Timber mafia locks horns with fishermen in Sundarbans

An unseen battle is raging in the Sundarbans between the fishing community and the timber mafia.

The developments came amid a recent World Bank report which highlighted rapid degradation of the region’s ecosystem. The mafia is involved in clearing acres of mangrove forest for easy access to timber and setting up of illegal fish drying centres.

According to functionaries of the National Fish-workers Forum (NFF), a countrywide umbrella organisation of unions operated by fishermen, the latest incident came in the form of an attack on one of their local leaders at the Sundarbans. They point out that despite repeated complaints to the authorities, only temporary solutions is provided and no concrete step taken to weed out the problem. NFF’s national convenor Debasish Shyamal, said that the since March this year almost 20 acres of mangrove forest land has been cleared by the timber mafia.

“This included the felling of almost 300 large trees and nearly 4,000 small mangrove trees. Not only do they cut down trees they also turn these cleared spaces as illegal fish drying spots. We have registered complaints with both the local beat officer and the district forest officer but nothing happened,” Shyamal said.

While members of the Dakshin Banga Matsajibi Forum, an association under NFF, led by block secretary Surajit Maity, registered a complaint with the local forest ranger, no steps were taken to either apprehend the guilty or stop felling of trees.

“Maity and some our local members had specifically identified the six men behind the illegal operation but no action was taken. Our point is as long as the forest is saved, we will be able to fish in the area without hassle but if the forest disappears, so will the fish, along with our livelihood,” Shyamal said.

Since the complaint in March, the timber mafia kept an eye on Maity and attacked his house, where they assaulted his mother, failing to find him at home. “We lodged a complaint against the assault with the district magistrate and the district superintendent of police. We informed them that these men are regularly threatening Surajit with dire consequences over the telephone but again no action was taken,” Shyamal said.