31/05/2024
In the past, hunting was considered to be a 'sport.' The so-called royalty – Rajahs, Maharajas and Sultans – went into the forests and killed wild animals, mostly tigers. It was a means to display their 'bravery' to their subjects. When the British arrived in India, they hunted tigers and displayed their heads and skins as trophies. Grotesque images of petty Kings, 'Nabobs' and British officials standing with their 'trophies' are aplenty. 'Shikaar' (hunting) was considered a 'pastime,' a 'game.'
But today, thankfully, most civilised humans see hunting for what it is — murder. Shikaar is no longer accepted as a 'pastime' or as a 'game' or 'sport.' It is now illegal to kill wildlife in India. Thanks to a sustained campaign by environmentalists and animal rights activists, India enacted the Wildlife Protection Act in 1972. Credit must also be given where it is due. When Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister of India, she listened to the advice of environmentalists and made hunting illegal. But for the act, we would not have wildlife left anymore.
Among the people who campaigned for protecting wildlife – particularly tigers – is a man named Kailash Sankhala, who goes by the sobriquet, 'The Tiger Man.' Do read his story in Madras Courier
A few years ago, a documentary called The Tiger King was released on Netflix. It spoke about how more tigers are in captivity in the U.S. than tigers that roam free in the wild in the world. Despite multiple efforts by conservationists, tigers are still bought and sold illegally. They are also poach...
