The heart warming story of Sonaullah Parray
Green Warrior Protects Deodar Forests
Khag: Sonaullah Parray, 50, keeps vigil through the night in the the Khag-Tangmarg region of Kashmir protecting the forests from timber smugglers. Gangs of brutal armed timber smugglers run through the Deodar forestline without any officials manning the area.
Parray keeps vigil, watching out for furtive smugglers who drive logs out on horseback. Part-force, and part-motivation, Parray and his team of a dozen youth, have successfully kept the jungle thieves at bay.
Sonaullah Parray said, “30 youth and I have ensured that felling has stopped. We have seized timber worth crores and confiscated hundreds of horses and handed it over to the government.”
Parray turned an eco-warrior 20 years back, when he saw a man-made nursery disappearing overnight in Rajasthan. He then swore that there won’t be a repeat in his village – where wanton tree-felling and and organised smuggling cartels were happening under the garb of militancy.
“People don’t know how big the losses can get. We are losing wildlife and we barely get any snowfall here now,” he said.
In an area where massive tree felling has been taking place and where timber smugglers in nexus with forest officials have dug deep roots, Parray and his team’s vigilantism has been able to defeat the eco-terrorists.
Parray operates not just in the dangerous Khag-Tangmarg rim but further down to Arizal and Khan Sahib of the mighty Pir Panjal where smugglers have hacked three whistleblowers to death. He, however, is unfazed. In fact, the state has encouraged him to form a village forest committee to patrol some sensitive areas not in government control.
Tangmarg Divisional Forest Officer Saleem Geelani said, “We have already booked 10 persons under the PSA and identified 161 forest smugglers. We will bring all culprits to book.”
The forest vigilante-cum-good Samaritan, Parray, is trying to promote tourism in the area to wean the illiterate villagers away from smuggling.
Mohideen Bhat, a villager, said, “Our youngsters need options. If tourists come to this area, we will earn some money to support our families.”
In a place where standing between forests and timber smugglers can get risky, Parray is willing to live on the edge even if it means saving a single tree.
(CNN-IBN)