Conflict and Coexistence in West Bengal’s Jangalmahal Region

• Five elephants clashed in Jhargram, a forest region in West Bengal, rekindled a three-decade-old conflict.
• A ‘hula party’ attempted to drive the elephants away, trapping and setting it on fire.
• Wildlife activists protested the brutality of the killing and the crude practices of the hula party.
• Two members of the hula party were arrested after the attack went viral.
• Public interest litigation has been filed, claiming no official and properly trained personnel were present.
• The Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Jhargram, Umar Imam, argues that elephants are “sharp, intelligent, and adaptive.”
• The use of electric fencing to restrict Schedule I animals is illegal in India according to the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
Elephant Attacks in Jhargram: Lives Lost and Impact on Communities
• Villagers in Jhargram are at high risk of elephant attacks due to the highway connecting the town to the rest of the state.
• Many villagers have lost their crops to elephants, with cashew and mango crops being the most affected.
• Hula party workers are at risk due to the lack of formal training or safety gear.
• Sanjib Mahato, a former hula party member, lost his job after two injuries to his legs.