Leopard movement in Dibrugarh tea estates triggers panic among residents

Dibrugarh, July 30: In the lush green sprawl of tea plantations in Dirugarh district, where the scent of fresh leaves wafts through the air, a darker truth lurks – one soaked in fear, blood, and the deafening silence of institutional apathy.

Tea garden workers in the region are caught in a dangerous and tragic conflict with leopards, which have increasingly begun encroaching into human settlements. These big cats are no longer confined to the forest fringes – they have invaded the very paths, fields, and housing enclaves of tea garden workers. And yet, those who have the power to help the vulnerable people remain indifferent. For the poorly paid workers and their families, it has become a struggle not just to earn a living but to survive each day.

Take the case of Nageswari Karwa, a tea worker from Desam Tea Estate, whose life was brutally cut short when a leopard pounced on her as she was carrying lunch to the garden’s hospital for her ailing son. Her death sent ripples of fear through the tea estate – and also served as a grim reminder of how unsafe life has become in these once-peaceful plantations. Yet, beyond initial outrage, little has been done.

Her grieving family underwent an uphill battle – obtaining the post-mortem report, producing affidavits, and doing other paperwork to claim the legitimate compensation. Two months have passed, yet the aggrieved family has not received any ex-gratia for the loss of a human life, despite sacrificing mandays and submitting the prescribed documents and certifications at the local forest office and the office of the revenue circle officer.

“She had just stepped out with the day’s tiffin. Who would think that would be her last walk?” said a neighbour, holding back tears. “We are not even safe in daylight. The fear never leaves us.”

“We cannot afford to miss work. Every day counts. But without running from office to office, no one helps us. Who has the time or the money?” asked Nageswari’s son, tears welling in his eyes. Prescribed documents and certifications are mandatory to claim compensation. However, for daily wage earners, even a day off from work means lost meals.

Nageswari is not alone. Leopard sightings and attacks have been steadily increasing across tea gardens. In nearby Dikom Tea Estate alone, over thirty leopards were caged within a span of 14 years. In several other tea estates, leopards have killed or mauled residents and decimated livestock – ducks, goats, dogs – leaving families devastated and communities on edge. Fear has become a constant companion. Yet despite repeated attacks, no long-term plan appears to be in place.

Experts argue that merely trapping the animals in cages isn’t the answer. “Caging or relocating a leopard doesn’t address the ecological imbalance or prevent another animal from entering,” says a local wildlife conservationist. So, what is the solution?

A few months ago, when a leopard was seen near a residential colony (JP Nagar) in the city, the administration reacted within hours – deploying forest officials, laying traps, and maintaining 24x7 surveillance. In stark contrast, tea garden workers are often left to fend for themselves.

“Are the lives of tea garden workers less valuable than of those living in towns? Why is there such urgency when a leopard is spotted in a residential area in Dibrugarh town, but none when the same type of animal threatens daily-wage earners in remote gardens? Do our lives not matter? When we die, nobody even notices. But when a leopard is seen in a town, everyone panics and acts. What are we to them? Just votes and labour?” asks Nipen Munda, a youth leader from Baughpara Tea Estate. “As leopards roam and maul with impunity, the real question is: Where is our humanity?”

It’s a crisis crying for attention – not just from the government, but from society at large.

- By Pores Aind