How far does our knowledge of tigers in india go? I am sure none of us has ever asked ourselves this question…I am sure i hadn’t either…But how is it relevant, you may ask….to you or to me or to everyone else in the country. Why would it be of any significance to know anything beyond the answer to the question which we have responded to proudly for so many years – “Who is our national animal”…Answer – “Tiger”..and now let me do my work…
Unfortunately though, while we all were busy doing our work, the tigers for their part were begging to be given more attention…The number of tigers in India has reduced at such a fast pace in the past few years that it’s almost alarming to note that we are not bothered yet…The questions however also is, whether we should be bothered or not? The answer to this question is not as simple as answering a general knowledge query.
We are not bothered because we are not educated enough, not aware enough about the consequences of a diminishing tiger population, almost to the brink of extinction…Should we worry about losing this beautiful, magnificent animal for ever? Yes we should, and that too as soon as possible…because if we don’t the time is not far when your favourite general knowledge question would be rephrased to “Who was our national animal?”…and i wont sit back waiting for that to happen…
I had a very fruitful discussion with a friend yesterday on this topic, and on the new portal called “Saveourtigers.com” (do visit and pledge your support if you haven’t). This friend of mine has been involved in tiger census for sometime now and he did not sound very optimistic about the chances of the tiger’s survival in India for too long. In fact he said that the people involved in tiger conservation already feel that the battle is lost…
I am obviously not an expert at any of this…and to be very frank i have realized the importance of this issue only after visiting the site and reading about this initiative to save the tigers. But i would at the very least like to spread the word around…to make other people aware about the issue at hand and its seriousness.
I have also seen a few very speculative remarks about this initiative, about how the corporates are marketing their own interests in the name of conserving the tigers and so on…fair enough, and maybe true as well. We, the people, of this extremely democratic nation, are also extremely speculative by nature, and we just can’t help being that way, almost for everything. It’s almost a daily habit amongst most of us to assume that because someone has come out in support of something, there is a personal interest in it and hence why the hell should we bother.
Okay lets assume a small scenario – Assume that corporates, Bollywood stars and several other powerful people are getting involved in this initiative to further their own interests and also lets assume that none of them (extreme assumption), have any interest in the real cause. Should this in any way affect us?? Does this in any way mean that the cause is not important so lets not make ourselves aware about it, just because we “think” that the greedy people around us are out to take undue advantage of the scenario. I very humbly decline this thought process…Whether these people are out there to make a quick buck or gain popularity out of associating themselves with the tigers, the bottom line is that they made me aware, they made me think about the condition of tigers in the country, and they gave me a reason to blog about it, spread the word around and probably, just probably educate a few others about an important cause.
It’s important for all of us to stop complaining about things, to stop trying to find a fault with things around us, and to stop ignoring important issues in the name of pre conceived thoughts. Had we been more aware and taken a moment or two to study and realize the importance of saving tigers, i believe the situation wont have gone out of control.
Lastly, i would urge everyone to share the thought of being aware on the tigers issue at hand, and on all such issues that surround us, with as many people as you can. Sharing helps…and who knows…we may actually be able to make some difference. After all, every bit counts and it does not take much to care about something you feel strongly about!!
PS…Please visit the site http://www.saveourtigers.com to learn about ways to help the cause.
Much ado about what?? Me ofcourse!! 