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Call for campaign on futility of rhino horn

By Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Jan 9 - �There is an urgent need for a sustained campaign about the futility of using rhino horn as a traditional medicine among the end-users of such products in the South Asian countries to stop the unabated menace of poaching of the highly-endangered animal in Kaziranga and Manas national parks in Assam,� remarked internationally-acclaimed author Arup Kumar Dutta, during the launch of the Anwesha edition of his much-acclaimed book, Unicornis: The Great Indian One-horned Rhinoceros, at a function today in the city.

As the rhino horn consists of keratin, the same ingredient that human hair is made of, it has been scientifically proven that the horn has no aphrodisiac or other medicinal value, he said. It is only because of the massive cartel that thrives on the trade in rhino horn that unabated poaching is going on.

Hailed as one of the most distinguished works on the protection and conservation of the prehistoric animal, which is considered the pride of Assam, the book has been reprinted by Anwesha, a well-known publication house and a pioneer of the movement for creating reading habit among the children across the State. This edition of the book, that was first published 25 years back, has been published in collaboration with the Jeevan Ram Mungi Devi Goenka Public Charitable Trust, Guwahati.

Speaking at the function organised on the occasion of the opening of the new Anwesha book shop at the JN Baruah Lane, Jorpukhuri here, eminent intellectual Dr Hiren Gohain praised both Anwesha and Arup Kumar Dutta for their endeavours. Dr Gohain applauded Dutta for passionately pursuing his chosen profession, i.e., writing, against all odds and challenges of life.

Dr Gohain, however, lamented the fact that today�s children, mostly studying in English medium schools, are reluctant to read printed books as they have become fond of reading e-books. As books reflect the difficulties as well as the developments that a society goes through, it is important to create a reading culture among the people, more specifically the children, in Assam, he said.

The book launch was also attended by Jatin Hazarika, former bureaucrat; Mohan Ch Malakar, former chief conservator of forest, Assam; Dr Lakshmi Goswami and Paresh Malakar among others.

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