Doongerwadi not a forest
There is a saying in English that the Bourbons never forgot anything because they never ever learnt anything. I feel that even the Bourbons would be offended if I were to refer to the team of editors (!) of the WAPIZ Page (The Free Press Journal, November 30, 2012) who are falsely claiming to preserve and protect the Doongerwadi grounds, as Bourbons. It is their contention that this land in Bombay is a forest!
Any person with a modicum of common sense would pause and contemplate whether there can be a forest in a metropolitan city in the midst of cement concrete high-rise buildings which are taller than the Towers of Silence. What is a forest? Those who do not wish to refer to a dictionary need to learn that a forest is defined as and also referred to as a wood or the woods — an area with a high density of trees.
Do members of World Alliance of Parsi Irani Zarthoshtis (WAPIZ) know that there is something like the Indian Forest Act, 1927? I quote here some provisions and salient features of this Act for the benefit of readers.
"11. Power to acquire land over which right is claimed: Sub section 2 (iii), proceed to acquire such land in the manner provided by the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 (1 of 1894).
"26. Acts prohibited in such forests. (1) Any person who (a) makes any fresh clearing prohibited by section 5, or (b) sets fire to a reserved forest, or, in contravention of any rules made by the State Government in this behalf, kindles any fire, or leaves any fire burning, in such manner as to endanger such a forest; or who, in a reserved forest (c) kindles, keeps or carries any fire except at such seasons as the forest officer may notify in this behalf, (d) trespasses or pastures cattle, or permits cattle to trespass; (e) causes any damage by negligence in felling any tree or cutting or dragging any timber; (f) fells, girdles, lops, or burns any tree or strips off the bark or leaves from, or otherwise damages, the same, (g) quarries stone, burns lime or charcoal, or collects, subjects to any manufacturing process, or removes, any forest-produce; (h) clears or breaks up any land for cultivation or any other purpose… shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine which may extend to five hundred rupees, or with both...
"60. Property when to vest in Government: When an order for the confiscation (of) any property has been passed under section 55 or section 57, as the case may be...
"80. Management of forests the joint property of Government and other persons. (1) If the Government and any person be jointly interested in any forest or waste-land, in the whole or any part of the produce thereof, the State Government may either (a) undertake the management of such forest, waste-land or produce, accounting to such person for his interest in the same; or (b) issue such regulations for the management of the forest, waste-land or produce by the person so jointly interested as it deems necessary for the management thereof and the interests of all parties therein.
"84. Land required under this Act to be deemed to be needed for a public purpose under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894. Whenever it appears to the State Government that any land is required for any of the purposes of this Act, such land shall be deemed to be needed for a public purpose within the meaning of section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 (1 of 1894)."
By declaring Doongerwadi as forest land are they not inviting the authorities to acquire our land? I leave it to the common sense of readers to decide who is jeopardizing the interests of the Parsi Zoroastrians of Bombay. In fact, all bunglis, outhouses, air conditioning machines and Netlon roofing, etc on the premises of the Towers of Silence would be antithetical to the concept of a forest. My aim here is to save the precious lands bequeathed and belonging to the community from being unwittingly handed over to government agencies at a time when all other socio-political groups demand lands from the State.
Another fact that has been suppressed is what is passed off as the "dipstick test" on the corpse to determine whether there are traces of diclofenac. This is actually a test called ELISA (Enzyme Linked Immune-Sorbant Assay) to help ensure that the "food" offered to vultures is free of the drug. If I mistake not, the same test is performed on living persons to ascertain whether they are suffering from AIDS.
If someone says that newer substitutes for diclofenac are now available, I would concede that, but in which year were such substitutes launched? A drug called Zaltoprofen was launched recently, which I understand has the same properties as diclofenac. What if it and other drugs too have fatal consequences for the endangered birds? My enquiries reveal that the newer drugs were launched from the 1990s by which time there were no vultures left in Bombay. HOMI DALAL
homeedalal@gmail.com
In the WAPIZ Page of The Free Press Journal of November 30, 2012, World Alliance of Parsi Irani Zarthoshtis (WAPIZ) has claimed that Doongerwadi is a forest and has condemned Dr Homi Dhalla for "damaging its ecology," quoting from a report by botanist Dr C. S. Lattoo.
It is odd that WAPIZ should be taking steps to ameliorate the condition of the dead, while the living are lacking in daily necessities. Experimenting with the aviary project is deemed essential for which Rs 25 crores will be spent to promote the progress of the souls of the poor. It is thought essential that they should get eternal peace when dead as they have undergone untold material hardships while alive. Let their corpses find comfort by doing charity to vultures, which is the top priority.
Our community’s poor will linger in poverty and languish on doles to pamper the WAPIZ trustees’ wishes. It is they who are barking up the wrong trees and damaging the ecology irreparably.
RASHID G. KHOSRAVI