BAN THE CATAPULT CAMPAIGN

Help Save Common Birds in India

Urgent need to include catapults as weapons in the Wildlife Act of India.

I spent my childhood in a neighborhood where there were lots of birds and squirrels, and the runnel or the small stream near my house played a significant role in introducing me to the beautiful world of bird watching.

Sadly, the runnel no longer exists today as it has been converted into a dump yard by the public, threatening the existence of the squirrels, water hens, dabchicks, hoopoe and the kingfishers that depended on the stream.  All the squirrels and birds have been killed by young men and children from a particular community who mistakenly believe that the meat of these creatures is nutritious.  The trees that once used to line the runnel have also been chopped down to meet the ever growing need for fire wood.

I have tried explaining to people not to kill the birds, but all my efforts have been futile. I have faced the wrath of these "hunters" many times in the form of broken window panes in my office.

I am sure all of you have encountered this experience at least once in your lifetime but chose to remain mute spectators, believing that it is the job of conservationists and environmentalists to protect the flora and fauna. 

But I am afraid, if this hunting continues unabated, then you can hang up your cameras and binoculars, as you will no longer have any place to go on bird watching trips. 

We all love Mother Nature and its bountiful gift of birds, animals and plants, which in the recent past has come under threat from all quarters.  I have been trying to convince people for years to lobby for a ban on the use of catapults. I have surveyed the wholesale markets of Mumbai where hundreds of thousands of catapults and the rubber pipe used for making it are sold. Now with plastic catapults gaining popularity, it has become relatively inexpensive since it can be produced on a mass scale.

I appeal to one and all to write letters to the President, Prime Minister, the Minister of Environment and Forest, your local MP or MLA and pass this message to friends in the media since there is an urgent need to amend the Wildlife Act of India to include the catapult as a weapon.

This will give officials the authority to stop the mass production and sale of these lethal weapons.  The current act as mentioned below includes all type of weapons but not the biggest threat - the catapult.  

Use your democratic power.

Under the Wildlife Act of India, (35) "weapon" includes ammunition, bows and arrows, explosives, firearms, hooks, knives, nets, poison, snares, traps, and any instrument or apparatus capable of anaesthetizing, decoying, destroying, injuring or killing an animal;  (why has the catapult been left out?)

I have witnessed children killing birds, squirrels and other small mammals with these deadly weapons, which can be attributed as one of the reasons for the declining bird numbers.

I have been visiting the wholesalers and retailers in my city and requesting them with folded hands not to sell catapult.

After explaining to them in detail, many have agreed to stop the sale as it does not account for a significant part of their revenues. I would also request you to visit temples, dargahs, churches and other places of worship and request the management not to allow the sale of catapults at religious fairs. 

I want to launch a mass movement across the length and breadth of the country to ban the manufacture and sale of catapults.  I do not have the financial resources to file a petition, influence or lobby higher ups for an amendment to the law. 

I cannot do this without your help. With the destruction of every catapult, we can save one bird. I have been working on this cause and, from today, I hope I will not be alone.  I call on the bird lovers of India to launch a movement to make our country free of this deadly weapon.

We all have a chance to make a difference to the environment and help birds and animals. But the choice is yours.

IT IS NOW OR NEVER.

Please send your request to ban the catapult on these sites

Presidents Helpline
http://www.helpline.rb.nic.in/

Minister of Environment and Forest
http://moef.nic.in/modules/contact-ministry/contact-ministry/

Government of India has an online Grievance forum
http://pgportal.gov.in