Idu -Mishmi Tribes and Dibang Wildlife Sanctuary

Subject : Environment

Section: Places in news

Concept :

National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has said that the Dibang Wildlife Sanctuary in Arunachal Pradesh would soon be notified as a tiger reserve.
The announcement has caused disquiet among the area’s Idu Mishmi people, who feel that a tiger reserve would “hinder their access” to the forest.

Idu Mishmi – Tiger brothers

The Idu Mishmi is a sub-tribe of the larger Mishmi group (the other two Mishmi groups are Digaru and Miju) in Arunachal Pradesh and neighbouring Tibet.
Known for their weaving and craftsmanship skills, the Idu Mishmis primarily live in Mishmi Hills, bordering Tibet.
Their ancestral homelands are spread over the districts of Dibang Valley and Lower Dibang Valley as well as parts of Upper Siang and Lohit.
The tribe is estimated to comprise around 12,000 people (as per census 2011), and their language (also called Idu Mishmi) is considered endangered by UNESCO.
Traditionally animists, the tribe has strong ties with the region’s rich flora and fauna. Animals such as the hoolock gibbons and tigers have deep cultural relations with the Idu Mishmi.
Tigers are especially important to the Idu Mishmis — according to Idu mythology, they were born to the same mother, and thus, tigers are their “elder brothers”.
While hunting has traditionally been a way of life, the Idu Mishmis also follow a strict belief system of myths and taboos — ‘iyu-ena’ — that restrict them from hunting many animals, including a complete prohibition on killing tigers.

Reasons for resistance

In its current form as a wildlife sanctuary, the community’s access to the Dibang forests has not been impacted.
But many say a tiger reserve would increasingly restrict access.
An upgrade to a tiger reserve would feature stricter security measures like a ‘Special Tiger Protection Force’, which would be guarding the area at all times. This, the community believes, would cut off access to their forest lands.
Moreover, members of the community claim that Dibang Wildlife Sanctuary was created without people’s consent or knowledge.

About Dibang Wildlife Sanctuary:

It is located nearby Anini district, Arunachal Pradesh.
It has been named after the Dibang River, a tributary of Brahmaputra River.
It occupies part of the Eastern Himalayas, and is a massive spread of lofty mountains, snow covered peaks, deep gorges, lush forests and glistening rivers.
Its altitude ranges between 1800m and 5000m.
Flora:
The two main categories of vegetation are temperate broad leaved forest and temperate conifer forest (Rhododendra, Bamboo, Gregaria, Tsuga etc).
Alpine vegetation occurs at higher altitude with herbs, stunted trees and dwarf bushes.
Fauna:
Mishmi takin, asiatic black bear, tigers, gongshan muntjac, red panda, red goral and musk deer.