India’s Wildlife Heritage

Wildlife in India has religious and aristocratic background. It has been regarded as a symbol of fascination, awe, grandeur and reverence in the roots of Indian cultural sociology. Our mythology reflects it when it confers an exalted veneration on many wild animals by symbolizing them as the vehicles of Hindu Gods and Goddesses and as incarnations of God. There have always been twin themes associated with the wildlife since the early days of Indian society; a subject of dangers to be confronted and beauty to be enjoyed. When Rama is about to set on his long exile in the forests, his mother Kaushalya expresses her fears for his safety, which paints a portrait of the forest as a place of hidden menace. But a very different picture of the same emerges when Sita accompanies her husband in exile. The forested lands are a source of pleasure for her. Beauty replaces the menace. Indian wildlife, being a heritage in its true sense, finds its fair share in the ancient and modern literature. Infact, the common name for wilderness in India is Jungle which has been made famous in The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling. India's wildlife has been the subject of numerous other tales and fables such as the Panchatantra and the Jataka tales. The national heritage of India includes both cultural and natural sites. Our cultural legacy is beyond doubt the most majestic across the world; what is more, we are proud of our natural and wildlife heritage which continues to attract the focus of a great number of nature lovers, wildlife enthusiasts, environmentalists and holiday-makers.
The wildlife attractions of India are huge and worth appreciating. India is one of the 17 identified mega diverse countries of the world. From about 70 percent of the total geographical area surveyed so far, 45,500 plant species and 91,000 animal species, representing about seven percent of the world's flora and 6.5 per cent of the world's fauna have been described. The biological diversity of India contributes 8 per cent to the known global biological diversity. Numerous rare and endangered species of animals, birds and reptiles can be found in the country. India is home to several well known large mammals including the Asian Elephant, Bengal Tiger, Asiatic Lion, Leopard, Sloth Bear and Indian Rhinoceros, often engrained culturally and religiously.
The distribution of wildlife in India can be vaguely classified into certain geographical regions. The Himalayan foothills is one of the richest areas for the typical big mammals of Northern India. The Elephant, The Swamp Deer, Cheetal, Hog Deer, Barking Deer, Wild Boar and The Great Indian One Horned Rhinoceros all abound in this area. This is also the famous tiger country immortalized by Jim Corbett. The High Altitude Region of Western Himalayas comprises of Kashmir & Western Ladakh to Kumaon. The Wild Ass, the bovid family, most species of wild goats and sheep, antelopes like the Chiru, the Tibetan gazelle and the Musk Deer inhabits this high altitude region. The animal life in the temperate region of the The Eastern Himalayan Sub-Zone is different from the western Himalayas and is characterized by typical species like The Red Panda, Hog Badgers, Ferret Badgers, Crestless Porcupines and several other goat antelopes. However, Peninsular India and the Drainage Basin of the Ganges is the true home of the Indian wildlife heritage. Some of the larger inhabitants of the Indian deciduous forests are Elephant, Munijak, the auriferous Sambar deer and the ubiquitous Wild Boar. Two large antelopes, the Nilgai and the Blackbuck and the Chinkara gazelle, the smallest of the antelopes also inhabit the open habitats of the deciduous wood lands. The two big savannah cats of Peninsular India, the Cheetah and the Lion are the embodiment of wildlife heritage of India.
In recent decades, human intervention has posed a threat to India's wildlife heritage. This is an indicant of abysmally low standards and dismal sustainment policies that many of our wildlife species are on a brink of extinction. The heritage of plant and animal life needs to be preserved not only because of the immense current benefits and future gains to us, but also for ethical and aesthetic reasons. The immense opportunities for wildlife tourism that the country offers will get thwarted unless we preserve our wildlife heritage. The situation stands in need of urgent regard and redressal lest we stand deprived of a precious gift bestowed on our motherland.
Plants and animal communities are products of millions of years of natural evolution. They have a right to survive and evolve as nature intended them to, at least in some parts of the once-green earth that we have so drastically modified. Although an isolation of the wildlife will distort the meaning of biodiversity, albeit a holistic approach towards conservation of wildlife resources is desperately called for. Conservation includes preservation, maintenance, sustainable utilization and enhancement of the natural order. Off late, the government and the people have awakened to the looming danger over the existence of our wildlife species and have brought them under the protection programmes. Conscious efforts have been made in this direction but the need for conservation of wildlife in India is often questioned because of the apparently incorrect priority in the face of direct poverty of the people. However the fact remains that, wildlife conservation is an activity that we humans undertake, not the wild animals themselves. Therefore, wildlife conservation must involve a human dimension. The social, economic and cultural dimensions of conservation cannot be ignored. Conservation of our wildlife essentially starts with the conservation of their habitat and hence the conservation of their home ground id est our forests. The exploitation of forest resources by humans along with hunting and trapping for food and sport has led to the extinction of many species in India in recent times. Many species have not been seen since their description. Conserve the forests or let our wildlife perish, is written on the wall. Forest land should not be treated merely as a resource readily available to be utilized for various projects and programmes, but as a national asset which requires to be properly safeguarded for providing sustained benefits to the entire community.
Article 48 of the Constitution of India specifies that, "The state shall endeavor to protect and improve the environment and to safeguard the forests and wildlife of the country". A major stride in this direction was the declaration and maintenance of protected areas. The concept involves earmarking of a geographical area for sustenance of certain wildlife species that already abounds in the region and subsequently facilitating conditions conducive for their thriving and breeding. The immense heritage of wildlife in India comprises of more than 70 national parks and about 400 wildlife sanctuaries including the bird sanctuaries. India’s National Animal, the tiger happens to be a symbol of strength and speed. India boasts of two dozen Tiger Reserves. The highly successful ‘Project Tiger’ has shown that man can undo in small ways the loss and destruction of natural habitat due to continuous growth and expansion of the population. Ranthambore, one of India's conservation success stories, was taken up under Project Tiger in 1973 in an effort to preserve a species that was in danger of extinction. There were 14 tigers there in 1973. At the census conducted in 2003, there were 40! Project Elephant, though less known, started in 1992 and works for elephant protection in India. Most of India's rhinos today survive in the Kaziranga National Park. However, for the conservation of total biological diversity, the network of national parks, sanctuaries, biosphere reserves and other protected areas should be strengthened and extended adequately. Another serious menace that inflicts our wildlife is that of crimes against wildlife and wildlife trafficking. Global demand for wildlife and its products puts at risk the mega diversity of the country. The Government of India constituted a statutory body, the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau in 2007, by amending the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, a special Act to protect the wildlife in the country. Nevertheless the changing market dynamics and the lifestyles make the existing regulatory regimes inadequate in dealing with the wildlife crimes assuming organized status. It calls for coordinated actions in combating the wildlife related crimes including building capacity for scientific and professional investigation along with other measures.
It is urgent to be emphasized that a change no smaller than a paradigm transformation is needed to preserve the rich wildlife heritage of our country. It is essential that the Government, the NGOs and other civic bodies duly contribute to the preservation of wildlife. Equally significant is the promulgation of federal protections for wildlife species and crucial habitats. However, for an appreciable feat to be realized, it is indispensable that the civil society involves itself at each and every phase of wildlife protection and deem it to “be the duty of every citizen of India to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers, and wildlife and to have compassion for living creatures" as our constitution pronounces.

India of My Dreams

India of my dreams descends from the India that our forefathers had dreamt of and is at the same time bastioned with the most modern and futuristic conceptions in its incumbents and inhabitants. It will not only be a self adequate nation but will also strive to alleviate the inadequate sections of the world community in their attempt against poverty. A country that will not only have well defended borders and cordial international relations but also be a torchbearer of world peace and disarmament. India of my dreams will be a nonpareil example of social justice and religious tolerance. It will be mounted on a growth that is both faster and inclusive. I dream of a nation whose peoples are healthy and educated having most rational behavior. It will make huge strides in scientific and technological development, a development that is most sustainable and not on the cost of our environment and natural resources.

As an inhabitant when I dream of my country’s future the dreams are more likely enterprising rather than fantastical hence when I subconsciously proceed to the India of my dreams, I foresee a transition in each of the sectors which are the determinants of the progress and vitality of India.
Agriculture provides the principal means of livelihood for over 58.4 per cent of India's population contributing approximately one-fifth of total GDP. Agriculture accounts for about 10 per cent of the total export earnings and provides raw material to a large number of industries. In other words, agriculture is the mainstay of the Indian economy and society. However, low and volatile agrarian growth rates are a threat not only to national food security, but also to the economic well-being of the nation as a whole. We aspire of achieving food security & rapid growth and development through optimum utilization of country’s land, water, soil and plant resources. Progressive and developmental planning coupled with accelerated research to beef up productivity will lead us to the level of excellence that I dream of.
India is a nation with over 300 million poor people, a number that has barely declined over the last three decades of development. It is therefore essential to address the task of reducing the numbers of the poor frontally. Effective poverty alleviation can’t be achieved until we wipe out subnormality from our parameters of rural development. I dream of India that is a welfare state in its true sense with decentralization of planning, better enforcement of land reforms and greater access to credit for the rural community. The attainment of Panchayati Raj, in letter and spirit, will realize Gandhiji’s image of ‘village republics’.
Industrial growth and flourishing foreign trade of a developing country is known to be the paradigm of its march towards a developed nation. India of my dreams will be a major industrial partner and player in the global arena. A developed India will have a number of prospering industrial zones on the lines of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and Export Processing Zones (EPZs) that will trigger a large flow of foreign and domestic investment, in infrastructure and productive capacity, leading to generation of additional economic activity and creation of employment opportunities. India’s industrial policy will be an engine for economic growth supported by quality infrastructure complemented by an attractive fiscal package, with the minimum possible regulations.
A layman appraises the growth and worth of a nation by the infrastructure that is held on its land. Physical infrastructure is indeed an attribute of the country’s assets and standards. I look forward to a country which has world class infrastructure, delivering services matching international standards. Infrastructure development, such as industrial and mining infrastructure, highways, roads, ports, railways, airports, power systems, irrigation and agriculture systems, telecommunication systems, hospitals, schools, townships, offices, houses and other buildings; urban infrastructure, including water supply, sewerage, and drainage, and rural infrastructure will provide the basic stimulus to socioeconomic development. The carrying out of infrastructural activity will bring about numerous organized and un-organized employment opportunities. An efficient mechanism for Public Private Partnership(PPP) and Foreign Direct Investment(FDIs) will not only provide the much needed capital for bridging the infrastructure deficit, it would also help to lower costs and improve efficiency in a competitive environment.
India’s aspirations have been marred by insurgencies, terrorism and other outside pressures, particularly in border-states which are brought to bear on the country’s economy and technological progress from time to time. A nation with this type of environment calls for a highly focused national security policy and strategy. India aims at promoting and sustaining durable peace in the subcontinent and equipping its defence forces adequately to safeguard against aggression. Technology superiority is increasingly going to be the decisive factor in future battles. India of the future will have an enviable defence technology R&D. Our intelligence services will deter any defying act of perpetrators. Though we would have honed our nuclear and air arsenal we will function as agents of peace for the world and especially for the South Asian region.
Assuring a minimal level of health care to the population is a critical constituent of the development process. Nutrition, particularly of the infant and the young child, is the focal point of health and well-being. It is directly linked to human resource development, productivity and ultimately to the national growth. We will transform our public health, especially in remote rural regions into an accountable, accessible, and affordable system of quality services. Our objectives vis-à-vis health and nutrition should be derived by the Millennium Development
Goals adopted by The United Nations:
i. Reduce by two-thirds the under-five mortality rate.
ii. Reduce by three quarters the maternal mortality ratio.
iii. Achieve universal access to reproductive health.
iv. Halt and begin to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS and the incidence of other major diseases.
v. Halve the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation.
The role of education and employment in facilitating social and economic progress is well recognized. Education, in its broadest sense of development of youth, is the most crucial input for empowering people with skills and knowledge and giving them access to productive employment in future. I dream of a country where the goal of Universilization of Elementary Education (UEE) will be met without systemic deficiencies and implementation loopholes. We will generate comparable employment opportunities simultaneous to growth rate of our labour force so that our human resources, infrastructure and industry can deliver a symbiotic growth.
Inclusive growth demands that all social groups have equal access to the services provided by the State and equal opportunity for upward economic and social mobility. In India, certain social groups such as the SCs, STs, OBCs and Minorities have historically been disadvantaged and vulnerable. Then there are persons with disabilities, older persons, street children, beggars and victims of substance abuse which may be discriminated against and which suffer from handicaps. For growth to be truly inclusive, their protection, wellbeing, development, empowerment and participation will be ensured. India of my dreams will be free from the shackles of any kind of invidious policy or behavior. The relatively disadvantaged sections of the society will be uplifted not through donative measures and unearned incentives such as reservations in education and employment. Rather, a complete gyration will be achieved when they will be facilitated access to skill development and financial inclusion which makes them self sustaining in the long run. The women of tomorrow’s India will have access to basic entitlements; will be economically empowered and will live in an environment free from all forms of violence against women(VAW)—physical, economic, social, psychological etc. She will participate and be adequately represented at the highest policy levels, particularly in Parliament and State assemblies.
Science and Technology could transform India in to a modern, industrialized society. I envision an education system which nurtures creativity; a policy framework which encourages young people to enter into scientific careers and an ability to scan scientific developments in the world and use technology foresight in a national perspective. It is with this conviction that I approach to Science & Technology to usher in an era of technological innovation that will propel India of my dreams to the league of superpowers. We will retain and strengthen our capability in the nuclear field so that the country remains unaffected by technology denial regimes. However, our industrial and technological endeavors will be in harmony to the aspect of conservation of the country's natural resources, its biodiversity, forests and wildlife and the prevention and abatement of pollution. The environmental impact of conducting research and operations, will receive increased attention on all fronts in an India marching towards a splendid future.
India of My Dreams seemingly stands aloof to our de facto perceptions about India’s near future. But the hiatus between the two is not surreal to be abridged. What is called for is to transform dreams into aims, the aims of each citizen and custodian of India and to pursue the aims with foolproof planning, unfailing efforts and impregnable integrity.