Guwahati, Dec 22: The director of award-winning film Manah and Manuh (Manas National Park and People) Dip Bhuyan has said that the film tries to highlight that conservation of a forest area and its resources is not possible at all without the support of the community residing in surrounding areas.
He said making more such films which are focused on flagging the importance of community support, traditional knowledge and practices of the community in protection of nature, should be encouraged in the greater interest of biodiversity conservation.
“Importance of the role of common people in conservation and protection of forest areas must be realized by various government and non-government agencies working in the sphere,” the film director said.
He was speaking at the screening of the film organized at Guwahati Press Club on Wednesday under the aegis of Aaranyak (www.aaranyak.org) which produced the film along with the Manas National Park Authority and Forest Department of Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) Assam.
The screening of the film was sponsored by GROW (Grassroots Resilience Ownership Wellness) Fund provided by EdelGive Foundation so as to raise the awareness level on community contribution towards conservation of nature.
The Associate Director of the film, Jayanta Kumar Sarma who had conceptualized the idea behind the film, said the film highlights the relation of people especially womenfolk with Manas Biosphere Reserve that encompasses Manas National Park and Manas Tiger Reserve. He said the film also highlights the importance of Manas Park for the biosphere reserve.
Senior conservation biologist from Aatanyak, Dr Bibhuti Prasad Lahkar who was intricately involved in making of the film, said common people were still trying to protect Manas Park when it was being devastated during the tumultuous days of 1990s during Bodoland movement. The film, he said, intends to depict roles of all stakeholders, especially the landscape people in protection of Manas.
Dr Lahkar said Aaranyak was dubbing the film which was awarded Rajat Kamal for being the best environment film in the National Film Festival 2022, in Bodo language as the Bodo tribe community indigenous to Manas landscape has been playing a great role in conservation of Manas Park.
“Aaranyak is planning to set up a community wellbeing fund for Manas landscape people with Rajat Kamal Award money of Rs 50000 (fifty thousand) and mobilizing contributions from different sources,” Dr Lahkar said.
By Bijay Sankar Bora