ELEPHANT CULLING DEBATE EXPLODES IN PRINT: INDIA TODAY PUBLISHES PROTEST LETTERS

[Guest guest]

*In the latest issue, India Today(Bengali) magazine published two letters

protesting Mr Dhriti Kanta Lahiri Choudhury's elephant culling

proposition(allegedly endorsed by the West Bengal Forest Department). The

first one was the note sent by Dame Daphne Sheldrick that was translated to

Bengali under the headline 'IS ELEPHANT KILLING NOT WRONG? " and the second

one from a wildlife enthusiast in Kolkata:*

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*THE GUISE OF HUNTING*

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*For quite some time now we are listening to the spiel of elephant

overpopulation. There is considerable evidence that the assertion is flawed.

This propaganda has several motivations. First, our own population has risen

to a level whereby we are are trying to impound the elephants' own habitat.

In Bengal itself, the population growth is 300,000 people every year.

Second, " the guns of blue blooded hunters have rusted. " Actually, these

rusted guns have infuriated a certain section of the populace. These

individuals are now desperate to gain hunting rights. And thus so much of

passion emanates in speech in favour of elephant culling.*

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* - Manju Mondal, Teacher, Goenka College of Commerce, Kolkata, West Bengal.

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*Manju Mondal was interviewed by Prasun Chaudhuri of India Today(Bengali).*

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*INDIA TODAY(BENGALI) (1st January, 2007, Letters to the editor, page 4).*

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*INDIA TODAY is one of India's largest media firms and is the Indian partner

of international magazine READERS' DIGEST and HARPER COLLINS PUBLISHERS.*