The Burning Truth: Why ‘Hula Parties’ Still Haunt Bengal’s Elephants

 

"Hula parties" (or hulla parties) are groups of 15–50 local villagers in South Bengal who are hired by the forest department to drive wild elephants away from human settlements and crops. While they claim to protect "giant tuskers" by preventing fatal retaliatory attacks from angry mobs, their methods—using burning torches (mashaals) and spikes—frequently lead to horrific injuries and the deaths of these animals.

In the heart of South Bengal, a violent tradition continues to flicker despite legal bans. Hula parties—groups of local youth—are the frontline of human-elephant conflict management. Their "good" intent is to prevent elephants from raiding crops and being killed by villagers. Ironically, they often become the very threat they claim to mitigate.

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The Human-Wildlife Toll

• Brutality: In August 2024, a pregnant elephant died in Jhargram after a hula party member threw a burning iron rod that lodged in her back.
• The Law vs. Reality: The Supreme Court of India issued a notice to the state government in late 2024 regarding the continued use of these "barbaric" methods.
• The Conflict Cycle: Constant harassment by fire stresses the animals, making them more aggressive and prone to charging, which only fuels more violence.

Until the state implements scientific, empathy-based alternatives like habitat restoration and better early-warning systems, the "hula" fire will continue to burn on both sides of the conflict.

Why they are still in action despite the Supreme Court ban

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In 2018, the Supreme Court banned the use of "fireballs" to drive elephants. However, they persist due to several loopholes and administrative failures:

• Definitional Loopholes: The court specifically banned fireballs, but the forest department argues that mashaals (stationary torches) are still permissible in emergencies.
• Official Payrolls: Despite the ban, the West Bengal Forest Department continues to engage these parties through informal hiring or formal tendering processes, paying them roughly ₹300 per night.
• Lack of Alternatives: Officials claim hula drives are the "only effective method" as elephants do not respond to other deterrents.
• Economic Racket: Some allege a "racket" where hula parties intentionally block elephant paths to keep them in the area, ensuring more paid work nights.

Project Cheetah: 4-year Cheetah revival plan: Read about world's first intercontinental large carnivore translocation

Project Cheetah is a historic, world-first intercontinental conservation initiative launched by the Government of India on September 17, 2022. It aims to reintroduce the cheetah, which was declared officially extinct in India in 1952, back into its historical natural habitat. 

Spearheaded by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), the project focuses on reviving the grassland-savanna ecosystem by bringing in African cheetahs (Southern African subspecies) from Namibia and South Africa to Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh. 

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🔥 What is Project Cheetah? (In Details)

• Objective: To restore the ecological role of the cheetah as an apex predator, boost grassland biodiversity, and promote eco-tourism.
• The "Metapopulation" Approach: The goal is not just to keep them in one park, but to create a self-sustaining "metapopulation" of 60–70 cheetahs across multiple connected landscapes in Central India, including Kuno and Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary.
• The Journey So Far: Starting with 20 initial cheetahs (8 from Namibia in 2022, 12 from South Africa in 2023), the project has seen both challenges and success, including the birth of multiple India-born cubs.
• Significance: It is the world’s first intercontinental large wild carnivore translocation project. 

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🛡️ The 4-Year (2024-2028) Cheetah Revival Plan 

As the initial phase faced challenges, the government shifted to a more strategic, long-term approach, often referred to as the "four-year" or "second-phase" plan focused on stabilization (roughly aligning with the 2024-25 through 2027-28 period). 

• Expansion to Second Site: Moving beyond Kuno, the plan focuses on establishing Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary as the second home for cheetahs to reduce pressure on Kuno.
• Strengthening Population (Botswana/Kenya): The plan includes importing a new batch of 8-10 cheetahs annually for a few years to maintain genetic diversity and prevent inbreeding.
• "Cheetah Mitras": Over 450 local community members were trained as 'Cheetah Mitras' to monitor the cats, prevent conflict, and ensure community support.
• Ecological Monitoring: Using high-tech GPS/Satellite collars to monitor movements 24/7, with teams focusing on reducing mortality rates.

Second Generation Success: A key target is ensuring that the cubs born in India (second generation) survive and adapt, which has been achieved with the births of multiple litters, including from India-born mothers. 

 

From rubbles to crown : Proud father now declares, "Mera nechu (son) India Khelke aaega

Ghulam, an ardent fan of ‘Tendulkar Sir’ and ‘Cool Ganguly’, was determined not to let his son play cricket. “I was against him playing cricket,” he says.

Ghulam Nabi teaches in a government school in Shiri, a few kilometres down the slope from Baramulla. When his son, Aquib was uprooting Karun Nair, K L Rahul and Devdutt Patnaik on day 3, the proud father was busy, teaching his students at the school. The man hadn’t taken leave from his duty, rather decided to watch video of his son’s bowling later. “I really wanted all my children to pursue medical studies,” he remembers.

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In Jammu and Kashmir, cricket never comes before politics, security concerns, religious and regional agonies. Like most of the families, in Aquib’s family also, being middle-class, primary focus would always on sustenance and livelihood, and the passion of the family’s sons never get preference.

“When Auquib would vanish for whole days and evenings, and we didn’t know his whereabouts, we felt very scared, ek darr sa rehta kahin beta kharaab nah ho jaaye. That’s why I was against his playing cricket, aur bhi darr laagta jab humse chupata tha, ki woh cricket khelne gaye the,” Ghulam recalls.

Auquib, always remained shy and somewhat introvert also but he was determined not to leave cricket in any situation. “Uska jo junoon tha woh dekhke maine haar maan li, when he was in 8th, he topped the zone at studies. From 9th to 12th, I always kept on saying to study medical, put him in special classes also.” Ghulam recalls, “I would rebuke him, lock him up in room, but he never answered me back. The ground where cricketers from Baramulla used to play cricket, cannot actually be called as a ground. It was full of pebbles and an unmarked land. People could mostly stroll on it but play, that also cricket, was totally not feasible…

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“It was not that I didn’t love cricket. How can it be when I also played the game. But in J&K, you can’t take the game as a career option.”

In Auquib’s first year of college, Ghulam for the first time in life, could realise why his son believed in himself and remained totally defiant almost with no word at all. “He was too shy to reply to any of my words or scoldings.”