Poachers Market The Sonepur Mela in Bihar, advertised by the government as the biggest cattle fair in Asia, is a hub of illegal trade in protected animals like elephants, langurs and birds. Ironically, despite numerous wildlife protection laws, government propaganda and the presence of police at the grounds, the mela - held this year from November 5 to December 4 - continues to be a hub of illegal trade in wildlife. Trade in elephants remained an important part of the Sonepur Mela until recently, even though the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 prohibits their sale and purchase. Those who owned elephants before the Act came into effect were given registration numbers for the animals, but were forbidden from selling them, says Shekhar Niraj of TRAFFIC , a wildlife trade monitoring network. Acting under pressure from animal rights activists, the Bihar government has put a curb on the sale and purchase of elephants at the fair. However, elephants continue to be brought for display to the fair and activists believe the venue now acts as a meeting place for buyers and sellers, with only the actual handing-over of the animals taking place outside the mela grounds. A STUDY IN CRUELTY The Chidiya Bazaar occupies a small part of the fair, but sees high footfall. Unlike most of the fair, this is an enclosed space. Just outside the entrance, a notice put up by the government shows pictures of the species of birds that are protected. Trade in these birds is banned or restricted. Pictures of parakeets, mynahs, hill mynahs, shikras and munias are prominent. Hardly anyone spares a glance at the notice and a brisk business in exactly these species is conducted inside the bazaar alongside the legal trade in varieties such as the lovebird. Monkeys and langur, both of which are protected under the Wildlife Act, are also sold here. I also saw a porcupine being sold, says a local activist. Hostile to curbs on their illegal trade, traders do not allow photography inside the market. Every stall in Chidiya Bazaar is a study in cruelty to animals. The shikras have their eyes stitched shut. You need to speak to it so that it gets used to the sound of your voice. Then you open its eyes in the presence of the entire family, explains one shopkeeper. While most traders insist the birds and animals are bred in captivity, a few, such as Ashraf, admit that many are caught from the wild. The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, does not differentiate between protected animals caught in the wild or bred in captivity as far as trade is concernedThe act puts a blanket ban on the trade in animals mentioned in schedules I and II of the Act. TRAFFIC has been tracking the illegal wildlife trade in Sonepur Mela for the past 10 years. Activists point out that several species were sighted at the fair for the first time this year. This includes porcupine and nilgai, says Gauri Maulekhi, animal rights activist and co-opted member of the Animal Welfare Board of India. On the issue of whether the traders have the permission of forest officials to trade in these protected animals, Maulekhi says, They wouldnt be so hostile if they were authorised sellers. Also, they provide no valid deeds of sale to buyers. Buyers at Chidiya Bazaar get receipts at the exit that mention the name of the trader but not which animal was bought or its price. HT 7/12/2014
Posted on: Sun, 07 Dec 2014 10:50:31 +0000
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