Guwahati:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday praised the efforts of the people and government of Assam to reduce the number of rhino poaching cases from 37 in 2013 to one in 2021.
“If there is a sincere effort, work is done with a noble intention, then results will follow,” he says in his monthly radio program ‘Mann ki Baat’.
Responding to Prime Minister Modi’s appreciation, Assam’s chief minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, said his government is determined to ensure the threat of poaching of the iconic one-horned rhinoceros is eliminated.
The head of the state anti-poaching unit and special DGP, GP Singh, also reiterated his determination to end poaching altogether.
During the program, the Prime Minister spoke about the poaching threat faced by Assam’s one-horned rhinoceroses over the years.
“To meet this challenge, a massive campaign against rhino poaching has been launched over the past seven years with the special efforts of the Assam government,” he said.
Prime Minister Modi said more than 2,400 horns seized by smugglers were burned on September 22 last year to mark World Rhinoceros Day.
“This was a hard message to poachers. The result of such efforts is that there is now a steady decline in rhino hunting in Assam,” the prime minister said.
The number of rhinos killed was 37 in 2013, falling to two in 2020 and one in 2021, he said, adding: “I appreciate the determination of the people of Assam to save the rhinoceros.”
PM Modi also said that Assam is synonymous with tea plantations and national parks, along with the one-horned rhinoceros, and this pachyderm has always been a part of Assamese culture.
The BJP had first come to power in the state in 2016, with incumbent Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal leading the government at the time. The coalition led by the saffron party retained power for a second consecutive term in the 2021 state polls, with Sarma taking the reins.
The Prime Minister, in a series of tweets, thanked for recognizing the anti-poaching activities, writing: “We are greatly motivated by Hon PM Sri @narendramodi’s recognition of our efforts to conserve one-horned rhinoceroses.”
“GoA with the support of people will ensure that the threat of poaching of our precious icon is completely eliminated. Guidance from Adarniya PM is precious,” he added.
Sarma stated that this Mann Ki Baat episode is “Especially for Assam”, saying that the Prime Minister not only recognized people’s role in the fight against poachers, but also made us nostalgic by playing Bhupen Hazarika’s Kaziranga song, which “an everlasting inspiration for Assam. Shows PM’s love for us.” Modi’s radio broadcast featured a portion of the late Hazarika’s song in Assamese language, with the Prime Minister later explaining the lyrics to his listeners.
“… the meaning of this song is very relevant. This song says: the lush green environment of Kaziranga, the abode of elephants and tigers, the earth looks at a horned rhinoceros and listens to the melodious chirping of birds. The images of the rhinoceros can also be seen in the Moonga and Eri dresses woven on Assam’s world-famous handlooms,” said Prime Minister Modi.
Assam Special DGP and Chief GP Singh of the Anti-Rhino Poaching Task Force, also expressed his gratitude on Twitter to the Prime Minister for acknowledging their efforts.
“It is a moment of pride for @assampolice and @assamforest that Hon @PMOIndia has recognized our joint effort,” he said.
As head of the anti-poaching task force, Mr Singh complimented every man and woman for the “awesome effort”. While the number of poaching cases has decreased significantly, the first suspected case of this year came to light on January 20 when the carcass of an adult female rhinoceros with missing horn was found in Kaziranga National Park.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DailyExpertNews staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.)