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Sariska forest officials suspended fir tigers' death

    New Delhi: The Government of Rajasthan suspended eight forest officials on Friday after more than two dozen tigers vanished from the Sariska wildlife sanctuary in less than 2 years. Chief Conservator Arun Sen and seven other forest officials have been found guilty of grave lapses in the management of tiger reserves in Sariska and Ranthambore national parks. Concerned over the fast dwindling tiger population, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last month ordered a police investigation and formed a new taskforce to stem the rapid fall in the number of the endangered species. Officers from the central Bureau of Investigation were also part of the police probe. "We can't say as of yet that it is a nexus but definitely it's due to negligence. As far as negligence is concerned, more will come to be highlighted once the investigations are complete," said US Mishra, Director of Central Bureau of Investigation. Mishra said that a report on the declining population of tigers in the Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary would be submitted to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday.

     Wildlife activists say tigers may have been wiped out entirely in the Sariska sanctuary -- where the Project Tiger conservation programme began in 1973 and where there were as many as 16-18 big cats a year ago. They fear the story may be the same in sanctuaries across India, which has almost half the world's surviving tigers. Officials said though 25-28 tigers were spotted during a census in Sariska in 2003 but since then no tigers have been spotted in the sanctuary. "The poachers are locally based there and are even in New Delhi. They export tiger bones and skin. The report has been submitted to the Prime Minister and it will be looked into. Investigations are on and would continue," said Mishra. Killing of tigers, although banned in India, has been going on under cover as a single one can fetch up to 50,000 dollars in the international market. A century ago, there were an estimated 40,000 tigers in India. Now, some wildlife experts say there are barely 2,000 and the official government census about 3,700. Exact figures are almost impossible because of the shy nature of the big cats. The government keeps no detailed records on poaching, most of which goes unreported anyway. In Sariska, about 900 vehicles enter the reserve on some days, about 25 times the recommended 35-40 vehicles a day, driving any remaining animals deeper into the forest. For decades, hunting tigers was a popular sport with British colonial rulers and Indian maharajas. In some areas, tigers were once so common they posed a serious threat to villagers and explorers and people rarely ventured out in the evening unarmed.

This girl unites with her family after seven year (Go To Top)

     Dhanpur (Tripura): Thirteen-year-old Ranu came back to her family after a separation of seven years. She was brought back home by an NGO. Six years earlier Ranu had gone to work as a maid in a BSF man's house in Berhampur in West Bengal from where she had gone missing. Just a day before she came back to her family, she was considered dead by the poor Barua family of bordering Dhanpur village in Tripura. They knew nothing about Ranu, as the six-year old child of that family was missing for the past seven years from Baharampur in Murshidabad district of West Bengal. Ranu had gone there as a helping hand in the family of one Nripendra Das, a Border Security Force Personnel of the 50 battalion once deployed in Dhanpur area. Das had assured her elder brother Babul that he would bear the cost of his younger sister's marriage in return of her service. Though initially Sipra (Ranu's sister in law) disagreed but later poor Babul, who had then just lost his father, with the responsibility of the seven members of the family on his shoulder, accepted the offer.

      "Since all of us were living in poverty, six years back when a BSF officer came in search of a girl to work in their house, we gave him our sister, Ranu, thinking that she will at least get two meals a day. He even promised that they would get her married once she attains the age. She thus went with Nripendra Das to Mushirdabad in West Bengal. Few days later we got a letter from Das saying that she had gone missing twice but returned back. Later we got a third letter saying she has gone missing again and is not traceable. We did not know what to do, but tried our best. Today after six years she has returned home. We are feeling very happy," said Babul Barua. Ranu went through miserable time while staying with the Das family. Surviving for days without food and still working hard, Ranu could not bear the torture any longer and decided to run off. Ranu took a train to Guwahati, kept roaming on the streets of the city only to be picked up by police and later handed over to Child Line, an NGO working for the rehabilitation of street children. Child Line interviewed Ranu but due to severe trauma she could not remember her address. Considering her to be an orphan Ranu was shifted to Snehalaya, a home for the orphans run by the Don Bosco society.

     After six years Ranu's dream of meeting with her family members has been fulfilled. And she is thankful to Father Lucus of Snehalaya who helped her all through. "A security personnel took me to his house at Baharampur in West Bengal. There he used to torture me and even did not give me food to eat. So one day I fled from that house and got into a train that went to Guwahati. I kept roaming in the streets of Guwahati without any food for many days when police caught me one day and handed me to Child Line (an NGO). They then took me to the Ashram (Snehalaya) where at present I am staying. Recently I requested Father Lucus (Director of Snehalaya) that I would like to see my family members and so I am here. Now after getting united with my family I am feeling very happy," said Ranu. Ranu is thirteen today. Her family members could not recognise her at first, as she was no more the little six year old. People from the neighbourhood rushed to see her whom they even in their dreams never thought to see again. A healthy, matured child, Ranu was accompanied by Father Thadues to her native village. "When she was received by us, she was in a very bad shape, worn out and suffering from ill health and malnutrition and ill health. We kept her in our home. Now she is fine, we have put her in one of the schools. She is studying in class three," said Father Thadues. Ranu is a happy child today. Presently studying in class three, Ranu aims to be a sister with Snehalaya. She wants to help other Ranus who meets with similar circumstances.

PM back from Mauritius tour (Go To Top)

     New Delhi: The Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today returned to India after a highly successful four-day official visit to Mauritius. During his stay, the PM held wide-ranging bilateral talks with his Mauritian counterpart Paul Berenger. Focus was on the Indo-Mauritian ties and creating greater confidence between the two nations for stronger cooperation in the future during the PM's visit. Singh also held talks with Mr Berenger on steps to increase economic cooperation between the two countries. He also inaugurated the Swami Vivekananda International Convention Centre, besides a Cyber City Tower. Both of them are built with Indian assistance and expertise. The PM also signed four agreements and MoUs in the field of environment and civil aviation, along with addressing the special session of the National Assembly and assured that India will help Mauritius establish institutions of excellence on a par with the latest technology and medical institutions in India. He also interacted with the Indian diaspora at the reception hosted in his honour by Indian High Commissioner P S Haer. Bereger was at the Port Louis International Airport to see off Singh and his wife Gursharan Kaur. Earlier, he also said that his country and Mauritius should use the field of information technology to further enhance bilateral economic cooperation. He also assured Mauritius of all possible assistance in meeting the challenges of the globalisation, and added that both countries have a "vital stake" in ensuring the world of tomorrow is one that protects the interests of pluralistic societies.

     The Prime Minister, on the third day of a four-day visit to Mauritius, also unveiled a commemorative plaque at the Ghat, besides having a look around the place and made a noting in the visitor's book. The Apravasi Ghat marks the site through which 450,000 indentured labourers from India first set foot in Mauritius between 1830s and the 1920s, marking one of the great waves of migration in recorded history. To mark the arrival of the first batch of indentured labourers in Mauritius, November 2 is celebrated as the Apravasi Divas and a commemorative ceremony is performed at the Apravasi Ghat that was called the Coolie Ghat till 1987. About 68 percent of Mauritius' population of 1.22 million are of Indian origin, about 52 percent of whom are Hindus. He was also given a civic reception at the Vivekananda International Convention Centre here by some 50 religious and socio-cultural organisations. He said, "India has worked hard to make a success of unity in diversity. In the age of globalisation this experiment in nation-building is of increasing relevance to the whole world". "Mauritius and India have a vital stake in ensuring that the world of tomorrow is one that protects the interests of pluralistic societies." The Prime Minister said a true global society would in fact be a collection of all pluralistic societies living together harmoniously and in mutual interdependence. Many Indian companies, including Infosys, are either already present or in the process of setting up offices in the Cyber Tower. Similarly, some international companies have confirmed their interest in the Cyber Tower and nearly all the space has been booked.

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