Central idea

The National Tiger Conservation Authority has proposed to notify Dibang Wildlife Sanctuary in Arunachal Pradesh as a tiger reserve, causing concerns among the Idu Mishmi community.
The Idu Mishmi community has a unique cultural relationship with the forest, particularly with tigers.
This article explains who the Idu Mishmis are, their relationship with the forest, the move to propose a tiger reserve, and the community’s resistance.

Who are the Idu Mishmis?

The Idu Mishmi community is a sub-tribe of the larger Mishmi group, primarily living in the Mishmi Hills bordering Tibet in Arunachal Pradesh.
The tribe has strong ties with the flora and fauna of the region, particularly tigers, which are considered their “elder brothers” in their mythology.
Despite traditional hunting practices, the tribe follows a belief system of myths and taboos that restrict them from hunting many animals, including a complete prohibition on killing tigers.
This belief system has led to a unique model of wildlife conservation, according to anthropologists and researchers.

Plans to declare Dibang Wildlife Sanctuary as a tiger reserve have been ongoing for a while now.
The sanctuary, home to rare Mishmi takin, musk deer, goral, clouded leopards, snow leopards, and tigers, was notified in 1998.
The Wildlife Institute of India carried out a survey in 2014 to determine the presence of tigers in the area based on photographic evidence via camera trapping.
The study recorded the presence of tigers in the highest reaches of the Mishmi Hills, forming the basis of the proposal to declare the sanctuary as a tiger reserve.

The community’s access to the Dibang forests has not been impacted as a wildlife sanctuary, but many believe a tiger reserve would increasingly restrict access.
The upgrade to a tiger reserve would feature stricter security measures, such as a ‘Special Tiger Protection Force,’ which would hinder the community’s access to their forest lands.
The community has declared part of its forest land as a ‘Community Conserved Area,’ governed entirely by local populations, where they ban hunting, felling trees, and implement other conservation measures.
The community alleges that the Dibang WLS was created without their consent or knowledge.

	Information
Name and Location	Mishmi people, an indigenous group living in the northeastern Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, as well as parts of Tibet and Myanmar
Subgroups	Idu Mishmi, Digaru Mishmi, and Miju Mishmi
Migration and Language	Believed to have migrated from the Mongoloid race, their languages belong to the Tibeto-Burman family
History	Rich and complex history dating back several centuries, involved in conflicts with neighboring tribes and states, affected by British colonialism and creation of McMahon Line, played important role in Sino-Indian War
Culture	Rich cultural heritage and traditional knowledge, unique customs and practices related to birth, marriage, and death, known for craftsmanship skills in weaving, woodcarving, and metalwork, rich mythology
Religion	Primarily animists, believe in spirits in nature, worship ancestors and spirits of forests and mountains, rich tradition of shamanism
Livelihoods	Primarily agriculturists, with rice as staple crop, engage in animal husbandry, fishing, beekeeping is an important source of income, hunting restricted
Challenges	Struggling to protect ancestral lands from outsiders, culture and way of life threatened by modernization and globalization, vulnerable to effects of climate change