“ I PLEDGE ”

TO SAVE THE TIGER

?

In this new genre “I pledge to save the tiger and its environment”   seems an illogical and a paradoxical slogan , not reaching out to the core of its root .i.e. the forests where the main problem still prevails.    

Numerous pledges with sensitizing slogans to ‘SAVE THE BIG CAT’ by India’s high ranked dignitaries publicized via leading ad campaigns  may create a sensation for the viewers at least till the moment while the show is on air . On the other hand ,this uproar is crucial for the critical endangered aspects of wildlife to come into limelight   but unfortunately at its closure these appeals and pledges all seems to be a commercialized gimmick , where the ministry with failed promises and strong vocalization in reversal  has failed these so called ‘Pledges’.

India holds strong Laws for protection of wildlife, but the implementation of the wildlife laws has lacked in conservation of India’s heritage. This non – implementation is the root cause of it all .

Why did  Ranthambore National Park and Sariska loose its tigers ? Highly acclaimed veteran conservationists like Valmik Thappar , Belinda Wright, Fateh Singh Rathore ,  with their constant persistent approach to the wildlife authorities and the Government, to pay attention to the deep rooted problem in the forest , remunerated them with Bans and continues rejections . A battle well fought with much dedication resulted in sheer disappointment. It was the day until the news flashed out that without any further probing done by the wildlife authorities the battle was already lost “ A 'tiger country' once relished with its magnificence was left with no tigers.  Have the concerned authorities learned from this previous disastrous lapse in the forest . Who knows Corbett National Park or any  other forest in India could be the next ‘Sariska’ .

In most of the lesser known forests notified under National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries ,BABUS have an infinite suppression over the wildlife authority -  smuggling of trees is done like an open envelope having no fear of detention. Poachers too have an upper hand over the wildlife staff who are posted deep in the jungles , their worn out rifles leaves them in a cheap stunt of life and death, putting their lives in grave danger.

Although the technique of counting tigers by pugmark tracing in the forest may have upgraded with Camera installations in the jungles , but no attention is paid to the up gradation of the forest staff who work with fewer necessities and dedicate their entire lifetime living in the forest.

Hence , with an up gradation of technical support which the wildlife department is in need of , it is also important to upgrade the people working for wildlife department .

It is high time the Wildlife Ministry takes an account of its innumerable donations that goes in the name of conservation of wildlife .

So , the next time when we pledge “SAVE THE TIGER” , lets first truly pledge to ourselves to change the mindsets and decimate corruption of which we are very much a part of  .  And therefore THE TIGER WILL CONTINUE TO ROAR .