Can we really 'Save Our Tigers' ?

“Just 1411 left.You can make a difference.” I must admit, it’s an impressive campaign that is being run these days in the media by Aircel and WWF.And obviously, quite a few celebrities have joined the ‘roar’. Why not? Who would want to miss out on free media coverage in return for lip service? Now before you start feeling indignant and get pissed off reading this, think if the poor tiger is really going to get anything out of this mammoth exercise. It’s a good trick to highlight the numbers.It succeeds in creating a sense of urgency too.But didn’t we see this coming? Oh, come on now!! We all knew that tigers were being poached rather freely even in the so called protected wild reserves and money ending up in the lockers of the wildlife wardens and ministers? And we also knew, we couldn’t do anything about this.So why the hullabaloo??? And don’t all of us, deep in our hearts really know that, nothing is going to stop the tiger from being completely wiped out, like so many other species of animals and plants? It’s our national animal for chrissake, you would say!! So what, it is not more important than money for our wildlife wardens and environment ministers and the bureaucrats.For them, it’s just another link in the food chain.And for now, they are the ones pulling all the chains.
I find it funny how sometimes we the lesser beings, the common citizens are given the space on the stage(stage managed i would say) to express our indignation at such issues, by the media which obviously has its own ulterior motive(ever heard of TRP’s).And for some time, our silent protests, candlight rallies, peace marches and demonstrations are allowed to occupy centre stage in the popular media.And for this brief while, we the lesser beings are lulled in to the false belief that the power really lies with the public and that our protests have the power to change things.Our egos are inflated and we begin to feel like the heroes in our films who eventually manage to wrench justice from the perpetrators of injustice.But, doesn’t all this seem stage managed.I acknowledge that my some of my brethren really join such protests because they believe that they can make a difference and i respect their feelings.But I think that even before all of this starts, it seems that the perpetrators of such acts know the outcome. They know that slowly the momentum always fades out. Public memory is short.They know it. I can even imagine them sitting in their air-conditioned, luxurious houses, sipping vintage wine and smiling at our rallies and protest marches, knowing well that it is ok to let the ‘mob’ have its moment of glory even if it is for a ‘fleeting moment’. After all how long can the ’cattle class’ pursue such lofty ideals.Not for long I would say.After all, we all have hungry stomachs to take care of. Like always, we would huddle, plan, debate, shout and then disperse.
Pessimistic, coward, traitor, loser, et cetera et cetera. Maybe you would like to call me such names. You can probably cite a few examples too where by the”force” of popular opinion, tables were turned and the mighty had fallen. Or you would say that we should not give up hope, that we should not give up with out a fight or that things would change eventually or that the change has to come from within us or that we should lead by example or that we atleast have to do something rather than be silent spectators.My answer is cut the crap.Take a look at the facts and think realistically, what can probably save our tigers?
From the year 2004 to 2009, 30619 lakh rupees have been spent on Project tiger that was set up to manage the tiger reserves set up across the country and yet over these very years the number of tigers has only witnessed a steady decline. Tons of money was stashed away by ministers and wardens who were entrusted with the task of putting it to good use - to save the tiger. But then there is no good better than self-good is what the tribe of the ministers and bureacrats swear by.Add to it the commissions these guys make from the poachers. It’s a multi-million dollar business and the pay backs are way beyond numbers, you and me ever learnt to count. When questioned, these guys are quick to come up with some of the most incredible answers. They cite constraints like lack of staff, proper monitoring equipment and the difficult terrain etc. I mean, what the hell were the planners thinking when they allocated the budgets? Didn’t they know what needed to be done and how much money would be needed? Bullshit!! Fact is, these projects are just like other populist schemes which are created for the poor common man who for some funny reason remains untouched by these schemes.And miraculously, the account balance of a numbered account in the swiss banks goes up by several millions.
So what do you suggest? You may want to ask me.Well, I am willing to give you suggestions.But don’t expect me to do anything.Because I am just a common man with a family and I am too small to chase such ‘big’ objectives and I am only supposed to sit back and relent and curse and probably hurl a few verbal brickbats.That’s the max I can do.Like me or hate me.And my ‘roar’ is not good enough to be heard by those in power.For they live in glass bungalows, you see!! But yes, I have my ideas, you see like every common man.Mind you though that they are just ideas and are destined to remain so.Just as the tiger is destined to be wiped out.Sad, but true. But if you want ideas, here are some that you may also like to quote at parties, social gatherings and family dinners just so that you can emphasize the fact that you too care for the tiger and how deeply you think on the issue?It’s always good to have some talking points for issue that are in the social limelight, won’t you agree? There you go. Your are just like me. Anyways, here are the ideas - just make a mental note, will you?
1) Divide these tiger reserves in to small sectors of equal sizes and brainstorm to ascertain a realistic number of forest guards that would be needed to keep an effective control over the area.This cannot be too difficult
2) Hire trained guards for chrissakes!!. Don’t just find some poor villagers and mahouts.It’s time, a separate force like the paramilitary should be raised and trained for protection of these reserves. They should be full time professionals with benefits just like the para military forces and they should be paid well. Official penalties and penal action be taken against those found guilty of dereliction of duties. Every sector leader would be held directly responsible for loss of an animal in his territory to causes beyond clinically proven natural deaths. Penalties to include life time imprisonment for those found lacking in disposal of their duties. Shoot at sight orders for anyone in the core reserve area with intent of poaching or in possession of animal snares, guns etc
3) Instead of just patrolling the parks perimeter once in a month, these guards would stay inside these sectors. Jungle lodges and watch towers should be built in each of these sectors at strategic points and essential supplies air dropped if need be or else have a team of mahouts managing the logistics.Teams alternating between night and day to keep round the clock vigil.
4) All team should be equipped with all terrain vehicles, good guns, digital cameras, long range walkie-talkies,GPS devices and aerial support. The sectors should be carefully mapped using GPS systems, every animal in the sectors tagged as a data point and sector wise data regularly be collected and fed in to computers to identify patterns.The computers should be connected to weather forecasting systems too.
5)The team should be formed of educated men who can be trained by wildlife enthusiasts and volunteers who have championed the cause of animal protection.They should be taught how to read and interpret animal signs and behavious and how to monitor them in their natural surroundings while following the rules of zero intrusion and interference.
6) The tribes and villagers residing in the reserve area should either be relocated or they should be incentivised to become informers to share intelligence about the possible operations of poachers.More often than not, they collude with the poachers for small amounts of money and provide them with logistic support.The populations of these tribes should be monitored too, their data collected and build an informer network among these tribes to make up for valuable intelligence on what goes on inside the park?
7) Capital punishment for those caught in poaching activities anywhere in the country.Straight away life term.No concessions and no legal loop holes to help the sons-of-XXXXXXX.
And if a tiger dies, a report is sent directly to the prime minister explaining how it happened and why? And the prime minister is obliged to review and take appropriate action.
Yeah. Those are some straight forward ideas that can help save the poor tiger.And if you think, these are fanciful, unrealistic, or would-take-a-long time to implement, then let me tell you, you are being as unrealistic in believing that sloganeering, blogging, rallies, or candlight marches or TV debates can save the tigers.And if I hear you asking that why am i blogging on this issue then? Let me tell you my friend that I told you that these are just ideas for you to use as talking points during those inevitable discussions that would be there during office lunches, by the water cooler, in the train, on the bus and elsewhere.I am just giving you some meat for the conversation man.So you can show off as being aware and concerned.Thats all.You and me both know that the furure is going to die down soon just like the poor tiger.Here’s our chance to pretend to be knowledgeable and sound like an intellectual dude!.And none of these ideas are ever going to be put in to practice.The ministers are going to launch some ‘intelligent’ schemes that will add some more money to their accounts over the years and one fine day, they will inform us with the deepest of apologies that our national tiger is extinct. That will be one more occassion for us common people to carry out marches,rallies, express our indignation and to enjoy our collective moment of glory in the media.Its good for both - the media loves the ‘roaring’ TRP’s and we love the show they manage to put up on such issues.Really.And to think of what a day it will be, when the last tiger is finally gone too. Can you imagine, the intelligent perspectives that we will get to hear from our ministers? In hindsight of course. Or the blame game that will be played out in the parliament? Would’t you just love to be given a chance to voice your indignation, anger, and fristration with the system, just the way i am doing it now through this blog? It would be a field day for the media, wouldn’t it!! and it will be so much fun to see which minister manages to gain the maximum mileage from the loss of the last tiger.I am sort of jealous of the glorified burial the last tiger is destined to receive in our collective memories. No one in history would probably be a match.And all this for just a tiger