Half a century ago, two women, from vastly different backgrounds but leaders in their own rights, came together to save Indian jungles and wildlife from destruction.
Hunting or shikaar, was a royal pastime in India since time immemorial. When the British assumed positions of power, they also revelled in wanton destruction of wildlife.
It is believed that at the dawn of the 19th century, there were 1, 00,000+ tigers in the subcontinent. This had come down to 40,000 by 1900. Even after independence, nothing much changed. Burgeoning population and increasing development took a severe toll on wildlife.
In fact, tourists from the west, looking for big game hunting, were welcomed to the country and brought valuable foreign exchange. The situation looked dire and grim not just for the tiger but India’s varied flora and fauna.
It was at this point two individuals changed the course of history. The first of them was Anne Wright. The daughter of a civil servant, Anne grew up in the jungles of central India and Bihar and turned into an animal lover.
Plight of the wildlife moved her immensely and she decided to devote her life to their conservation. In 1969, Wright played a pivotal role in founding the World Wide Fund – India. Fortunately, Anne Wright would find support from the highest seat of power in the country.
The Indian PM, Mrs. Indira Gandhi had been increasingly concerned over the steady and rampant loss of wildlife. She now emerged as a major supporter of the conservation efforts. The 1st convention of the International Conservation Union (IUCN) was held in New Delhi in 1969.
It first brought the critical status of the tiger by placing the animal in the “endangered” species. A year later, despite much resistance from the shikaar lobby, the Indian government banned tiger hunting. But the ground realities didn’t change much.
In 1971, Anne Wright published an explosive article in The Statesman, exposing illegal trade of tiger skins in Calcutta’s New Market. The article was soon republished in the NYT, creating much consternation among the global wildlife conservation community.
A year later, the Indian government announced the formation of a Tiger Task Force to spearhead tiger conservation efforts. Anne Wright was a member of the task force. Over time, she emerged as a trusted lieutenant of Mrs. Gandhi in matters of wildlife conservation.
On April 1, 1973, at Corbett National Park, Indira Gandhi announced the landmark “Project Tiger” – a dedicated effort to create exclusive territories for the tiger. The remarkable Kailash Sankhala, a well known crusader for tiger conservation was appointed the first director.
Initially started with nine tiger reserves, Project Tiger now has 50+ forest territories spread across the country. Despite hiccups and obstacles on the way, this ambitious effort has borne fruit in protecting India’s national animal from extinction.
A year before the launch of Project Tiger, another landmark event was the passing of the Wildlife (Protection) Act (1972) – a major push in saving India’s wildlife. Anne Wright was a key member of the drafting committee of this bill.
In Feb, 1983, Anne Wright wrote to Mrs. Gandhi for a message on the occasion of an event in Udaipur to raise funds for WWF-India. In addition to sending a message, Mrs. Gandhi also arranged the issue of a commemorative stamp for the occasion.
A month later, on the sidelines of the 7th Non-Aligned Summit in Delhi, Indira Gandhi took up with the leaders of Pakistan and Afghanistan the cause of conservation of Siberian cranes – something Anne Wright was vociferously championing.
Anne Wright served on the Wildlife Board of India for 19 years. Her daughter Belinda Wright is also a famous conservationist who has devoted her life to the cause championed by her mother.
Sources:
https://sanctuarynaturefoundation.org/award/anne-wright
https://thinkwildlifefoundation.com/indra-gandhi-the-forgotten-wildlife-conservationist/
https://www.naturesafariindia.com/conservationists-in-india/indira-gandhi/
https://sanctuarynaturefoundation.org/article/project-tiger-turns-49
https://www.naturesafariindia.com/conservationists-in-india/kailash-sankhala/
https://www.thehansindia.com/posts/index/Hans/2017-07-16/Indiras-communion-with-nature/312621
