Late Head Constable Chiksen Mangpang’s wife has slammed Forest Department of Arunachal Pradesh, alleging gross negligence, claiming that repeated warnings about the presence of the tiger were ignored for weeks before the fatal incident.
It may be mentioned that, on February 2, Chiksen Mangpang, from Manfaiseng village in Namsai district was killed while returning home after duty in a suspected tiger attack along Roing-Anini road.
Khyoda Mary, Manpang’s wife, said that both local residents and authorities had reported tiger sightings for nearly two months prior to the incident.
Despite these alerts, she claimed, no effective preventive or protective measures were implemented by the Forest Department to prevent the tragedy.
Mary further expressed anger over the “institutional apathy”, refused to accept the Rs 10 lakh ex gratia announced by the authorities.
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She said that financial compensation could never make up for the loss of her husband and demanded long-term institutional support to ensure the education, security, and overall welfare of her children.
She questioned the preparedness of wildlife authorities in areas prone to human-animal conflict and called for stronger safety protocols to protect both residents and personnel working in high-risk zones.
Earlier, state’s Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein also slammed the forest department, calling the recent tiger attack a case of “gross negligence” and a “serious blunder” on the part of officials.
He said that the tragedy could have been avoided if timely precautions were taken. “This is extremely sad and unfortunate. Such an incident should never have happened,” he said.
