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Uday Patel-- Editor, Amateur Naturalist & Photographer.Writer:Nature & Travel.
Dr.A.B.Shrivastava--Wildlife Health Co-ordinator.Indian Wildlife Health Co-operative,Indo-US Project.(USF&WS)(WII)
Dr.Dilip Katiyar-- Nature Photographer & Amateur Naturalist
Experts-- Concerned
Contents
1)Wither The Tiger...Uday Patel
2)Wildlife Health a New....Dr.A.B.Srivastava
3)Them or Us.......Uday Patel
4)News..Cry The Peacock...Panna Case...
5)Letters
Uday Patel
Man before Animal ( or Tiger) thats what I hear quite often.Some from the Administration/Politicians expressing now and then.
Even some overzealous NGOS hold this view albeit it is implied in a more tacit and disguised form.
The populistic nature of Governance is as much to blame.
Utmost disgusting! Especially when these very people shake their head in affirmative when the equality of all life forms on Earth is stated to them.
Definately Animals have as much right to this Earth as much as we have.Then why this hypocrisy?
Is it our lack of understanding or our greed or both that justifies the shabby treatment towards the lesser beings in our eyes?
Or is it that Earth is our prerogative?,alone.
So much land the burgeoning populations of human have usurped from Them since centuries and the need is never ending.
India has a land mass of approx. 32 lakh square kilometers out of which barely 3% to 4% of land has been Allocated to Them.And now this very land is subject to much contentious debate and discussions as to the Rights of Humans there or simply put resource sharing in the name of Human Rights in one form of other.
My contention is that a Sanctum Sanctorum is a must for Them to breed live and flourish a Sanctum Sanctorum devoid of any Human interference even resource sharing Pl. Note.
I state for example that, species like Barasingha(Cervus Duavcelli Branderi) and Gaur (Bos Gaurus) cannot survive with close Human prescence as we have seen in past. Bandhavgarh is one such recent example in case of Gaur.
Will Pench National Park be the next?
Who is responsible for the state of Human predicament certainly not Them.Need we not find solutions for sustenance from the shamefully large tracts of land we have in our control vis a vis increasing productivity or utilizing the capability of the land lying unused or untilled (NO DAMS/MINES PL.).
Can we afford the luxury of certain communities tuned to a certain way of Life only when we often talk of communities joining the Mainstream.Haven’t we all changed and constantly changing as per the changing environment? Can we talk of communities living in isolation any more when the habitat is no more viable and large enough? And when they cannot do away with modern amenities. The youth among them is enamoured with urban lifestyle anyway; hence the futility.
I don’t mean throw them out of their lands like we have done with the Dam Oustees (Sic). What I wish is a more restrictive and balanced approach to utilization of resource where ever these communities are (and solely forest dwelling communities not the outsiders who are in plenty among them.)
Believe me I have lived among Tribals in Mandla District and their conditions in absence of large tracks of unspoiled forests-and exploitation by Urban communities - is pathetic and most of them look forward to sustenance in Urban areas.
Diseases are rampant and mortality is very high average life span being 40 years.
Forests no longer provide them with necessary isolation from epidemics and natural medicines in many cases are scarce or not in practice any longer. In many cases there is not enough life sustaining resources left after the degradation of these forests. They can no longer obtain precious Animal protein thanks to over hunting and habitat destruction by the civilization outside.
Eventual Inference is that Resource sharing policy should be Region/Habitat specific and that Core areas should be chalked out and minimum area should be subjected to resource utilization solely for the sustenance of forest dwelling communities and not in the name of economic prosperity of the Nation.
Will these communities survive forever in isolation after the continous destruction of their homelands? Should these communities be encouraged to join the Urban world as time passes? these questions I leave for you to answer.
    
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