Friends, Indians, Countrymen
Lend me your ears,
I come to bury the tiger...
Something on similar lines can be said on this issue. Each day, there is heart-breaking news of an adult tiger or a cub has met its end (and a painful one) and this is sad news for this country. The tiger is the national animal and it rightfully should remain. If only the cruel hearts would bleed on seeing a tiger die. Alas!
If we do not act soon, we might just lose this part of our heritage. At a personal level, I would happily hang tiger poachers by their neck and yet that would be little for the crime of chopping our national pride to pieces - each organ sold in the international black market for a heavy price. But in essence, the price is too less compared to the loss of a single tiger. It is heart-wrenching to say the least when one glimpses at a tiger corpse - the corpse of the animal which stands proud in its regalia...
At a national level, imagine the contempt the people of this nation would feel at the responsible authorities when the last of the tigers is hacked? Would'nt it be utterly shameful for such a big country to have lost its national animal to heartless men indulging in poaching activities? Would'nt India come under fire from other nations at the larger levels for having failed miserably to salvage this nation's optimum heritage symbol? The British colonists wiped out the Cheetah from this country through constant and unregulated big-game hunting. Now it is the poachers who shall be held responsible if the tiger becomes non-existent.
Come to think of it, the poachers are not the only breed of men completely responsible for the deaths of the majestic animals. It is also the forest department that is suspiciously unable to deal a heavy blow to the poaching activities in our country. Why do is use 'suspicious'? For one, there are far less Rangers roaming the length and breadth of the Indian forests. There is a severe shortage of men and patrolling work takes a beating. Another major issue is that more and more Forest rangers are complaining of less-than-reliable resources at their disposal. They have poor quality binoculars, almost useless night vision technology and utterly disgusting range of weapons that could'nt kill at a 20 meter distance.
Honestly, there is another concern that needs to be taken care of - the administration that grows hollow 'cause of the fearsome parasite 'Bribe'. Bribery, corruption and in certain cases shrugging of duty are easily linked to the 'Babus' who sit in forest administration departments (far away from the forests themselves) and unfortunately the government fails to weed out such creatures from the department. Just visit the nearby Forest department of your area - you will be greated with the smell of samosas and tea (and bundles of cash lying in the drawer of the Babu's desk) early in the morning. Chat as much as you want, but please do not linger for long on the point of Forest works and the likes. You will be hurriedly thrown out of the office by the khaki clad office boy.
Note: The forest administration department's office in my area is now a dilapidated building that is hardly recognizable. If one recognizes it without any prompting from fellow passengers in the bus deserves an applause!
Well, the poachers now: These are poor tribals and other men from the lower economic end. They have lost their land to moneylenders and zamindars, and have been reduced to a fragile community. The only way of earning money for them is to undertake petty jobs and seasonal employment on farms else hunting down a tiger and selling its body parts to men with black hearts (obviously those with criminal links.) Now killing a tiger is not an option they should consider to earn money but such are the flames of hunger that it pushes sane men to carry out insane tasks. Well, the other half of men indulging in poaching activities are criminals and terrorist outfits hiding in our jungles.
According to a certain report i went through, large portion of tiger parts are sold near the Chinese borders, and the money that flows in this trade is also because of the merciless Chinese poachers. Well, for me that was'nt surprising news seeing the plight of the Giant Panda in China. This saintly beast of Northern China is fast dwindling in numbers, and such is the pitiful conditions of this Bear that zoo-keepers have to undertake breeding activities within the four ironed walls giving rise to unnatural breeding practices. Artificial breeding is the only option in front of Chinese officials to maintain the population of the Panda. Chinese poachers are fast bringing down the Panda, and they won't spare the tigers of India too.
Funnily, the tiger parts sold in the black market is resold to ignorant fickle minded commoners of China and surrounding countries. The USP of these organs is that they hold 'magical powers that heal, grant strength and ignite sexual fire within the persons who consume tiger parts'. Boy, i ain't joking when i say that a restaurant in China sold a dish called 'Tiger Penis' but actually it was donkey penis laced with tiger urine. Such is the inhuman condition in such parts of the world!
I feel for the tiger cub who sits impatiently in its cave, anticipating the return of its mother at any moment with a large catch in her jaw. I feel for the tiger cub who dreams about a happy reunion with its mother and I feel for the tiger cub who gets to eat properly only once a week. Some cubs die of hunger, because their mothers are short and stabbed mercilessly by insolent human 'creatures'.
I pray sincerely that the condition of the tigers improves soon. Very soon.
Please extend your support to 'Save the Tiger' India, an initiative by Aircel. PLEASE, IGNITE THE FIRE OF AWARENESS IN THE HEART OF EVERY INDIAN.
SAVE THE TIGER, SAVE OUR PRIDE.
