a division extra keen to guard its personal workers than the animals it’s supposed to protect, a senior official stated.
Destroying Proof, Destroying Belief
The Balaghat case’s most annoying aspect is the alleged unlawful cremation of the tiger in Sonewani reserve situated in Kanha-Pench corridor-located in Kanha-Pench hall. Protocols exist for a motive: each tiger dying have to be reported, a autopsy carried out within the presence of veterinarians and NTCA representatives, and the scene preserved for investigation. By burning the carcass secretly, the forest workers obliterated the possibility to study whether or not the dying was pure or attributable to human palms.This isn’t negligence; it’s obstruction of justice, identified a senior officer of Indian forest service (IFS) .
When the protectors of wildlife destroy proof, suspicion naturally turns towards their involvement within the crime itself. Had been they hiding indicators of poisoning? Was there an try to defend poachers or insiders? These are questions that may now not be answered as a result of the body-the most important piece of evidence-was lowered allegedly to ashes. This isn’t only a breach of legislation; it’s a betrayal of public belief.
Activists Demand an Impartial Probe
Wildlife activists have rightly demanded that the Wildlife Crime Management Bureau (WCCB) take over the investigation. Balaghat primarily based activist Abhay Kochar has written a letter to the WCCB requesting to take up the problem. He stated that ,” There is no such thing as a proof of even carcass burning, which is why I termed it disposing of the physique”, he informed this blogger. How can the identical division accused of wrongdoing be trusted to conduct a good probe into its personal misdeeds?, he requested
The WCCB, with its nationwide mandate and impartial standing, is much better positioned to uncover the reality. This demand stems from bitter expertise. Repeatedly, inside departmental inquiries into suspicious wild life deaths in Madhya Pradesh have led to whitewashes. At finest, low-ranking workers turns into scapegoat whereas the bigger community of negligence and corruption goes untouched. Except an exterior company steps in, this case dangers going the someway, a senior police official in Balaghat opined.
The Erosion of the “Tiger State” Title
Madhya Pradesh has constructed a global repute on its tiger reserves—Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Pench, and Satpura are international names in wildlife tourism. The state constantly boasts the best tiger inhabitants in India, a standing that fuels tourism revenues and conservation satisfaction. However each suspicious dying chips away at that picture. If the state can’t assure the survival of its tigers, the “Tiger State” title will grow to be nothing greater than hole branding.The world nonetheless remembers the shame of Panna Tiger Reserve within the early 2000s, when poaching worn out its tiger inhabitants solely. It took years of reintroduction and large funding to revive it. Balaghat is a warning signal that related negligence is alive and nicely in Madhya Pradesh’s forests.
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The tiger’s dying in Sonewani Conservation Reserve isn’t just an remoted tragedy. It’s a damning indictment of the rot in Madhya Pradesh’s conservation equipment. Unlawful cremations, absconding guards, and destroyed proof don’t occur by chance—they occur as a result of a tradition of impunity permits them to.If Madhya Pradesh actually needs to stay the “Tiger State,” it should show it in deeds, not slogans. Which means clear investigations, harsh penalties for wrongdoing, and systemic reforms that prioritize the tiger over departmental face-saving. In any other case, the forests of Madhya Pradesh threat turning into not sanctuaries of satisfaction, however graveyards of negligence.
By Deshdeep Saxena
Consultant photographs from Balaghat district administration, GOMP
