Sheopur, Madhya Pradesh:
After releasing cheetahs, extinct in India for seven decades, to Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh on his 72nd birthday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the reintroduction of the felines would be a boon to the region. Residents of the neighborhood have little to cheer for, however, as ground reality indicates they will continue to struggle after the celebrations die out.
There is acute malnutrition and poverty in the villages around the forest and sanctuary where these cheetahs brought from Namibia will live. There is also a serious underemployment.
DailyExpertNews traveled to Kakra, such a village located between Shivpuri and Sheopur. What we saw never appeared in the national media. It is said that major changes will change the area now that the big cats have a home there. Even if that’s true, wildlife experts estimate it will take at least 20-25 years for these changes to take place. A large population of cheetahs can attract tourists here, creating new opportunities and influencing social change. However, the near future remains bleak, when government intervention is urgently required.
In Sheopur district, more than 21 thousand children suffer from malnutrition, the government of Madhya Pradesh admitted in the state assembly. Two weeks ago, a girl died of malnutrition in the same district. Malnutrition was officially eradicated here, as officials removed the name of starving children from the list as soon as they turned five.
The village of Kakra, which DailyExpertNews traveled to, also has two to three children suffering from malnutrition.
Villagers said there is no employment and extreme poverty there. Children are malnourished. When asked if the release of cheetahs would benefit them, they said it would be of no use to them. “Their arrival will make no difference to our situation,” they said.
In the area where the Kuno National Park is located, there are about 23 villages that suffer from poverty and malnutrition. Their total population is about 56,000.
No political party has electorally dominated the area, and representatives from both the BJP and Congress have represented the region for decades. However, the locals say that even their basic needs have not yet been met.