Vibha Sharma
Tribune News ServiceNew Delhi, August 5
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today endorsed a majority of the recommendations made by the Tiger task force for saving tigers and their habitats, calling for their immediate implementation.
The five-member task force, constituted by the Prime Minister in April after the shocking disappearance of tigers from the Sariska reserve, presented the much-awaited report, recommending seven immediate and some long-term steps to save the big cats the Indian way.
Talking to The Tribune after making the presentation to the Prime Minister, task force chairperson Sunita Narain called the meeting “successful and encouraging”.
“The Prime Minister agreed on all seven short-term recommendations we made. The meeting was very good, very positive. I am thrilled,” she said.
However, on the controversy emerging from one of the key members, Mr Valmik Thapar, not being in consensus with the report, she said: “His dissent note has also been attached with the report. But I always feel that dialogue is more powerful than dissent. The other four members are unanimous on all recommendations made in the report, which is more important.”
But as was evident right from the time the task force was constituted, which became even more clear during the periodic presentations made before media, there was a marked difference of opinion between task force chairperson Sunita Narain and the fifth member, noted conservationist Valmik Thapar, on several issues.
In fact, Mr Thapar remained conspicuous by his absence from most of the press conferences, showing his disagreement right from the beginning.
This time, Mr Thapar has shown dissent upon what as per Ms Narain is the most important way to save the tiger in the Indian habitats - the relocation of villages from the key tiger habitats wherever it can be done or else prepare a plan for co-existence of tigers and human beings so that benefits of conservation can be shared with the local communities.
