New Delhi ~ 3 October 2001

Shri Krishan Kant Vice President of India has said that the need for a change in attitude towards wildlife and a deepening of awareness regarding the integrity of all life on earth are crucial to any plan for protection of wildlife. If this break-through can be accomplished then we can convince the people that habitat is as much important for humans as it is for wildlife and that wild animals have as much right to life as we. It will further enhance our ability to address the problems of man-and-animal conflict he said.

Presenting the Rajiv Gandhi Wildlife Conservation Award here today Shri Krishan Kant said that we should be cautious that plans to protect the wildlife should not begin and end in a bureaucratic maze. Wildlife is part of a complex often mysterious, process of food-chain, habitat, climate and nature's general house-keeping. These will need to be carefully and cautiously factored into policies and programmes for wildlife protection. We need sensitive minds and experienced people to help with this. Our economic policies and planning must also not ignore the wildlife he added.

Shri Krishan Kant said that we should attempt to generate knowledge about the value of our wildlife through our school and university curricula. Our country has a very long and diverse tradition in protecting wildlife. Farmers around our large wet lands still plant leafless wood for the birds specially pelicans and saras to perch. Killing them is strictly prohibited. They are believed to bring luck and prosperity. We all know about the Bishnoi community's fraternal love for the deer. The tiger is revered by several tribal communities and in large parts of our country killing of large birds is prohibited. Our young citizens must be exposed to those conservationist traditions and sensitized about its validity he added. The Rajiv Gandhi Wildlife Conservation Award was presented posthumously to late Shri S. Deb Roy for his understanding contribution as a wildlife conservationist and to the Wildlife Institute of India

Dehradun for its multifaceted services to the cause of conservation of wildlife.