New Delhi: Four researchers from prestigious government and private organisations can no longer enter the Roing region of Arunchal Pradesh to conduct field studies.
In what appears to be a growing trend in the region, the Idu Mishmi Cultural and Literary Society in Arunachal Pradesh has blacklisted four researchers for breaching their community research code of ethics. In a press release, the society said that it had earlier banned a researcher from Germany, and another from IIT Gandhinagar for disregarding their community ethics.
The blacklisted researchers include Dr Krushnamegh Kunte from the National Center for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Fahim Khan from Indian Foundation for Butterflies Trust (IFBT), Rajkamal Goswami affiliated with the the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), and Aavika Danda, formerly affiliated with ATREE.
The Idu Mishmi Cultural and Literary Society (IMCLS) considers itself to be the apex body of the Idu Mishmi community based in Roing, Lower Dibang Valley in Arunachal Pradesh. The society concerns itself with the culture, language, land, and conservation-related issues of the area. In 2024, the Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu even launched the Idu Mishmi Code of Research Ethics (IMCRE) and the Research Ethics Review Board (RERB) to vet proposals to conduct research in the Mishmi hills.
As is the case in much of the Northeast today, there has been a rise in biodiversity and land-related research in traditionally tribal areas of Arunachal Pradesh. Often, what is dubbed as conservation efforts interferes with the daily lives of the indigenous communities, who have inhabited those areas for hundreds of years.
“There has been a lot of research here. People have come, set up camera traps, spotted tigers, and then proposed tiger reserves. We have lived with these tigers for years. They are our brothers. We don’t poach or kill them. We have rituals for tiger deaths, just as is the case for human deaths,” Athuli Melo, general secretary of the IMCLS, told ThePrint.
Research coming in the way of conservation?
Melo highlighted that earlier this year, the Idu Mishmi society had even banned the Geological Survey of India from conducting research in the area. He said that the community was afraid that a geological survey would reveal rare materials or minerals and mining projects would follow.
“With growing interactions with NGOs, government bodies, and research institutions, there is a need to safeguard local interests. The Idu Mishmi Code of Research Ethics (IMCRE) provides guidelines to ensure research respects the community while promoting collaboration and engagement with researchers,” reads the IMCLS website.
Among the four researchers that have been banned, much of the research does not seem “harmful” at the face of it, and Melo agrees. Krushnamegh Kunte and Fahim Khan were only continuing their research on butterflies in the region of Mayodia pass, Lower Dibang Valley District. Kunte has a masters in wildlife sciences from the Wildlife Institute of India, a PhD from the University of Texas at Austin, and has been a post-doctoral fellow at Harvard University.
In this case, lack of transparency was the key. According to Melo, the researchers did not obtain the necessary permits and stationed themselves near the military camp in the region. Even when the Idu Mishmi community sent their spokespersons, the data from the research was not shared, and soon the researchers departed, refusing to meet the IMCLS.
However, the NCBS authorities claim that permissions had indeed been obtained.
“We are trying to understand what could be the reason for IMCLS to take such a decision (blacklisting). There appears to be some misunderstanding. We are committed to regulatory compliance and work without violating the guidelines of IMCLS. Once NCBS has all the information, appropriate measures will be taken to address IMCLS concerns and regain their confidence,” said NCBS director, professor LS Shashidhara.
The other two blacklisted researchers, Rajkamal Goswami and Aavika Danda too were allegedly conducting research without the necessary permits, said Melo.
“We are working with members of the Mekola clan of the Idu Mishmi community to support the formulation of a Community Conserved Area (CCA) on their clan lands. We take cognizance of the decision adopted by the IMCLS, and are seeking to understand the circumstances and events that led to this action. We have reached out to the apex body for a dialogue,” Goswami told ThePrint.
He added that ATREE held ethical research practices in high regard and was committed to respecting the community guidelines too.
“Once we have a clear understanding of the situation, we will take appropriate measures to address the concerns raised by IMCLS and work towards strengthening our community-led conservation work,” said Goswami.
Legality of the ‘blacklist’
Although the IMCLS’s blacklisting does not have a legal standing, Melo says that the ban comes from the villagers and the local community.
“Reseach has to happen on the ground, it can’t happen in the cities. They have to interact with the local people. If they don’t ask for consent, there will be unnecessary fights,” added Melo.
He blames the forest department for much of this confusion. While the IMCLS is not fundamentally against research itself, Melo insists that the community must be aware of the benefits and consequences of that research. He says that it is the forest department that must keep the community informed.
“The Society reiterated that its objective is not to oppose genuine scientific research, but to ensure that research undertaken in Idu Mishmi areas respects the rights, consent, knowledge systems, customary institutions and data sovereignty of the indigenous community,” read the press release.
(Edited by Aakriti Handa)