BHOPAL: Claws are out in a grey-area tussle over a white tiger safari in Madhya Pradesh. Who keeps the legacy of Mohan, a big cat captured as a cub in 1951 by then maharaja of Rewa that went on to become the progenitor of nearly all white tigers in captivity in the world? This question has turned a seemingly routine govt redrawing of district maps in MP into a massive turf war.
After a letter from Maihar district administration on Aug 7 suggested that Mukundpur - home to the world's only White Tiger Safari - should be moved to neighbouring Rewa, politicians and common people of both districts are at loggerheads. While those in Rewa say it is a "homecoming", people in Maihar are up in arms against this move, heating up politics in the Vindhya region.
The letter proposes shifting Mukundpur and five neighbouring panchayats - Anandgarh, Amin, Dhobahat, Parsiya and Papra - from Maihar to Rewa district, citing recommendations from the state's Administrative Boundaries Reorganisation Commission. On paper, it's a matter of redrawing maps. On the ground, it's a tug-of-war over history, tourism revenue and political prestige.
For Rewa, the safari is more than just an attraction - it's a birthright. Mohan's stuffed remains still guard the Rewa palace museum, his story etched into the region's identity.
Bringing the safari into Rewa's official borders, supporters argue, would "bring Mohan home".
But in Maihar's Amarpatan belt, the move has landed like a hostile takeover. Satna MP Ganesh Singh has called it "a calculated conspiracy", while BJP veteran and former minister Ramkhilawan Patel vowed that the villages "will remain in Maihar". Congress heavyweight and former Speaker Rajendra Kumar Singh has gone further, accusing deputy CM Rajendra Shukla of engineering the shift to "grab the White Tiger Safari" and calling for a Gandhian-style satyagraha, even suggesting "filling Maihar jail" in protest.
Opponents allege the timing was no accident: the letter was issued a day after the assembly session was abruptly ended, they claim, to prevent debate by the local MLA. Singh has warned villagers to expect "pressure" from officials to sign off on the transfer, urging them to resist "local Mir Jafars and Jaichands".
The stakes are high - not only does the safari draw tourists from across the country, but its brand value is unmatched in Madhya Pradesh's wildlife tourism. For now, the map hasn't changed. But in the Vindhya heartland, the battle over Mukundpur is fast becoming as much about political dominance as it is about a legendary tiger's legacy.
After a letter from Maihar district administration on Aug 7 suggested that Mukundpur - home to the world's only White Tiger Safari - should be moved to neighbouring Rewa, politicians and common people of both districts are at loggerheads. While those in Rewa say it is a "homecoming", people in Maihar are up in arms against this move, heating up politics in the Vindhya region.
The letter proposes shifting Mukundpur and five neighbouring panchayats - Anandgarh, Amin, Dhobahat, Parsiya and Papra - from Maihar to Rewa district, citing recommendations from the state's Administrative Boundaries Reorganisation Commission. On paper, it's a matter of redrawing maps. On the ground, it's a tug-of-war over history, tourism revenue and political prestige.
For Rewa, the safari is more than just an attraction - it's a birthright. Mohan's stuffed remains still guard the Rewa palace museum, his story etched into the region's identity.
Bringing the safari into Rewa's official borders, supporters argue, would "bring Mohan home".
But in Maihar's Amarpatan belt, the move has landed like a hostile takeover. Satna MP Ganesh Singh has called it "a calculated conspiracy", while BJP veteran and former minister Ramkhilawan Patel vowed that the villages "will remain in Maihar". Congress heavyweight and former Speaker Rajendra Kumar Singh has gone further, accusing deputy CM Rajendra Shukla of engineering the shift to "grab the White Tiger Safari" and calling for a Gandhian-style satyagraha, even suggesting "filling Maihar jail" in protest.
Opponents allege the timing was no accident: the letter was issued a day after the assembly session was abruptly ended, they claim, to prevent debate by the local MLA. Singh has warned villagers to expect "pressure" from officials to sign off on the transfer, urging them to resist "local Mir Jafars and Jaichands".
The stakes are high - not only does the safari draw tourists from across the country, but its brand value is unmatched in Madhya Pradesh's wildlife tourism. For now, the map hasn't changed. But in the Vindhya heartland, the battle over Mukundpur is fast becoming as much about political dominance as it is about a legendary tiger's legacy.
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