It is now clear that the ministry of environment and forests must be divided into two — the ministry of environment and the ministry of forests and wildlife. Jairam Ramesh can go on harping about the growth in the number of tigers in the wild. Yet the truth is that the Sunderbans and tigers in those really wild jungles and swamps were never part of the census till this time. It is easy to fudge accounts. But the truth will prevail about the gross mismanagement of forests and wildlife in India. The bureaucracy at the Centre and in the states that governs and manages our natural treasures has no clue whatsoever as to how to do so — which is why forests have shrunk and animals have continued to head towards extinction. Lack of experience in the ‘field’ and no substantive expertise have led to the abject failure. The men in charge are in eternal denial. They come up with untenable explanations to accompany their limited knowledge. They manipulate their bosses and play politics in the worst possible fashion to cover up their faulty operations.

Archaic positions and regulations allow for corruption and malfunction. Misuse of power, sarcastic reactions to any intelligent and appropriate suggestion from civil society, complete lack of accountability and more have brought us down to our knees. It is shameful that India permits its bureaucracy to kill the great inheritance and legacy of this nation. Other countries have found solutions and worked wonders. India has only one response — close the area to the people. This is the commonplace, weak ploy of men and women who, because of insufficient brain-power, prefer dictatorial stances. It generates a kingdom of wholesale corruption where the doorkeeper is bureaucracy and where accountability remains in the hands of a class that is going the wrong way, behind closed doors. Thus, the destructive nexus of those mandated to enforce the laws and the lawbreakers has besieged modern India, weakening our civilization.

No use

The present breed of babus — ignorant about the larger issues of this world — recognizes its intellectual lacunae and so, in deep insecurity, manipulates and destroys the experts, only to survive and contort the truth. The bureaucrats always choose the ‘average’ to act as their ‘advisors’ and never the solid experts, because the experts will see through their veneer of scant know-how. This mediocrity throttles India and compels all quality people to stay away from the government and condone its shenanigans. Citizens see this and comprehend the reality. A new-generation leadership will, most definitely, change this ‘management style’. A few years of waiting and India may begin to turn the corner with a fresh political mindset that will rejuvenate a moribund administrative service.

The minister of environment is overburdened with a plethora of ‘environment’ issues that are in combat with ‘development’ issues. He has abdicated his understanding of forests and environment issues in favour of his babus. Numbers and figures are of no use at all when faulty management is rampant across this sector. It is a ‘rich’ sector and, therefore, very vulnerable. Timber and land are a deadly combination for any mafia. There is no Indira Gandhi type politician around today who cares as profoundly as she did for the forests and their inmates, who is as willing to do what is required, with no questions asked and no limp explanations accepted from average functionaries. She saved the Silent Valley National Park. She created Project Tiger to protect the big cat. It is ironic that under the rule of the United Progressive Alliance, we have lost more tigers than ever in the short time span of six years. The ministry must be restructured and its commitment to forests and wildlife restored.