Prime Minister Narendra Modi' Man ki Baat connect with People

 

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Man Ki Baat” changing people’s approach for improving Forest and Wildlife Conservation in the country       

By: VK Bahuguna        

 (Formerly Director-General ICFRE Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change)

One tectonic shift in the political atmosphere of the country at the highest level with regards to direct contact with the masses was started by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi soon after he assumed office in the year 2014. Though the initiative of ‘Man ki Baat’ initially seemed to be yet another mundane government sponsored program of addressing people but the way Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji over the year communicated on a range of vital issues had made a massive lasting impact on the psyche of the people for collaboration on each item he touched which gradually witnessed change of mindset of the people in the government as well as of the general public. Today the way this program is effectively changing the ethos of working culture in the country, all round spectacular results are being given by the government organizations with full participation of the people on each topic the Prime Minister had taken up. A case in point is forest and wildlife conservation in the country touched by the Prime Minister in his   monthly ‘Man ki Baat’ programme. 

The forestry and environmentalist professionals as well people dependent on Forest for their basic livelihood needs are in a very proactive mood to take forward the message of Prime Minister for durable result. For a long time for any Prime Minister's regular contacts with forestry based on the advice of officials. The Prime Minister in August 2019 for the first time took up the issue of Environment and Forest Conservation in his monthly talk on Radio after releasing the Tiger census report in July 2019. He started "My dear countrymen, the concern and care for the Environment in India seems natural". This statement in a very simple term symbolizes the civilizational and spiritual strength of love for all creatures and varied forms of nature. He recognized the contribution of our people living in and around forests i.e. the rural poor, tribal people and other Indians in providing support for the Conservation of flora and fauna of the country and was in fact a direct message for further strengthening the collaborative efforts of cooperation for conservation of forest and wildlife in the country in the midst of threat from climate change which is now glaring us in all its enormity.

Reminding the people of Petersburg Tiger Summit of 2010, which adopted a resolution to double the Tiger population in 2022. . In compliance of Russian Summit of 2010 during last 13 years India' Tiger population not only doubled but it also increased its protective area network.  Tiger census results in India shows  that in spite of huge challenges posed by difficult circumstances like man-animal conflicts and rising population the Tiger population not only doubled but the population of other wild animals have been increasing continuously year after year with full co-operation of the people. Indian Tiger population increased in 2022 to 3167 from the 2019 report of 2967. Of the 13 Tiger bearing countries India alone is having 70 percent of the Tigers and which only is witnessing significant increase. One interesting fact worth noticing is the increase of Tiger population in 2022(census report) outside protective areas in the territorial divisions. It was possible because of inspired leadership at the highest level, due to an efficient forest and wildlife management by forestry professionals and of course with full support from the local people who made lot of sacrifice for preserving the nature. The Prime Minister himself appreciated the work of Forestry professionals in ensuring world class ecosystem management with the support of local people while releasing the Tiger census on 9th April 2023. Today India is the only country in the world with such massive wildlife stable pyramid of food chain ecosystems in most of the agro-climatic regions of the country. The Prime Minister had personal experience of executing and monitoring of forest ecosystem in Gujarat as the Chief Minister. If the ecosystem is managed well our forest vegetation and flagship wildlife resources like Tigers and Elephants as also the benefits to poor people from non- timber forest products would be taken care of automatically. In Gujarat his government took proactive efforts for effective forest  habitat management and development of infrastructure to counter the decrease in Lion population. He exhorted the people to learn from our scriptures to love wildlife animals. In Gujarat due to his personal involvement he found that unless women are involved in the management of Gir forests the success in Lion population will not be significant.  He specially recruited women in forest department with spectacular results.

One of the best example of proactive intervention and genuine involvement at the highest political level is clearly evident in the Prime Minister’s Man Ki Baat of February 2021 relating to Assam which is the cradle of India’s rich biodiversity and the only land of one horned Rhinoceros.  The annual survey of waterfowls is carried out in Kaziranga National Park by the National Tiger Conservation Authority of the Ministry of Environment and Forests. The survey revealed that due to efforts of the government's commitment the population of waterfowls jumped by 175%. The people of the state have shown support for the conservation of forest and it was seen that 112 species of the birds were sighted in this census and out of this 58 species were of winter migratory birds from Europe, Central Asia and East Asia. The people’s cooperation resulted in better water management in Kaziranga National Park and thus all round development.

 

One of the story the Prime Minister narrated in January 2022 relating T-15 Tigress of Pench Tiger Reserve which was given a tearful farewell by the forest department officers and the local people. This Tigress gave birth to 29 cubs and 25 of them lived a good life. The Assamese people felt involved when the Prime Minister narrated the story of Assam’s tea gardens in national economy as well the place of Rhinoceros in Assam’s culture. It has an immediate impact as that special ant-poaching campaign was launched during last 7 years and more than 2400 Rhino horn were seized and burnt.  In nutshell, the proactive involvement of Prime Minister has given a new dimension to the conservation movement in the country and it is for the other politicians and bureaucracy to follow. The success of conservation of forests also shows that the Indian Forest Service has come of age since it was revived in 1966 with its pro people conservation strategy as seen in the success of Joint Forest Management and Project Tigers and other schemes.  1111 WORDS