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Nomads hand in glove with poachers
Shining bright amid adversity
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No need for Eton model: Dr McLaughlin
Workshop encourages women to work
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Nomads hand in glove with poachers
Dehradun, May 25 These communities, including the Kanjar tribe, are notorious for hunting, particularly the cat species. The communities have been active in three key forest territories - Corbett Tiger Reserve, Terai West forest division and Ramnagar forest division.These areas are known for their faunal wealth. In the last eight years, as many as 60 poaching cases involving the communities have been registered in Corbett Tiger Reserve, Terai West and Ramnagar forest divisions. While 38 cases were registered from 2002 till 2008 in Corbett Tiger Reserve (CTR), 15 and 11 cases were registered in the same period in Terai West and Ramangar forest divisions, respectively. At CTR Corbett Tiger Reserve, among the poached animals, two (a leopard and a python) were Schedule I species while 26 fell in Schedule II, III and IV categories. Seven poaching tools, including guns, traps and nets were confiscated at the tiger reserve and four tools seized in Terai West. At Corbett Tiger Reserve, most violations were by nomadic communities from whom tiger and serow hide and ivory were seized. Similarly, in the nearby Terai West forest division, as many as 15 cases registered in the last eight years had the involvement of nomadic communities. Members of these communities poached five Schedule I animals, including two tigers and an equal number of pythons and a turtle. Alarmingly, leopard hide was also seized from these poachers. Of the 13 cases registered with the Ramnagar forest division in the same period, three poached animals belonged to Schedule I. According to the police, nomadic communities indulge in poaching at the behest of wildlife smugglers. “Inter-state wildlife smugglers use these nomads to further their nefarious designs of poaching on the faunal wealth,” said MA Ganpathy, a top police official. Terai West Ramanagar forest division’s officer PK Patro said there was no clear policy towards sensitising the communities towards importance of wildlife conservation. “While there have been individual efforts, a comprehensive policy ensuring rehabilitation of these nomadic community members or providing them with alternative income-generating activities remains a far cry,” he observed. WWF for Nature Studies Dr Hem Singh Gehlot, who has been studying the role of nomadic communities vis-à-vis poaching, said lack of awareness was the major reason behind these communities resorting to killing of wild animals. “Suffering from abject poverty, these communities indulge in wildlife poaching to eke out a living,” he said. He said the Ramnagar office of the WWF had been working closely with these communities to make them understand the importance of wildlife. While Corbett Tiger Reserve has been strengthening it’s tiger protection mechanism, courtesy the National Tiger Conservation Authority, it has mooted the concept of “Tiger Protection Force” for scores of reserves in the country, including Corbett. The force will include police officials. Similarly, Terai West and Ramnagar forest divisions have equipped their guards with the latest gadgets to counter poaching. Members of nomadic communities are part of well-organised gangs of poachers that work in a calculated manner and more often than not manage to hoodwink the forest authorities. The infamous Dariya who had a hand in the killing of several Schedule I animals in and around Corbett and was nabbed some time back belonged to a nomadic community. Corbett and its adjoining divisions that form part of the Terai arc, stretching from Uttar Pradesh encompassing Uttarakhand upto Nepal, has been most prone to poaching in recent times. The proximity of Corbett with neighbouring Nepal makes it the most-sought-after destination for poachers. Medicines and other products made from wild animals, particularly tigers, are in great demand in countries like China and Nepal. Poached animals fetch a high price across the border, alluring the nomadic communities into this trade. It is high time that the authorities concerned got into action to put an end to the menace.
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Shining bright amid adversity
Dehradun, May 25 The siblings rarely get new uniforms or books on promotion to the next class. Needless to say, their father cannot afford all this with his meagre earnings. Now in Class VIII, she scored 78 per cent marks in previous class, the level she has been painstakingly maintaining so far. Her younger brother Sandeep, studying in Class VII, was placed second with 84 per cent marks in the previous class. A diehard fan of Sachin Tendulkar, he aspires to become a professional cricketer. The determination to overcome odds in life is the message his innocent looks conveyed when asked about his aim in life. The youngest Mukul also aims big, so big that it may sound unrealistic to ordinary folks given their economic lot and increasingly unaffordable that higher professional education is becoming in the country. “I want to be a doctor,” he said with a palpable sense of achievement. Now in Class VI, he secured 89 per cent marks in the annual examination. He knows well that he has to take this score to a still higher level to realise his aspiration. School principal Reena Jaggi terms their performance as highly promising, given the circumstances in which they are pursuing their studies with bare minimum resources. They always reach the school on time and sincerely perform any duty assigned to them by the school. All three have been deputed as Students on Duty (SoDs) for this quality. “I have no doubt that their unfailing punctuality and sincerity will take them places,” she commented. The school has been doing its bit to help them. “We have never forced them to pay fees every month. Sometimes it is once in six months. It is a measure of their financial plight that school fees is paid in parts in spite of the concession given to them. “We also help them by providing old books donated by parents of other students. Sometimes we provide part of uniform from the school budget. “This is the maximum we can afford due to financial constraints. We are helping about 60 more kids of the total 300 students on the rolls,” she said.
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No need for Eton model: Dr McLaughlin
Dehradun, May 25 The search by the Doon School board of governors narrowed down on Dr McLaughlin, who was pleasantly surprised when he received a call from one of the members. In an interaction with mediapersons here today, he said: “The idea of India taking centerstage is before us and with the right blend of education and moral values, this is achievable.” On the measures he aims to implement during his tenure, he said: “We will remain faithful to the mission of our school: to produce students with their soul is intact, helping individuals think critically and analytically without losing on human values. “We will be adhering to the school credo of engaging individuals in socially productive work, at the same time delivering on quality education.” The headmaster of Casterton School since 2005, one of the best boarding schools in the UK, Dr McLaughlin has also worked as principal of British International School in Egypt for six years. He completed his doctorate in history and a two-year post-doctoral fellowship at the London School of Economics. Not unduly perturbed by the “elite” tag attached to Doon School, he recalled the philosophy of Arthur E. Foot, the first headmaster, who defined aristocracy differently, basing it on service rather than wealth or social clout. “I would say that it is an elite school with a firm belief in moral values. A high sense of fair play and social service are some of the values that are inculcated in our students who then become an asset to a democratic society,” he said. “The only thing that needs to be re-emphasized is the need to steer the schools on a new path, in keeping with the wider aspirations of society that is now increasingly assertive and demanding,” Dr McLaughlin said. Elaborating further on the concept of elitism, he said: “It is an issue that has to be viewed in the context of what the school espouses in the long run: if the school manages to produce students with the right sense of moral values who later go on to find their place, irrespective of social connections and wealth, and become flag-bearers of democratic ideas, I think we would have done our job well.” Well aware that rote learning continues to be a worrisome trend, he was of the view that a right balance needs to be maintained between grades and all-round development of a child. “Ultimately grades do matter; one cannot negate their importance. But it is a challenge to produce students who in their own way are contributors to society, choosing careers that leave them satisfied and are able to script a success story a bit different from somebody’s idea of success,” the new headmaster emphasised. His blue print for the school comprises using benefits of technology in a manner that allows for enhancing educational skills. “In the UK, cyber bullying has reached endemic proportions; we would not like this to be repeated here,” he said.
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Workshop encourages women to work
Dehradun, May 25 The main motive of the organisation was to provide employment and spread awareness about the negative effects of using polythene in day-to-day life. At least 25 women under the aegis of AWARD were given training on how to create a statue out of discarded polythene. Present at the concluding ceremony of AWARD, executive director Vinita Kumar said: “The main motive of our organisation is to encourage women to work under self-help groups and provide them employment opportunities.”
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Dehradun, May 25
