Dr Abdul Qayum; Protecting the Forests of Arunachal, India

Monday 24th April 2017 06:01 EDT
 
 

This is the story of how one of our brightest Indians is prepared to undergo sacrifices to serve in the remotest corner of India; the north east state of Arunachal Pradesh. Dr Abdul Qayum, 33, could have his pick of Unversity chairs in the UK or anywhere. 

So what keeps him serving his country, India?

Parts of Arunachal Pradesh soar to above 10,000 feet and are only accessible by snaking roads and the occasional helicopter. Landslides, snowstorms and eathquakes are frequent.

Against this backdrop meet Dr Abdul Qayum, an IITian, Doctorate Indian genius from a cadre of already phenominally bright officers. He so deserves to be a Leading Light. 

Background

It's worth knowing about this Leading Light's background as his level of academic achievement is way above normal high achievers. 

And many of we British Indians have no idea of what our Indian officers have to go through.

Qayum, as he's known, has a B.Tech in Civil Engineering from IIT Kanpur. The top IITs in India are tough. For IITs, 15,00000 people apply for nearly 8000 seats. So, he needed to get into the top 3000 to enter an IIT campus, and he did.

Then he took a PhD in Bio-Infomatics from JNU. 

His thesis was on how to use GIS to map malaria-endemic zones and ethno-medicinal practices. He has authored over a dozen research papers on Malaria mapping, He presented some in London, funded by the Indian Government's Department of Science and Technology.

It is tough to get into the IAS, but  harder still is the Indian Forest Service (IFS) especially after the inception of a certain exam where the cut off is high. The IFS only takes Science graduates; Botanists, Engineers, Agriculturists, and Vetinary Doctors. 

For 85 seats 78,000 Indians applied that year. Qayum was determined to get into the top 30 of the pool in order to enter into the services– and of course he did. 

Challenges at Work

Qayum's work concerns the protection of wildlife, implementing central Government schemes, the  restoration of high altitude lakes, land encroachment cases, and the regularisation of land occupation by various stakeholders including Indian Army personnel. 

The Officer uses intelligence and wit to circumnavigate problems, for there is only one mission. 

“The land belongs to the local community,” he says seriously, sitting in his warm wood panelled office in Tawang, blue-green eyes twinkling behind rimless spectacles and sporting a jumper with a traditional English diamond pattern on the front. 

“We count the cost of environmental damage and the biodiversity loss.” Qayum always manages to negotiate an outcome that satisfies him professionally by implementing laws such as the Forest Conservation Act.  Qayum has responsibility for Tawang District, an area covering nearly 2094 sq km. In this beautiful alpine landscape electrcity is in short supply, the weather determines travel access and helicopters fly up from lower levels only according to cloud formations and the movement of VIPs. 

He has to tread a diplomatic path for the protection of living things perhaps not so highly valued by bureaucrats and politicians by guarding local religious​and traditional tribal values.

“There are political pressures sometimes and from local organisations in cases of forest and wildlife offences,” he says frankly. “We respond by saying that we will see to it but we also say that we will follow the law. 'Hah Sir, hum dekhtein hein,' is what we answer when someone tries to pressure me on the telephone and with passing time, by adopting certain tactics and support from peer groups, issues are normally resolved.”

He outlines one case where he won out.  “I found a guy smuggling timber and making 5-6 lakhs of rupees. We took photos and gave clemency to him, as he said he told me he was a first time offender. We told him to pay the government a royalty. Then my Range Officer told me that he is a repeat offender! Then I got a call from a politician saying that he is poor. So I told the politician that I would register this smuggler as an offender, I was thinking that I would create a grave for him.

I cannot surrender to the corrupt. As it is I am already sitting in the remotest part of the country, and the  threat of transferring ​me to a remote area can't be a line of argument. "We were trained for such situations, and worst case be the transfer, so why worry?" he added. .

India's green and pleasant land will continue to be sacrosanct in Arunachal Pradesh so long as officers like him remains in post. Despite the hardships, he and his family have been there for years and he has no intention of moving elsewhere just yet.

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“I cannot surrender to the corrupt or any pressure. As it is I am already sitting in the remotest part of the country.”

Dr Abdul Qayum, Deputy Conservator of Forest.


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