Haryana Jumbos to get Rs.90.75 lakhs for rehabilitation.

[Guest guest]

At last some good news seems to be pouring in for the captive jumbos

of India.

 

The Government of India has sanctioned Rs.90.75 lakhs for setting up a

rehabilitation centre in the state of Haryana. This was disclosed by

the Haryana Minister of Stata for Forests and Tourism, Mr. Kiran

Choudhury, reports The Telegraph newspaper.

 

The Government of India accepted the proposal of the state govenment

and has released Rs.50 lakhs as the first instalment for the present

financial year.

 

It may be noted that the captive jumbos of India are in a miserable

state.

 

We hope other state governments including the state of Jaipur too gets

into the race and demands their share of Central funds for the

rehabilitation of the captive elephants, instead of deploying the poor

jumbos to beg for themselved to multinationals such as Cartier Inc, as

we all saw in the recently concluded 'Cartier Elephant Polo cup 2006.

 

I am very happy that atleast in Haryana the elephants did not have to

carry Fimstars, Politicians, Industrialists and self styled elephant

experts on their back and run after a silly ball to demand their share

of money from the Central Government of India.

 

We have a Constitution which imposes it as a duty of every citizen to

respect every wild animal. And this gesture by the Central Governemnt

only goes to show that if done the right way, all goes well.

 

Congratulations to the Government of Haryana for correctly demanding

the right of their captive jumbos and doing it the right way, I hope

every rupee of the fund is utilised for the benifit of the elephants

there.

 

NGOs and State Governments of other Indian states its time to wake up

and get to the act.

Do not waste time in organising elephant polo games and other circus

like events for the rehabilitation of these animals, it will take much

longer to convince someone from foreign land to sanction fundings than

your parent Central Government whose responsibilty these gentle Giants

are.

 

 

Azam Siddiqui