Recently, surfing channels, I came across NDTV's Star studded (read AB) discussion on how to save our tigers. Since NDTV's top Honchos, AB and other luminaries were involved, a blurb kept popping up every few minutes indicating the money being collected in this drive, an impressive Rs 3.2 Crores to be precise which, backed up by the animal experts on display encouraged the feeling that our Tigers would surely be saved.
Well, I have my doubts. Way back in the 70's their population had dropped to such alarming levels that our Govt, I believe launched "Project Tiger" to protect these magnificent beasts. Well, though I am a layman in these matters, I would venture a guess that the number of tigers in the wild today are unfortunately the same as they were then! Which means that Project Tiger though with some initial success, failed in its long term goals. Why?
I believe analysing the reasons of this failure should be our immediate priority and, if already done, immediate implementation would be required for us to have some hope of conservation. Some are self evident. For tigers to flourish, large tracts of forests should be kept aside, protected from poachers and the tribals of those areas should be repatriated keeping in mind fulfilment of all their needs. And of course the mining mafia, tiger tourism resorts and assorted other impactors on the tiger domains should be firmly prevented. In fact plans for expanding forest areas should be drawn up to cater to projected increase in their populations if the current attempts succeed, preferably including forest corridors to facilitate their movement cause these are territorial animals who define their space and guard it fiercely.
Can the NDTV initiative achieve all this? I think not. The forces opposing them are too well entrenched to be tackled by a bunch of do gooders no matter how visible they may be. Like the efforts to clean up Ganga, which still remains as filthy as ever despite the Crores poured in by successive Govt's.. So while I laud NDTV's efforts I believe this too will go in the same direction, gobbling up the money with no significant results on the ground.
Or you could consider a radical idea. After all, the poachers are in it for the ceaseless demands of the Chinese "Ayurvedic" industry. Seeing the numbers plummeting here the Chinese have started "Tiger breeding" Farms on a large scale for the very same purpose, or so I have been told. Why not give the money collected to those Chinese for more farms, in fact enough to eliminate the need for our tigers which would put the poachers out of business. I know this is a very coldblooded suggestion but frankly it seems the only sure way to save our tigers. Cause this Govt seems incapable of protecting the rights of us citizens, Tigers be damned.
Then again this is just a concerned layman's views on an issue that hurts, deeply.
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