Bombay-400 021

Price : Rs.750/-

From the hills of the Western Ghats, where monkeys and flying lizards abound, to the harsh deserts where the black buck and wild ass struggle to survive, from the exotic Andaman, Nicobar and Lakshadweep islands in the Indian Ocean to the tiger-haunted forests of the mainland, the Indian subcontinent contains some of the most beautiful and varied habitats and creatures in the world.

The area is home to over a thousand million people, yet it still supports an incredible variety of wildlife. However uncertain the future of the subcontinent’s animals and wild places may be, their presence today remains a spectacular, intriguing and unexpected natural wonder.

This fascinating book, by one of the world’s leading tiger experts, not just deals with the myriad mysteries of the land of the tiger, but also expresses its concern to maintain the ecological balance vital for man to live in harmony with nature. It is not simply an effort to save the tiger alone but also the man, who is also a critical link in nature’s food chain.

Regarding the reverence for all living creatures , including trees and plants, the author unfolds that it is due to this reverence that the flora and fauna of this land has survived even 50 years after the Raj days. Tiger , for one, is worshipped as he is considered to be the guardian of the forest. The Indian mythology depicts that the tiger created rain and stopped years of drought so that people could grow food; kept nightmares away, guided young children on a path of safety and brought about healing.

A legend from the northeastern state of Nagaland relates that the mother of the first spirit, of the first tiger and the first man came out of the earth through a pangolin’s den. Having the same ‘mother’, man and tiger are seen as brothers. The Indian mythology is full of such references pertaining to the glory of the tiger.

The author feels that this intricate relationship and the web of harmony between man and nature , seldom seen anywhere else in the world, is now breaking down in the subcontinent. The delicate fabric of myth , legend and religious belief, woven together by centuries of experience and wisdom, has been smashed apart in the last decade by alien creatures and the power of the electronic media. India and its neighbouring countries have entered the ugly world of consumerism and the free-market economy. Traditional values are vanishing as people pursue their new god - Easy Money. Habitats are gobbled up under the guise of ‘development’ and animals are killed for the cash they fetch. Sacred trees are being pulverized under the pressures of greed. Respect for nature, a cornerstone of life throughout the subcontinent for thousands of years, is fast disappearing. Economic forces have engulfed life and broken away the deep-rooted links between man and nature. A looming crisis threatens to wipe out the natural heritage of India.

Politicians and administrators of the subcontinent have failed its wildlife, and the absence of political concern suggests that some of the breathtaking natural events described in this book will probable cease to exist before the end of the twentieth century.

Will flamingoes continue to feast on baby shrimps on the hot salt-flats of the desert, or will the entire area be destroyed by salt extraction? Will the timber tycoons who have deforested most of the Himalayan forests now turn to the few protected fragments that remain? Will the magnificent mangrove swamps of the Sunderbans turn into shrimp factories to feed the growing demands of the East? Will World Heritage sites, such as Bharatpur and Manas, be ripped apart by poachers, insurgents and ‘developmental’ needs? Will the future of the subcontinent be relegated to a handful of national parks?

"Fifty years after the Independence struggle", voices Thapar, "the moment has come to base new political movements around the protection of our natural heritage." Without this we will enter an era of human disasters, losing the health and quality of our lives to short-term and mindless economic development. And while this happens the wilderness will vanish forever. He expresses that we must join forces around the world to save some magnificent natural spectacles that still survive, and battle with those intent on their destruction. I hope this book helps to convince people that this is a cause worth fighting for.

So, all in all , this document is a clarion call for all those who feel one with nature and want to protect this unique wildlife of the Indian subcontinent. With this kind of wanton destruction of our flora and fauna, there is hardly any time on our hands to save whatever little is left. Believe me, it is not just the eleventh hour, but ten minutes to twelve. q