GUWAHATI, Sept 10 - The Bordoisila Foundation will be joining the 10 th edition of the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon to be held on October 21 next, a press release stated. The Bordoisila Foundation will participate in the marathon and hope to raise fund for their cause �Save Rhino�.
Dr Biswajyoti Hazarika, Director � Head & Neck Surgery, Artemis Hospital, Gurgaon and the secretary of the Foundation who is a seasoned marathoner will be leading a team of 12 runners in the marathon in order to raise funds for their campaign.
According to the Bordoisila Foundation, saving the pre-historic one-horned rhinos does not imply taking up arms and ambushing the poachers. It entails working in the fringe areas of rhino- bearing areas like the Kaziranga National Park and equipping the forest guards who work tirelessly in the most inhospitable of conditions devoid of any basic luxuries in life and more often than not, equipped with antiquated firearms which are no match for the sophisticated arms used by the poachers.
By virtue of being born in and around rhino-bearing areas, the local villagers are always disadvantaged. Debarred from engaging in normal economic activities due to many essential forest protection laws (which are of course very essential for protecting the fragile ecosystem and the various species within the areas), these villagers in remote areas devoid of any modern amenities like electricity, good connectivity, education and health and sanitary care are easy prey to the machinations of the poachers who operate within a well-oiled and well-connected system. Until and unless these people can be economically empowered and a sense of pride re-instilled among them, it would be well-nigh impossible to save the rhino.
Economic empowerment can take place through various activities like exposing them to newer and more productive agricultural technologies and nurturing, insuring and hand holding their produce with forward and backward integration with the markets for optimal realization of their crops; ensuring trade-based education system in place with exchange programmes with schools from developed areas; skill-set development for the youths to actively participate in the tourism and agricultural sector; setting up modern state of the art libraries with high speed connectivity and 24 hours power supply to enable them to keep themselves abreast of the latest developments in the world and ensuring proper health and sanitation care with special emphasis on the health of the womenfolk.
It may be mentioned that the frontline foot soldiers are the backbone in the fight against the menace of rhino poaching.
The most important catalyst for these brave hearts to work effectively would be to boost their morale. Underpaid, underprepared, under armed, lack of time and resources to devote for family care and ensure proper education for their children, working 24x7 in inhospitable and dangerous terrains, etc., all contribute to frustrations among them. The Foundation proposes to take up the following issues to boost their work satisfaction level and wellbeing: Prepare, monitor and execute a health database of the forest guards and their families with adequate health insurance and modern treatment; ensure uninterrupted and good education for their children; equipping them with gadgets like raincoats, jungle shoes, powerful torchlights, recreation equipments in the camps like carom boards, chess, magazines and books; ensuring unadulterated and filtered drinking water in the camps and ensuring proper sleeping kits and equipment in the camps.
The Bordoisila Foundation is of the belief that if the above can be implemented then the poaching of the priceless rhino will slowly die off in the near future. The Foundation has requested all nature-loving citizens to support them financially and also guide them with valuable advice. The donation can be given through http://icfn.in/ADHM/BORDOISILA and every donor will receive a Section 80G tax exemption certificate.
