Lady Lua's her name,Who now, isn't the same!
Something amiss in her homely Ranthambore,
Which has to be brought to the fore!
The day her kin started to disappear,
Was when she was engulfed by thoughts of fear!
Where have all the tigers gone?
She kept thinking on and on!The rationale driving their sadism was unknown,
Gradually, to extinction, her species was prone!
Seriatim, she came to observe and understand,
The perpetrator always had a gun in hand!
~~~
Lady Lua thus thought to herself,
What was it, that did overwhelm?
What was it, that benefited them,
This fickle-mindedness - where was its stem?
Why was this happening?
So much blood was spine-chilling!
Poaching wasn't good at all,
Fright-inducing sights were not her call!
The onus of rescuing them was upon mankind,
Busy jeopardising her streak were they, she did find!
She and hers were being pained by barbarity,
So much so, that she had fostered animosity!
~~~
After them for their precious striped fur,
Cruelty masked by symbolism of power!
Forest land being encroached for cultivation,
Reduced them to just 2226 across the nation!
Unmindful of the disruption to ecological balance,
A moment to reflect on the storm beneath the silence!
It's not only about Lady Lua and her streak,
But also about the entire food chain, to shriek!
Until we embrace this harsh reality,
It will lead to their petrifying scarcity!
A question, it is now, of moral duty,
To preserve our national integrity!
~~~
Their fates lie in our hands,
For hope on barren lands!
Extinction for Lua, won't happen,
Her worries won't deepen!
~~~
This was in 2010. Coincidentally, the theme for their school's Annual Day Celebrations that year was centered around the International Year of Biodiversity. On being prompted, my niece voluntarily chose to focus on the Panthera Tigris and its plight, while each of her classmates chose to represent a unique creature from the zoological and botanical expanse.
The keen observational skills of a child skip no detail. Well, that's true, of course. What we men and women on the face of our beautiful planet, choose to intentionally ignore, is what caught the eye of tiny tots who hadn't seen enough of the world to fully appreciate its goodness and look down upon its wretchedness.
Why my niece bonded with the regal beast was because she had quite recently that it stood symbolic of a nation's pride. Her excitement to represent an animal that enjoyed such an exclusive privilege was evident in her mannerisms ever since she had begun getting into the 'skin' of her character.
What her innocent mind failed to comprehend was the dismal status quo, as that nation's pride was gradually being visualized as a head hung in shame, instead. It goes without saying, that even today, we are in the grip of a biodiversity crisis. It is not only one species which bears the brunt when subjected to suffering by mankind, but the entire ecological manifestation is tipped off the balance.
However, the tables would turn for the better only when man realizes his folly and resolves to act towards the betterment of all species than only his own.
It all begun with an apple,
And we continue to grapple!
He greedily extends his hand to grasp all,
Which is slowly but surely leading to his fall!
~~~
Specifically for our national animal, the sequence of events haven't been favorable enough, though the situation has bettered over the past year with their statistical figures pointing towards the pedestal of 2,226 across Indian soil.
Being a teacher, I could as well propose the excursion of school children to various informative Tiger Safaris, which would prove fruitful only when that information is positively acted upon, and not just turned a deaf ear to. To up the awareness quotient of school children towards this endangered species, the curriculum could also incorporate organizing an Eco-Quiz of sorts.
Being a blogger, I would want to believe that the pen is mightier than the sword and would want to blog for this critical cause if it would help raise some red flags. Also, the power and reach of social media channels cannot be overlooked in this regard because it is this perpetual communication which has zeroed in on geographical boundaries, at least.
Come to think of it, the promptness which has been displayed by organizations and media houses on the forefront, of the likes of World Wide Fund for Nature - India (WWF - India) and NDTV-Aircel Save Our Tigers initiative have been commendable.
One such brand, whose efforts have been applause-worthy and that has been actively endorsing the cause of our nation's pride has to be Aircel India. As long as I can go back through the abyss of my gray cells, I vividly recall their endorsements with M.S. Dhoni and Amitabh Bachchan as brand ambassadors. As a consequence of their continual efforts, the four-legged beast has gone from being 1,411 in 2006 to 1,706 in 2010 to 2,226 in 2014.
By rolling out their Strokes For Stripes campaign, they've been able to bring out the creative best among all of us. Their Save Our Tigers merchandise puts the motivating statistics in print for us to flaunt.
Quite recently, on the occasion of World Tiger Day, Aircel had been successful in prompting the masses by means of their adorable Tigojis (which have been incorporated into this post):
Don't Just Talk...
ROAR!
#AircelSaveOurTigers now leads the way ahead.
As a closing note, I would like to remark that we all must realize our responsibility as a species, coexisting with and respecting the way of life of the other species in question. It is thus the key to peaceful and harmonious coexistence.
For, Lady Lua and her kin reach out,
You must let go of each and every doubt,
After all, she and hers are counting on thee,
For, You Are The Power Of We!
~~~
P.S.: This post has been written in support of #AircelSaveOurTigers.
The copyright to Tigojis belongs solely to Aircel, whilst any image apart from these bears the blog's copyright.
~~~
About The Blogger:
The blog also sees poetry, photography, creative writing and her musings on life.
She comes from a family of bloggers, with her husband and daughter, giving her company in the world of blogging.
The author can be reached at poonamkhanduja@gmail.com.
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