Sometimes it takes a death to give perspective to the life and sacrifices of our public servants. The tragic death of senior IFS officer S Manikandan in an elephant attack in Karnataka has not only brought the focus back on hazards in the average forester’s life, it also shows how undervalued these guardians of our environment are in the country. The recent attacks by workers of political parties on two IAS officers—in Delhi and Odisha—probably got more coverage than Manikandan’s sacrifice in the line of duty did.
Why is it that the Indian Forest Service (IFS) and the State Forest Service (SFS) not get the recognition they deserve, when their hallowed counterparts like the IAS and IPS are always in the news for their do-gooder initiatives? The reasons are not far to seek.
Forest officers, in a political system like India, are seen as ‘obstructionists’ of development. If a democratically elected government has five years to keep the promises made to people, it is the IAS and IPS officers who play a big role in delivering the goods. Bluntly put, when vote banks matter, IFS and SFS officials are viewed as villains because they are always fighting the mindless development unleashed by a government. If the political class wants more roads, bridges, dams and mines at the cost of the environment, it is the forest officers who put a check to their destructive ambitions.
In executing the ‘anti-development’ and unfriendly task, they end up being targets of politicians and NGOs. On the top of it, they face a relentless threat from forest mafia and wildlife smugglers while working in remote, inhospitable terrain as well as in left-wing extremism-affected districts.The latest India State of Forest Report says the country’s forest cover has grown by one per cent between 2015 and 2017. We must credit our green soldiers. Ultimately, it is this 7,08,273 sq km forests which will save the country against the onslaught of climate change. It is about time India appreciated those who keep our future safe, although at a great personal cost.