Children pointing the way?

There is a divine hand working in Ranthambhore. On
April 20, 2005, Dr. Dharmendra Khandal and his team screened a film, ‘Curbing the Crisis’ at The Shri Ram School, New Delhi in the presence of media persons, parents, students and conservationists. I openly voiced my gut feel: “Ranthambhore probably has only a dozen tigers left in its forests today. If we do not want this to be the last summer for the roar to be heard, we need to come together to help.” Ram Singh Mogiya, son of Rajmal Mogiya, a reformed poacher then said, “my children have seen courts and jails, but never a school.” The audience was moved beyond words. Manju Bharatram, our Chairperson, got up to say that she would help educate them and thus was born the idea of a hostel for Mogiya children. Mr. Kala, a forest ranger in the Phalodi District offered to help. Managed by Tiger Watch, the hostel today provides 14 boys from different families with boarding and lodging facilities. The Shri Ram School parent community funds the hostel and other donors too have stepped forward. To rehabilitate the Mogiyas, we provided them livelihoods too and have just completed a plantation project containing 2,500 guggal plants whose latex fetches Rs. 1,000 a kg. from pharmaceutical companies. The plant hardly needs water and could be a long-term solution to the Mogiyas’ search for alternate income. Young Mogiyas are finding employment as guides, whereas once they may have chosen to become poachers themselves. Poachers are turning into protectors of the forest. We purchased two camels for another ex-poacher who uses them to ferry tourists. Mogiya women are being encouraged to weave baskets, pencil holders and other handicrafts that are being sold by enthusiastic Shri Ram School students. The children seem to be pointing out the route for adults to follow.