Vidhee Tripathi, Staff Reporter
New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu has raised concerns over the climate change and called for “holistic and collective” effort to mitigate its impacts on environment and humanity.
The President Murmu stated this while, inaugurating an art exhibition on Friday “Silent Conversation: From Margins to the Centre”, being organised by the National Tiger Conservation Authority in collaboration with the Sankala Foundation to celebrate the completion of 50 years of Project Tiger, in New Delhi.
“In view of the grave problem of climate change, a holistic and collective effort is needed. Not only for environmental protection, but also for the preservation of the existence of humanity, we have to adopt the life-values of the tribal communities. We have to learn from them how a prosperous and happy life is possible while living in harmony with nature” she said
“Climate change has raised concerns about food and water security. We are battling a grave crisis where the time is not on our side. In this race against time, what we need is concerted action guided by knowledge and wisdom” President emphasised.
The President further added that there is need to further strengthen our conservation, adaptation and mitigation strategies by recognising that traditional and modern thinking need to be integrated.
Talking about the tiger conservation, the President said today, 70 percent of the world’s tiger population is found in India and the communities living around Tiger Reserves and National Parks have an important contribution in this achievement.
She noted that that this exhibition is showcasing the relationship between the people living around the Tiger Reserves and the forests and wildlife through artifacts.
Murmu said that unchecked materialism, brute commercialism and greedy opportunism have left us with an earth where all five elements of life are distressed and disturbed.
Making an initial remarks, Union Cabinet Minister for Environment, Forest & Climate Change Bhupender Yadav said that the government has actively encouraged the participation of tribal communities in conservation efforts.
He added that the public participation has helped us to save and enrich the wildlife. The Minster said, “There was a period when the number of tigers was declining, but thanks to numerous conservation initiatives, the number of tigers in India is now over 3600”
“This exhibition will present a snapshot of the unique relationship that tribal communities share with the forests, their harmonious co-existence. This exhibition will empower the artists who are the guardians of forest conservation” he added.
The main purpose of the exhibition is to portray the deep-rooted connection between tribal communities and forest dwellers residing in the vicinity of India’s tiger reserves.
The exhibition also showcases a diverse range of paintings capturing the age-old bonds that various tribal communities, including the Gond and Bhil, share with the environment and wildlife.
These extraordinary works of art also available for purchase, with the proceeds directed into the artists’ bank accounts.
The art exhibition is a tribute to the 50-year completion of Project Tiger, an essential wildlife conservation initiative launched in 1973. Project Tiger’s primary objective is the preservation and protection of Tiger and the restoration of its dwindling habitats.
The another crucial component of Project is the involvement of local communities in conservation efforts, which includes creating livelihood opportunities and mitigating human-wildlife conflicts.
