Shillong, March 21: The sacrifice of a leopard in Nongtaleng village of Jaintia Hills district today has brought a minister in the D.D. Lapang government as well as an entire community under a cloud. The forest department is probing the incident.
Residents of Nongtalang, 17 km from Dawki and 3 km from the Bangladesh border, sacrificed the leopard (Felis Bengalensis), a rare and endangered species according to Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, to celebrate Rong Khli or Shad Khla (festival of tiger). The festival, which was held after 10 years, is celebrated by believers of Niam Tynrai (indigenous) religion.
The legislator of War Jaintia (Nongtalang is part of this constituency), R.L. Tariang, who is also the minister for mass and elementary education in the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government, said stopping sacrifice of tigers or leopards would not be easy.
“It involves peoples’ sentiments and we cannot stop it. I am aware of Wildlife Protection Act regulations, but what can we do?” pleaded Tariang, adding that he would answer possible charges against him by the wildlife department for being party to the act.
However, the Poh Snem and other clans who carried out the sacrifice may have to face the wrath of animal rights activists and pay for violating the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.
Conservator of forests, environment, T.T.C. Marak said the range officer of Jaintia Hills had prepared and submitted a report to the deputy commissioner.
“We are not in a position to ascertain how the case will progress. But according to law, the whole community can be booked under Section 51 of penalties,” Marak said. The punishment would be a minimum of one year in jail.
Marak said the carcass of the animal had been recovered, but it was not known whether its head had also been seized by forest department officials. Divisional forest officer, Jaintia Hills, T. Deb Roy, is probing the incident. Normally, members of the community sever the head of the animal and carry it to a sacred place where they perform rituals for two days.