Nerve Endings Firing Away

I read a strange article in the local rag, AJC that Georgia was planning to encourage its hunters to slay more deer as their numbers are growing astronomically, causing a potent danger to human habitation. Whatever Georgia has on its mind, environment protection is certainly not one of its top priorities. The misinformed rag elaborates dubious normative arguments citing that the deer clans have caused much more property damage annually than all the terrorist acts combined. Now is that a new excuse to justify the Iraq war? Kill your own Saddam at home — kill a deer and help fight terrorism sounds like a twisted anti-terrorist environment-disfriendly slogan. I just made that up but with all the Bush-isms floating around, it’s not too far; remember the Anti-Drug Campaign. The white flight caused by the highly efficient interstate system not only encroached upon virgin deer land but destroyed acres of foliage that helped maintain the delicate ecosystem. Human life is threatened, claimed the rag, citing dozen of road kill accidents every year. Duh! Hello, its not the drunken jerk who speeds down in wee hours of the morning who is in mortal danger, it’s the hungry momma deer, out to look for food for her fawn whose luck has run out. An occasional driver surprised by the startled deer bounding wildly across the road can be treated leniently unless of course he pulls a Salman by crushing pavement dwellers and then scampering off to the woods to make a quick buck. But such environmental arguments are rendered useless when Georgia legislators are stopping just short of declaring a bounty for each deer killed by increasing the hunting “season” by a week and allowing crossbows to be used. Cross-bows??, practising Sita-Aparaan, I guess.

Thank swargs, in India we just have the monsoon season. I wonder if similar laws would be passed if human habitation increased beyond feasible limits. Weird thoughts but morbidly applicable if any non-human species were the dominant race. I am not fully aware of Indian hunting laws but as far as I know, killing anything remotely dissimilar from poultry or mutton is punishable by law. Also, I know for a fact that the Central Zoo Authority is one of the few government agencies in India not infested with the malady of corruption. Having worked with them on one occasion, the officials are surprisingly well-versed with Indian flora and fauna and harmoniously united in their goal for preserving the environment. While assisting my dad in designing a zoo, the CZA officials were extremely meticulous in paying attention to the habitats we were creating to house the animals. Animal comfort was considered top priority as opposed to human viewing pleasure. Georgia agencies deserve a lesson in eco-conservation from their Indian counterparts.

Recognition of your fellow-beings is not just restricted to the homo-sapiens but rather justifiably stretches out to every living organism that has an equal share of Mother Earth. For one, I appreciate the efforts of few local governments fencing highways in the animal-prone habitats and providing eco-friendly crossovers for our fellowmates.

PS. Similarities to Jivha’s hyper linking affinities are totally coincidental and unintentional nor should it be construed that I am techie IIM-MBA alumnus :)