Community policing and the monkey god

12

By: Mohit Behl

Dharamsala: Despite all the measures adopted by the present and previous governments of Himachal, nothing has been able to stop the monkeys from increasing their numbers in the state. The recent protest by farmers from across the state in front of the Vidhan Sabha is an evidence of how serious the problem is, but it is amazing that the government claims it has successfully implemented sterlisation programme in Shimla & surrounding areas and thus the issue is over.

We all know that monkeys pose threat in both rural as well as urban areas but till now no concrete solution has come up which could help solve or minimize the menace. The situation in district Kangra is similar as in other parts of the state. One can see huge groups of monkeys along the national and state highways here, where their presence is solely because of the tourists who feed them for fun sake or for religious reasons. The government of curse had banned feeding monkeys, but who cares!

Tourist halts on highways are becoming monkey sanctuaries as they are being regularly fed by

Photo: Mohit Behl

humans. This is clearly visible on the Hoshirapur-Chintpurni highway where now-a-days there are armies of monkeys feeding on human bounty. Besides tourists, ‘roadside breadwalas’ are the major contributors in increasing the menace as, seeing an opportunity to earn some money, they have placed themselves at all vantage points to sell eatable to the tourists to be offered to monkeys. True, everyone has the right to earn a livelihood, but certainly not from an activity which is illegal in the eyes of the law.

While government policemen seem hardly interested in keeping a vigil on such violators, it would be a good idea to employ the same ‘breadwalas’ for community policing, to be engaged in shooing away monkeys from roadsides and maybe also from nearby farms. A Left-wing party has already suggested to include keeping a watch on wild animals under NREGA, so these ‘breadwalas’ can be gainfully employed.

Further up in crowded towns like Kangra, Dharamsala and Palampur, especially religious places, the trader community will have to themselves volunteer to develop community policing models, employing watchmen to keep a vigil on monkeys. Or the only other way left is to give up, and worship the monkey Hanumana to be kind enough to us humans, as is done in Jodhpur.

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12 COMMENTS

  1. @A Left-wing party has already suggested to include keeping a watch on wild animals under NREGA, so these ‘breadwalas’ can be gainfully employed.
    Care for maonkey menace in all possible ways ,but beware of bloody lefties. They are more harmful than monkeys !!

  2. @A Left-wing party has already suggested to include keeping a watch on wild animals under NREGA, so these ‘breadwalas’ can be gainfully employed.
    Care for maonkey menace in all possible ways ,but beware of bloody lefties. They are more harmful than monkeys !!

  3. feral monkies in HP is a relatively new problem. fifteen years ago – you'd have to travel to simla to get 'monkey-on-the-streets' experience. in recent years, you see them all over the place. esp. on the way to simla from chandigarh. people feed them bread and all kinds of crap – and there're billboards suggesting them not to do so. what's the solution? it's harder to solve this mess than it seems.
    religious stuff hangs in the backdrop quiet strongly as well. you can't kill these monkeys (though, in more remote areas, i remember people shooting them down quite openly (maybe no one has pointed out the religious link to them heathen!) and it works quite good in keeping the numbers down – as, you see, villagers treat them as pests (and rightly so – these monkeys have the capability of destroying a farmer's entire crop in matter of one night!).
    this problem needs a quick solution. mass castration seems to pop up in mind as the first solution. but again, i made a comment on the 'cows everywhere in the streets' situation and i was accused of using foul language. its a shame no one even tried to understand the real point i was trying to make. 

  4. feral monkies in HP is a relatively new problem. fifteen years ago – you'd have to travel to simla to get 'monkey-on-the-streets' experience. in recent years, you see them all over the place. esp. on the way to simla from chandigarh. people feed them bread and all kinds of crap – and there're billboards suggesting them not to do so. what's the solution? it's harder to solve this mess than it seems.
    religious stuff hangs in the backdrop quiet strongly as well. you can't kill these monkeys (though, in more remote areas, i remember people shooting them down quite openly (maybe no one has pointed out the religious link to them heathen!) and it works quite good in keeping the numbers down – as, you see, villagers treat them as pests (and rightly so – these monkeys have the capability of destroying a farmer's entire crop in matter of one night!).
    this problem needs a quick solution. mass castration seems to pop up in mind as the first solution. but again, i made a comment on the 'cows everywhere in the streets' situation and i was accused of using foul language. its a shame no one even tried to understand the real point i was trying to make. 

  5. It is delightful to see monkeys in India! Most western countries do not have monkeys, except in zoos. Of course, the damage they do to farmers crops is a serious problem that needs to be solved. We have to remember that monkeys are part of the natural eco-system and that we have encroached onto their lands too. Now we must learn to live together in harmony, which is a complicated matter. The government is doing well in implementing sterilisation rather than killing, as was almost going to happen a few years ago. We need stricter enforcement of fines and more education for these thoughtless people that are continuing to feed monkeys near busy roads. Perhaps there should be designated areas where monkeys are allowed to be fed, away from farmlands and highways. Perhaps near temples. Jai Hanuman!

  6. It is delightful to see monkeys in India! Most western countries do not have monkeys, except in zoos. Of course, the damage they do to farmers crops is a serious problem that needs to be solved. We have to remember that monkeys are part of the natural eco-system and that we have encroached onto their lands too. Now we must learn to live together in harmony, which is a complicated matter. The government is doing well in implementing sterilisation rather than killing, as was almost going to happen a few years ago. We need stricter enforcement of fines and more education for these thoughtless people that are continuing to feed monkeys near busy roads. Perhaps there should be designated areas where monkeys are allowed to be fed, away from farmlands and highways. Perhaps near temples. Jai Hanuman!

  7. I have been waiting some politician to come up with a reply that ' THESE MONKEYS HAVE BEEN SENT BY CHINA AND PAKISTAN" to ruine our cities and villages.

    Monkey population has grown as human population, may be little faster because they are animals. Killing them would be inhuman in the eyes of Madam Menaka Gandhi, why not she give a solution to this Monkey Menace. I have a small solution : LET THE FOREST DEPT PLANT MIXED VARIETY OF FRUIT TREES IN JUNGLES, SPECIALLY PROTECTED FORESTS, SO THAT ROUND THE YEAR THEY HAVE FRUITS IN THE JUNGLE AND NOT COME TO CITIES AND TOWNS., OR AT LEAST REDUCE IN NOS. I DONOT THINK FOREST DEPT HAS EVER TAKEN PAINS TO THIS EFFECT. – SSJ

    • WELL YOU SEEM ABSOLUTELY CORRECT ABOUT THE KIND OF SOLUTIONS WHICH ARE NEEDED TODAY, PERHAPS YOUR SUGGESTION CAN BE ONE OF GREAT HELP IF IMPLEMENTED

  8. I have been waiting some politician to come up with a reply that ' THESE MONKEYS HAVE BEEN SENT BY CHINA AND PAKISTAN" to ruine our cities and villages.

    Monkey population has grown as human population, may be little faster because they are animals. Killing them would be inhuman in the eyes of Madam Menaka Gandhi, why not she give a solution to this Monkey Menace. I have a small solution : LET THE FOREST DEPT PLANT MIXED VARIETY OF FRUIT TREES IN JUNGLES, SPECIALLY PROTECTED FORESTS, SO THAT ROUND THE YEAR THEY HAVE FRUITS IN THE JUNGLE AND NOT COME TO CITIES AND TOWNS., OR AT LEAST REDUCE IN NOS. I DONOT THINK FOREST DEPT HAS EVER TAKEN PAINS TO THIS EFFECT. – SSJ

    • WELL YOU SEEM ABSOLUTELY CORRECT ABOUT THE KIND OF SOLUTIONS WHICH ARE NEEDED TODAY, PERHAPS YOUR SUGGESTION CAN BE ONE OF GREAT HELP IF IMPLEMENTED

  9. It's a very practical solution that would benefit the monkeys as well as humans. It has been discussed before and hopefully this project has by now at least been started! The fruit bearing trees would take years to grow, so fast action would be wise.

  10. It's a very practical solution that would benefit the monkeys as well as humans. It has been discussed before and hopefully this project has by now at least been started! The fruit bearing trees would take years to grow, so fast action would be wise.

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