Boko, Jan 25: Veteran Boro Dotara Artist Ganesh Boro (70 years old) died due to elephant attack at Jobepara village under Singra Forest Range in Boko on Wednesday night. A wild elephant attacked Ganesh Boro when he went to a nearby paddyfield to bring back their cattles on Tuesday evening.

Gopi Boro, villager of the same village, said, “When he didn’t return from the paddyfield, we villagers started a search operation because we had seen a herd of wild elephants in the nearby area. After that we saw his body but a wild elephant was still nearby with Ganesh’s dead body.”

“We chased the elephant into the jungle and brought back Ganesh Boro’s dead body to his house,” Gopi Boro added.

Swadhin Boro, a social activist, expressed his regret and said that Ganesh Boro was the first Dotara artist from the Bhogdabari-Jobepara area who performed dotara instrument along with the Boro Folk Songs in All India Radio in the year 1977. Later, he served as a priest in the famous Shiv Mandir situated in Nagopara village along the National Highway 17.

“As he belongs to a poor family, I request the Assam Government, State Forest Department and the Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council to give one time compensation to his family for their future,” Swadin Boro added.

He also added that the forest department should find a suitable solution, so that wild elephants don’t enter the village.

An angered Anil Boro, who expressed his concern over the matter, alleged that the state forest department totally failed to control the wild elephant terror.

“After the incident, we called the police and forest department to chase the elephant. But they reached the village after few hours. Everyday our villagers stay awake in the night only because of the elephant, otherwise they enter the village and destroy paddy fields, vegetable gardens, houses and sometimes kill people. Despite all this, the State Forest Department as well as the state government has failed to resolve the year-long pending problem,” he said.

An elderly man Loban Boro alleged that the state government is now creating a ‘monster on a ghost’ situation because they launched a scheme called ‘Mission Amrit Sarovar’. Under this scheme, water bodies will be developed and rejuvenated, and now the government plans to implement the scheme in Jobepara village too. It will help the cattles and wild elephants too, but it also means that in the future wild elephants will attack the village more.

It is to be mentioned that Mission Amrit Sarovar was launched on National Panchayati Raj Day on 24th April, 2022 as part of celebration of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav with an objective to conserve water for the future. The Mission is aimed at developing and rejuvenating 75 water bodies in each district of the country. All the States including States of Assam and Rajasthan are covered under the Mission. As on 29th July, 2022, 80,034 sites have been identified and work has commenced on 35,364 sites. The work has been completed on 4,753 sites.

Meanwhile, Boko Block Development Officer Arnabh Baruah said till now no such schemes were planned in this area. But he will look into the matter to protect the people and their paddy fields and other farming activities.