Book Notes – In this series, I share my insights, ideas, and reviews of my favourite books, whose topics are wide-ranging.
Rating – 8.5/10
Amazon Link – INDIA’S WILDLIFE HISTORY, AN INTRODUCTION(PB) : Mahesh Rangarajan: Amazon.in: Books
Insights and Review
Who would have thought that such a thin book could hold so much information? This book is everything you need to know about the history of India’s wild denizens and the events that have led to the state they are in today; from the Mauryan empire, through the Mughals and the British era, to recent times, this book shows how it is only when incentives line up with preserving forests that any wild space has been saved from exploitation. Be it hunting, timber, or tourism, an incentive has always been the force behind protecting wild spaces.
Crucially, he shows that everyone has blood on their hands, wild blood in this case. This dovetails with the stark fact that measures can be implemented as long as there is political backing behind wildlife conservation. This is a pattern over the years.
Yet history also tells us the faults of taking a purely centralising approach. Each wild space will need to be dealt with, keeping their specific cultural contexts in mind. Wildlife and wild spaces, which fall under the concurrent list of India’s constitution, must have central backing but strong state and district implementation. And crucially, we must account for the locals and consider them stakeholders in the wildlife conservation enterprise. That is the only way to ensure any action is sustainable.
As a staunch wildlife lover, it hurts to read about the devastating toll different empires have had on wildlife and wild spaces. Yet without a grounding in history, one cannot hope to chart a path forward.
I can see a certain kind of person reading this and feeling like all hope is lost. I wouldn’t blame them. But despair breeds inaction, and in that case, you might as well begin writing the planet’s obituary. I have no desire to do that. We mustn’t give up.
For in India’s chequered history with wildlife, there have been some brave souls who have rung the alarm bells and set a foundation for wildlife preservation. And we’ve never been in a more scientifically sound time than today. We are in a much better position than folks were back in history, and we owe whatever wildlife we live with today to them. So it’s time to do our part so that future generations can still resonate with the trumpet of an elephant, the roar of a tiger, or the trill of a myna. Read this book to get yourself up to speed as you join the movement.
PS: I am fortunate to have studied under the author, Prof. Mahesh Rangarajan at Ashoka University. He is as engaging as his illustrious book suggests, and I would strongly recommend watching his talks on YouTube.
