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Elephant Whisperers win may ‘force’ Centre to not amend Wild Life Act: Congress MP Jairam Ramesh
Know what is Wild Life Protection Act, 1972, and how its amendment is ‘elephant-unfriendly’.
Congress MP Jairam Ramesh on Monday said that The Elephant Whisperers winning an Oscar may ‘force’ the Narendra Modi-led central government to not move forward with the ‘elephant-unfriendly' amendments to the Wild Life Protection Act, 1972, adding that elephant had been declared a national heritage animal in 2010.
“It is wonderful that The Elephant Whisperers has won an Oscar. Maybe this will force the Modi govt not to press ahead with the widely opposed elephant-unfriendly amendments to the Wild Life Protection Act, 1972. In 2010 the elephant had been declared the national heritage animal,” he said in a tweet.
Also read: ‘Naatu Naatu’, 'The Elephant Whisperers' win Oscars: How politicians reacted
What is Wild Life Protection Act, 1972?
This Act was enacted as a legal framework by the government to protect wildlife, plants and birds with an aim to to maintain ecological and environmental security in India. It also has details of prohibition on hunting to safeguard animals. It regulates wildlife trades as well as products made from them.
The Act is divided into six schedules listing plants and animals in order of degrees of protection and monitoring.
The Wild Life Protection Act, 1972, is a comprehensive framework of the earlier laws introduced by erstwhile British administration in the wake of large-scale wildlife elimination due to hunting.
What is ‘elephant-unfriendly’ in its amendment?
A Bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha to amend the Wild Life Protection Act, 1972. Among other changes, the Bill seeks to amend Section 43 of the Act allowing a person with valid certificate of ownership to transfer or transport captive elephants for religious or ‘any other purpose’.
Concerns have been raised over the phrase ‘any other purpose’ that is seen as a potential encouragement of commercial trade of elephants and increased brutality against them.
