Window Seat | Mrinal Chatterjee | 19. 3.
23
Resolving Man-Elephant Conflict
In recent years man-elephant
conflict has become a major issue in India, where human populations and
elephant habitats often overlap- like In Dhenkanal, Odisha where I live. As
many as 784 elephants have died in the State of Odisha in the last ten years-
many of them due to accidents, poisoning by the poachers and electrocution.
Under this backdrop- ‘The
Elephant Whisperers’, documentary film directed by Kartiki Gonsalves and
produced by Guneet Monga- which won the Oscar this year for the best
documentary came as a soothing
balm.
The film tells the story of a
community who work as elephant trainers and caretakers, known as mahouts. The
women are part of a tradition that dates back centuries, and they share a deep
bond with their elephants.
The film explores the daily
lives of these community and their elephants, highlighting the challenges they
face in a changing world. It also showcases the unique relationship between the
mahouts and their elephants, revealing the deep emotional connection that
exists between them.
The film is a powerful tribute
to the resilience and strength of the human-animal bond, and the enduring
traditions that connect us to the natural world.
I guess, this emotional
connection coupled with some practical steps and some policy level
interventions can contain this conflict.
The tragedy of being Anna Hazare
Anna
Hazare is 86 now. Born on 15 June 1937, in a family with humble means, he had a rough
childhood, modest education but an indomitable spirit. He was drafted into the
Army in 1960, where he initially worked as an army truck driver and was later attested
as a soldier. In at least two occasions he escaped death miraculously and then
decided to “dedicate my new life to serving people”. He was discharged from the Army
in 1975 after completing 12 years of service.
In 2011,
Hazare campaigned for Jan Lokpal Bill, a stronger anti-corruption measure.
This campaign catapulted him into the center stage. It gradually turned into an
anti-corruption movement with thousands joining him. However, as it grew in
volume, there were differences of opinions among the leaders regarding the
focus and objective of the movement. On June 2013 Anna publicly disassociated
himself from the anti-corruption movement.
The anti-corruption movement
which made Anna Hazare a household name in India has long fizzled out. His
close associates have moved on and acquired better positions. Arvind Kejriwal
became the CM of Delhi. Kiran Bedi became the governor of Puducherry. Ramdev Baba is presently the owner of a huge FMCG empire.
Anna Hazare is
largely forgotten. He has disappeared from public mind space. Nobody now wears ‘I
am Anna Hazare’ inscribed Gandhi topi.
Nobody wears banyan with his smiling face printed on it.
Anna now lives in
his village, slightly bitter and skeptic as he says in a recent interview:
“Common people have started looking only for their own interest. The leadership
is also not coming forward.”
Climate Change and Human
Mobility
Recently we had an orientation
programme for young journalists on ‘climate change and human mobility’ at our
Institution, organized by ‘Youth 4 Water’. Climatologists and social scientists
believe that climate change will have significant impacts on human mobility,
both internally within countries and internationally across borders. The
effects of climate change, such as sea-level rise, extreme weather events,
droughts, and floods, are likely to exacerbate existing patterns of migration
and displacement, as well as create new ones in many countries including India.
India is already experiencing
the effects of climate change, including rising temperatures, (temperatures in India have risen by
0.7 °C (1.3 °F) between 1901 and 2018) more frequent and intense heat-waves, (In May 2022 severe
heat-wave was recorded in Pakistan and India. The temperature reached 51 °C.), changes in rainfall patterns,
and increased frequency and severity of extreme weather events such as floods,
droughts, and cyclones.
These changes are likely to have
a significant impact on human mobility in India, as people are forced to move
from their homes due to the effects of climate change. For example, farmers may
have to move to different regions to find suitable land for agriculture, while
people living in low-lying coastal areas may be forced to move to higher ground
due to the risk of flooding.
Additionally, climate change is
likely to exacerbate existing social and economic inequalities in India, making
some groups more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change than others. For
example, low-income communities living in informal settlements may be more
vulnerable to the effects of extreme weather events, as they often lack access
to adequate infrastructure and services that can help protect them from these
events.
India is doing reasonably well
in containing climate change. India has ranked 8th in the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2023.
India ranked 10th in CCPI, 2022. CCPI tracks countries’ efforts to combat
climate change.
But the problem with
our country is that we are big, varied and vulnerable. We need to work both at
the micro (at individual and community) as well macro (international
cooperation and policy) levels.
Tail piece: The Chinese way
The Chinese are way
ahead of us because of their flexibility...
A Chinese friend
tells me:
"Last month,
market was good, my dog ate what I ate.
Last week, market
was bad, I ate what my dog ate.
Yesterday, market
crashed, I ate my dog..."
+++
You may read the column here:
https://www.prameyanews.com/post/window-seat-resolving-manelephant-conflict
This column is also published every Sunday in Sikkim Express.
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