In Sikles village, locals can now 'legally' kill leopards

POKHARA, Nov 6: In a little village of Kaski district, the locals can now ´legally´ kill endangered species like leopards and bears. Not that the government has revoked the ban on killing of leopards and bears for Sikles, a Gurung village 24 km northeast of Pokhara. But, the Chiwa -- the village leader -- has officially declared that the locals are henceforth allowed to hunt down leopards and bears.



After a leopard killed as many as 21 goats in a single day, the locals recently approached the Chiwa, asking for permission to kill leopards and bears. “I could not say no to the villagers after leopards and bears killed a large number of their cows and goats,” the Chiwa said.

In Sikles, a predominantly Gurung village, the Chiwa´s decision is like a court´s order. The Chiwa is the judge and a courtyard where he delivers his verdict is like a courtroom. As the government has no presence whatsoever in Sikles, the Chiwa is the single most powerful authority.[break]



Until 1990 the Chiwa was like a monarch. The Chiwa´s eldest male child could inherit authority from his father. After 1990, the Chiwa has been more democratic. The president of the Village Development Committee (VDC) has been functioning as the Chiwa ever since.



With no elections held for local bodies over a decade now, Man Bahadur Gurung, the last elected president of Parche VDC, of which Sikles is a village, has yet not been able to renounce his role as the Chiwa. “I know that the hunting of leopards and bears is a punishable offense,” said Gurung. “But, I took this decision by using my special rights after leopards and bears starting causing serious damages.”



A local democratic system of sorts, cherished by the inhabitants of Sikles for ages, the Chiwa has so far been effective in sorting out all local disputes. “There is no police post in the entire VDC,” said Gurung. “But, no one has had to approach the police till date. I´ve resolved all disputes by consulting elderly villagers.”



In Sikles, where there are 375 households -- mostly of Gurung people -- the Chiwa has also introduced some reforms in recent times. Until some years ago, the locals used to prohibit the outsiders from entering their village for a certain period of time every year. However, with more tourists visiting Sikles, the Chiwa, by winning the confidence of the villagers, abolished the once-in-a year ban on the entry of outsiders into the village.

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