Daulat Rahman/Guwahati
Tall and well-built Joinal Abedin has transformed himself from a professional hunter to saviour of wildlife in Assam. Abedin had got into hunting quite early in life. He had taken fancy to his father’s gun as the latter would get ready for hunting expeditions.
“I loved to watch my father whenever he planned his sojourns within the Dibru Saikhowa forest area. Dibru Saikhowa was not declared a biosphere reserve at that time. Slowly, I decided to follow in my father’s footsteps and take up hunting. Danger and challenges associated with hunting excited me.
World Nature Conservation Day
"My hunting career started with brief forays into the forest to kill a duck or a wild chicken. I initially thought that it would be just a hobby. But then the abundant wildlife within the forest began to attract people from different walks of life, and I started accompanying them to forest areas for hunting. That’s when, without even realising it, I became a professional hunter,” Abedin told Awaz-the Voice.
Two incidents -the untimely death of an unborn buffalo calf and a forest officer getting squashed by a rogue elephant - changed Abedin.The first incident took place during the Army’s first operation against the then-banned ULFA, a militant outfit in Assam in between 1991 and 1992. “I met a senior Indian Army officer whose name I do not want to disclose. The officer wanted a buffalo horn. I told him that a lot of buffalo skulls could be found lying in the forest and he could pick any of those. But the Army officer insisted that I should shoot a live wild buffalo and procure its horn. During those days it was difficult to say ‘no’ to an Army officer’s wish.
Joinal Abedin speaking at the Nature camp for the youth
"Eventually, I ended up going into the forest in search of a live wild buffalo and shooting one without even realizing that the innocent animal was pregnant at that time. That’s when I made the biggest mistake of my life—something that I live to regret. From then, I decided to stay away from guns for the rest of my life,” Abedin said.
Soon after this incident, Abedin met a man who was to change the course of his life. In 1992, Narayan C Sarma came to Dibru Saikhowa on the posting of a forest range officer. Sarma was fearless and dedicated to the cause of wildlife protection.
“There are countless lives across Assam that he touched and changed for the better. Mine was one of them. When he first arrived, he called all the locals and told us about the perils of hunting. He would spend hours showing me slides on various animals in the forest and their importance within the ecosystem,” Abedin said.
Sarma’s influence changed Abedin and he developed a keen interest in wildlife conservation. His vast knowledge of the forest was finally being put to good use as he would go to villages to tranquilize rogue elephants.
Jonial Abedin at his tourist lodge area
Abedin later founded the Dibru Saikhowa Conservation Society. He hasn’t looked back since that time. He conducts awareness camps in neighbouring villages of Dibru Saikhowa National Park for the conservation of wildlife.
Expressing concern over the fact that hunting still takes place in other forests including Dibru Saikhowa, Abedin said “I always tell officers of the forest department to focus on the education of locals. If they have the means of earning a decent livelihood, they will never resort to hunting.”
Abedin now trains local youth to work in his eco-tourism lodge at Dibru Saikhowa National Park. “During the tourist season, they earn Rs 300 for each boating trip. Say, if one person makes four such trips a day, then he earns a minimum of Rs 1,200. Why would he then put his life in danger and go hunting in the forest?” he said.
Abedin hopes that hunting and poaching will come to an end in all national parks, reserve forests, wildlife sanctuaries, and other forest areas in Assam.
“I believe that there are still officers like Narayan Sarma in the Forest department who will truly dedicate themselves to wildlife protection and preservation. And I will continue till my last breath in life to do whatever it takes to protect wildlife,” Abedin said.
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