Politicians and forest officials seem to be working at cross-purposes in Dudhwa Reserve, Uttar Pradesh. While forest officials are keen on removing villagers living in the core forest region, politicians want to convert these villages into tourist destinations. Former MP and senior Samajwadi Party leader Ravi Prakash Verma has proposed to Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav to develop tharu villages, particularly Surma village in the core forest zones, as international tourist destinations. Forest officials, on the other hand, are not aware of any such proposal and are ready to oppose it tooth and nail. They argue that this would destroy the ecosystem of Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (DTR). But politicians are not ready to buy the theory, blinded as they are by vote bank politics. Verma said, “I will bring the Chief Minister here to see Surma village. He will realise the tourist potential.” However, DTR deputy director Ganesh Bhatt said it would be a sad day when and if this happened. “Developing a village inside a reserve forest area as a tourist hub is totally illegal. When the high court has ordered rehabilitation of the tharu villages outside DTR, how can anyone move a proposal to make it a tourist-destination?” he asked. Bhatt fears that Dudhwa could meet a fate similar to Sariska in Rajasthan, where the animals vanished after it was turned into tourist destination. “It is the Government’s responsibility to protect animals. If it fails to act, animals can never be saved,” he told The Pioneer during a study. The Samajwadi Party leader has a different point of view about the Government’s role. “It is the duty of the Government to go for capacity building for tribals. There is a need for hospitals, colleges and other facilities for their upliftment. This can be achieved if these villages are made self-sufficient,” he told The Pioneer. Giving examples from South Africa, where tourists are made to stay inside tribal villages and where villagers showcase their culture, Verma said this helps good earning for villagers and in turn help the Government earn revenue. “There is an urgent need to redefine the law on rights of the people living in the forest area. How can anyone remove tribals who are staying there for centuries?” Verma added. Politicians get support from locals. The pradhan of Surma village, Ram Chandra Rana, declared, “Now there is direct conflict between forest dwellers and the Government.” Rana, who is also a member of the UP Forest Rights Monitoring Committee, said tharus are entitled to facilities under the Forest Right Act and anyone preventing this, would face villagers’ ire.