Director of 'Manah and Manuh' flags need for more films on community in conservation 

Guwahati, Dec 22: The director of award-winning film Manah and Manuh (Manas National Park and People) Dip Bhuyan has commented that the film intends to drive home that conservation of a forest area is not possible sans the support of the community indigenous to the landscape.

He said making more such films which are focused on 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. The screening was aimed at raising the awareness level on community’s contribution towards nature conservation.

The Associate Director of the film, Jayanta Kumar Sarma said the film highlights the close relationship of people especially womenfolk with Manas Biosphere Reserve that encompasses Manas National Park and Manas Tiger Reserve. He said the film depicts how important Manas ambience for the well being of the fringe community and vice versa.

Senior conservation biologist from Aaranyak, 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.

The publicity secretary of Aaranyak, Dr Alolika Sinha, made a detailed presentation after the screening of the film on activities of the research-based biodiversity conservation organisation Aaranyak across the landscapes and prorammes in the yearthat has gone by.