I wish to raise a matter of grave concern which are ongoing attempts to derail the declaration of a tiger reserve in Goa and the destruction of our priceless forests in the Western Ghats. The visit by the CEC-empowered committee to study the tiger habitat issue in Goa comes at a critical time. While scientists like Prof Madhav Gadgil have long highlighted the ecological importance of the Western Ghats, political interference, land conversions, and unchecked development threaten to permanently damage this biodiversity hotspot. Three MLAs, whose records show intent to convert forest and coastal lands for commercial gain, are now standing in the way of preserving the tiger’s habitat. One of them has been involved in clearing forests and hills since taking office. If sighting a tiger “once in a while” is not enough for some leaders to justify a reserve, perhaps we need to ask whether such leaders even value the idea of a national animal. In that case, why not ask the Prime Minister to denotify the tiger as the national animal and remove the Western Ghats from the list of sensitive biodiversity areas?
