Tiger panel seeks filming ban on BBC, no visa to producer Rowlatt
THE BBC REPORT ALLEGED THAT THERE WAS AN UNOFFICIAL “SHOOT AT SIGHT” POLICY IN PLACE AT KAZIRANGA NATIONAL PARK THAT ALLOWED FOREST GUARDS TO GUN DOWN PEOPLE WHO APPEARED TO BE A THREAT TO WILDLIFE
NEW DELHI:: Following banning the BBC from filming in tiger reserves, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has advised the Ministry of Environment to ban them from filming in all protected areas for the same period.
The NTCA has also recommended the Ministry of External Affairs not to renew BBC south Asia correspondent Justin Rowlatt’s visa, which is up for renewal in March.
Rowlatt’s documentary titled Killing for Conservation on the aggressive use of force in conservation efforts in the Kaziranga National Park in Assam pitched the broadcaster against the government and has left both parties licking their wounds.
The BBC report alleged that there was an unofficial “shoot at sight” policy in place at Kaziranga National Park that allowed forest guards to gun down people who appeared to be a threat to wildlife.
An official at the NTCA described it as a “breach of trust,” and said that “BBC had hoodwinked the authorities to get permission”.
Permission to shoot was granted with an undertaking that the broadcaster would share the film with the ministry of environment before broadcasting, which Rowlatt didn’t do.
On February 13, the NTCA had called for a blacklist of Rowlatt, who is BBC’S south Asia bureau chief and lives in Delhi with his wife and four kids.
The NTCA accused the BBC of “not working constructively with the government of India which has resulted in the portraying of conservation efforts in India in extremely negative light.” BBC has maintained that they were not bound to show the finished film to the authorities, and would have done so if any of the officials had requested them to do so.
The NTCA also accused the network of grossly misrepresenting its personnel and policies and demanded that the documentary be taken off the air and removed online.
While the focus of the documentary is the allegedly aggressive policy adopted by the national park in its conservation efforts, the NTCA’S response has centred on the violation of the terms of the contract. NTCA also pointed out that the BBC did not have permission to film after dark, and they did so.
It was revealed in the weeks following the release of the docu mentary that Corbett Tiger Reserve in Uttarakhand had also issued directions to forest ran gers that could be construed as “shoot at sight.” However, in that case the director of the Cor bett Tiger Reserve was fired for issuing these orders on how to deal with poachers.
NTCA officials also objected to the prominence given to the figure of 50 people killed by forest guards in the past 3 years and said it presented a “one-sided view.” A much higher number of poachers were apprehended and large stash of ammunition and cash has been recovered in the past decade, according to an NTCA official.
BBC replied to the show cause notice on Feb. 14 but refused to back down and remove the docu mentary, leading the NTCA to act on its proposal to deny per missions to the British broad caster.