![]() An Outline For ReformSuniti Bhushan Datta SAVING WILD INDIA: A BLUEPRINT FOR CHANGE By Valmik Thapar Aleph Book Company, New Delhi, 2015, pp. 168, Rs. 499.00 VOLUME XXXIX NUMBER 10 October 2015 Wildlife, forests and natural resources in India have never
before been under such a concerted threat of obliteration,
as they are now, under a regime that is as keen on
overexploiting them as they are cavalier towards the intrinsic value of
the environment to human survival. Much has been commented on
the future of the country’s forests and wilderness, but Valmik Thapar’s
new book goes a step further and proposes an outline for reforming
conservation and environmental policy in the country.
The book begins with a preamble,
where the author talks
about his own history of effecting
conservation actions and
policies, stretching back some
40 years, from localized conservation
action at the
Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve in
Rajasthan, to being a member
of national policy-level committees.
In his experience, as he
sums it up, the problem is that,
‘Even through in the 1970s and
1980s many remarkable forest
officers served in different regions
of India, I believe it was their
contribution as individuals that
held up a service, which as an
institution was deteriorating rapidly. By the 1990s, these individuals
were difficult to find and the service was a mess. Much ignored
politically, and misused by the government, the service was not renewed,
or reformed.’
Wildlife laws and conservation advocacy have taken many forms
in this country, from the Mahabharata (as quoted in the opening
papers) through laws made by the British (such as the Indian Forest
Act, 1865), to the modern avatar, the Wildlife Protection Act (1972),
amended up to 2012. While these laws have taken a modern form,
many are based on pre-Independence understanding of conservation,
‘creating endless conflicts and contradictions in day-to-day
governance.’ The most controversial law of recent times that involves
the use of forests has been the Forest Rights Act (2006) (FRA), which
was created to give rights to forest-dwellers who have been residing
in forests for many generations. As someone who was associated in
conceiving the Forest Rights Act, the author describes the conflicts
that arose between the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and the Ministry of
Environment and Forests, since the FRA contradicted the Wildlife
Protection Act, which states that, ‘national parks are inviolate.’ He
quotes from the CAG’s (Comptroller and Auditor General) audit
report which categorically states that the FRA can ‘be exploited and
incorrect claims can make forest areas vulnerable’. The author proposes
the need to have a single, ‘non-contradictory law that governs
our natural ... Table of Contents >> |