NGO Dastak Welfare Council launches Neelkanth Bird Conservation and Awareness Campaign
Author(s): Rajat Kumar Principal Dr. Naresh Kumar Dhiman, Prof. Daljit Singh Bhatia, Prof. Sandeep Chahal, Dr. Satwinder Dhingra, Dr. Swinder Singh Dhingra, Vikas Sachdeva, Dr. Ajay Aggarwal, Dr. Ashwani Aggarwal, Ashwani Sharma and...
Jalandhar, October 16, 2014: NGO Dastak Welfare Council launched Neelkanth Bird Conservation and Awareness Campaign in Doaba College today. Principal Dr Naresh Kumar Dhiman, Prof Daljit Singh Bhatia-Coordinator IQAC, President Dastak–Prof Sandeep Chahal, Secretary–Ajay Aggarwal, Vice President-Ashwani Kumar, Consultants- Dr. Swinder Singh Dhingra (MS), Dr Satwinder Singh Dhingra (MD), Vikas Sachdeva, Harnoor Dhingra-Student Project Director, Dr Ashwani Aggarwal, Vikas Sachdeva, Manoj Kumar, Prof. Jaspreet Badhan and students of the college launched the drive by releasing the pamphlet having detailed information about relevance of natural pest controller Neelkanth or Indian Roller Bird (Coracias benghalensis).
Prof Sandeep Chahal said “Right from the Mughal period the blue crested Indian Roller Bird commonly known as Neelkanth of Blue Jay is illegally captured and caged by bird poachers in Delhi, Punjab, Rajasthan, Bengal, Urisa, Madya Pardesh, Andhra Pradesh etc. a month before Dussehra festival upto Diwali and is also starved till the day of Dussehra and Diwali. These poachers sell Neelkanth bird for Rs. 2000 from Dussehra to Diwali days on a pretext and superstition that sighting of Neelkanth bird is considered very auspicious for the onlooker, that it would bring good produce and harvest of crops for the farmers and in some states there is a pseudo – belief that adding the chopped feathers of neelkanth birds with grass and feeding them to cows and buffalos would increase their milk yield as Neelkanth or blue throat is a name association with Lord Shiva, who drank poison resulting in the blue throat. So in many parts of the country Neelkanth bird is considered very auspicious and a good omen, but it is subjected to torture and starvation in the name of tradition, superstition and pseudo-beliefs. The office bearers of NGO Dastak Welfare Council motivated the students and people to educate the society through their pamphlets that Neelkanth bird should not be bought, caged and torture as the Neelkanth bird is duly protected specious under Wild Life Protection Act 1972.
-----------------------------
Readers may send their news/views/feedback to us: