Forest Guards

All the planning that goes behind managing our forests is, at the very basic level, looked after by the forest guards. In that sense, forest guards are at the vanguard of looking after a veritable ecological necessity. The questions that we wish to ask are as follows: what is the situation of the forest guards? What effect does that have on the maintenance of forests? What to do?

Forest guards are recruited from the general populace (those applying are mostly farmers) in the same way as police personnel are. Their duty is to mind their respective beat, one guard per beat, five square kilometers per beat. This includes enforcing the legal system that has been put up in place to maintain forests (ward off poachers, take wild-life census, etc.). For this, provisions are regularly stipulated to them, things considered basic necessities for this job: quarters to stay in, transport, needed effects like shoes, uniform, flashlights, and the necessary training. They must know the language of the locals and, like others, must be ready to work under a bureaucracy of a certain definition. In return, they get paid as Class III officers, and have corresponding govt. privileges.

This is as far as the systematic world of the forest guard is concerned; though reality hardly sticks to a system; interestingly, the system is still portrayed as if working fine.

The prime theme that runs through a discussion on forest guards and bio-preservation is motivation. Forest guards are highly motivated as prospective employees, given that it is a job which they think is good as an experience. Yet, it is found that most forest-guards lose this motivation in some time, since the material rewards are lower than what they should be for a Class III officer as per the sixth pay commission. Apart from this, all those provisions mentioned before fail to reach them, given the leakage that happens in the abdomen of bureaucracy of the money alloted to provide those. Apart from this, there are local and regular issues like corruption or feuds with locals that come up, which add to the detriment of their conditions. This is exactly what is meant by a self-perpetuating system: no matter what may be the real scenario, that something is wrong almost never comes through in the case of the forest-guard.

What, then, is the debate about? Firstly, a de-motivated worker can only give much less than optimum work; the logic is pretty simple – what you pay for is what you get. Secondly, it is a necessity that our ecological buffers – or what we have left of it – be preserved. So obviously, there is a contradiction in the system that is running, for the one who is in-charge of a necessity is disposed not to consider it so. What, then, has to be our approach?

One of the first things that is suggested is policy; it is postulated that if the rules are put in order from the higher ups and are provided for sufficiently, problems ought not to arise. Another approach suggests that this is a managerial problem, in the sense that the management of the rules has been inadequate and that needs to be looked after. This is pointing to the embezzlement of funds that went into providing motivation to the forest-guards as something which lacks an estimation of the real needs – conservation of green ecology – over the 'needs' of petty officials. Thirdly, it is also suggested that the role of conservationists and activists is a requisite, given that a system won't correct itself. Simple things like awareness drills, training, necessities of work, if provided by those concerned, could go a long way in protecting important parts of our environment. A very innovative managerial step could be getting the local population – who have lived in that milieu and know more about it, are, in pathos, more close to it – involved in bio-conservation. Lastly, it is also necessary that the material growth of society ought to be carried forward with its roots firm in ecological viability, for it is unsafe to stifle the green for the gray.

*Based on a study done by Ruth Pinto (St. Xavier's College) and a discussion around it