The Environment Ministry has severely criticised the BBC and requested that they blacklist their South Asia correspondent Justin Rowlatt, over a documentary that highlights the government’s “ruthless anti-poaching strategy” for the Kaziranga tiger reserve.
According to a report by The Indian Express, the Ministry told that the documentary presented a one-sided picture, and was panned as being “grossly erroneous”.
The film, Killing for Conservation explores the darker secrets of Kaziranga, raising a question as to whether the war on poaching has gone a step too far. The film claims that the guards were given the power to ‘shoot and kill’, which according to Rowlatt, has led to the deaths of 23 poachers, compared to 17 rhinos last year.
The Issue at Hand
The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) faulted both Rowlatt and the BBC for airing the programme last Saturday without submitting it to the Ministries of Environment and External Affairs for the mandatory preview necessary to “remove any deviations, so as to achieve a balanced and accurate exposition of the theme.”
Furthermore, The NCTA revealed that in their original letter (in which they were seking permission to film), the BBC wanted to present a story on the challenges and expertise of India’s conservation drive.
We would like to report on and feature what we consider the most exciting aspect of conservation in India — the elite rangers of Kaziranga as they go on night patrol and show our viewers the efforts being taken to protect wildlife in India.BBC to the NCTA
Kaziranga tiger reserve director Satyendra Singh claims to have been misquoted by the BBC, whom he believes altered facts to suit their own narrative.
“They (BBC) have misrepresented facts and selectively over-dramatised interviews and old footage. For example, I spoke for half an hour and they selectively used about a minute. They had a different agenda fuelled by certain foreign NGOs and local elements opposed to conservation. We are exploring all options including legal steps.”
NCTA Issues Notice
Under Section 38 of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972, the NTCA have given both Rowlatt and BBC’s South Asia bureau, seven days to show cause as to why their filming permissions should not be permanently revoked.
It further warned the BBC of cancelling all future permits, if the programme was not removed from various online portals with immediate effect. The Indian High Commission in the UK has also been asked to take action.
The BBC Response
In an article on BBC.com, Rowlatt talked at length about the issues present in Kaziranga.
“Its rangers have been given the kind of powers to shoot and kill normally only conferred on armed forces policing civil unrest. At one stage the park rangers were killing an average of two people every month – more than 20 people a year. Indeed, in 2015 more people were shot dead by park guards than rhinos were killed by poachers.”
The film claims that apart from killing poachers, unsuspecting locals too have lost their lives, for having strayed into the park, which doesn't have a designated boundary. A young boy, with severe learning difficulties, was apparently shot at and maimed for having trespassed into the premises looking for his lost cows.
When clarifying their stance, BBC spokesman told The Indian Express in an email:
“This film makes clear the successes achieved by India’s conservation policies in preserving the country’s most iconic wildlife. However, the film also expressly set out to explore the challenges of India’s conservation drive and during production it became clear that one of those challenges was the impact on communities living next to the park. Our audiences expect us to bring them the full picture, while adhering to our editorial standards and this piece is no different.”
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