How did a ministry mandated to protect wildlife, ensure clean water, air, soil and safeguard ecosystems so crucial for India’s citizens, make facilitating clearances as its primary objective? And make a public statement of it too?
On March 1, 'Mr Ranthambhore' left us, losing the battle to cancer. The tigers knew they had lost their friend-and champion. At 4 am the next day, hours before the funeral, a tiger appeared behind his house, roaring thrice-maybe in final farewell, maybe to pay his last respects, maybe to reiterate the fact that the spirit of the tiger rested within him, forever.
As a child, my grandmother used to tell us anecdotes and stories from the scriptures. One that particularly stood out was of the time when little Nanak (devji), was asked...
He asked what the term ‘Development’ means and for whom this development is meant for? To him, it was only development, if people—and not just a chosen few--were central to it. And people, he believed were part of nature. Nature had to be intrinsic to the ‘development’ landscape. Otherwise, it was not ‘sustainable development’ a word we bandy about but don’t really understand, let alone practice. Matanhy baba was (and how it grieves me immensely to use was) courageous, principled, tireless, a man of integrity. He was a leader, one who became a politician so that he could serve his people, and his land better. They simply don’t make them like him anymore. Matanhy Saldanha, you are missed.
Photographs are of camera trapped tigers from Valmiki Tiger reserve, which shares a border with Royal Chitwan National Park, Nepal. Thanks to the vision of the state..a road which would have split this important tiger landscape in two has been diverted and will run along the southern boundary..
My passion for the wilds –and it is an emotive affair–has literary roots. I devoured book after book, haunting libraries and pavement book vendors (who had the money for new...
Fact of the matter is, in democracies, it is the electorate that guides politics and politicians, who must always have their finger on the pulse of the people. Unless nature wins itself a large constituency, it will not rate high on the political priority, and its services will continue to be taken for granted, and exploited.
By Prerna Singh Bindra The unique natural heritage of the Great Rann of Kutch that Amitabh Bachchan promotes in the slick Gujarat Tourism commercials, is imperiled, ironically by a proposed...