Umesh >Incidently I saw a few Orang-Utan monkeys at the DC zoo > this week. Are they at Orang Nat. Park also?
This has nothing to do with orangutans. On a side note: Orangutans are found only on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra in scattered populations. They can be found on Borneo (west, east and central Kalimantan), Malaysian Borneo (Sarawak and Sabah) and northern Sumatra. In the early 20th century there were around 315,000 orangutans, today we have only about 30,000 left in the wilds. Orang in Assam is famous for its fabulous rossogulas. Renaming Orang or the reserve forest as Rajiv Gandhi.. is insensitive and utterly useless to say the least.. Orang Natl. Park should keep its original name. BTW: Rajiv Gandhi is no national hero in my book. He was the part of a dynasty that spun political mileage of their family's power. --Ram da On 9/9/05, umesh sharma <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Wherever Congress Govt comes in power - there the Gandhi family members get > names in all places. Incidently I saw a few Orang-Utan monkeys at the DC zoo > this week. Are they at Orang Nat. Park also? > > Umesh > > muktikam phukan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > It is really sad that ORANG is in the verge of losing its name due to some > SYCOPHANTS. And if they really want to change why borrow from UP or Bihar. > Don't we have the DESHABHAKTA PHUKAN or KARMABIR BORDOLOI and et al ? Don't, > worry, we'll have RAJIV GANDHI ROSOGOLLAS on the way to Tezpur via > Mangaldoi. > > The AT - 09/09/05 > > Renaming of Orang Park opposed > By Sivasish Thakur > GUWAHATI, Sept 8 – The renaming of the Orang National Park after former > Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi has evoked strong opposition from the people and > various environmental NGOs. The ill-conceived decision of the State > Government has been viewed as a blatant disregard to the history and culture > of Orang, its adjoining areas, and the park itself, and as sheer disrespect > to the sentiments of the local inhabitants. > > A number of Orang-based organizations, under the initiative of Aranya > Suraksha Samiti, have now sought the intervention of the President, Dr APJ > Abdul Kalam, in restoring not just Orang's old name, but also the glory > associated with the historic park. > > What is surprising is the State Government's arrogant and obstinate attitude > in renaming the park. This is the second time that the State Government has > gone about renaming the Orang National Park after the former Prime Minister. > The first renaming was done in 1992 by the then Congress government in the > State headed by the late Hiteswar Saikia. But it had to be ultimately > withdrawn in 1998 following unrelenting protests by the people. > > The name of a place is not just something that has a simple, insignificant > association with it. More often than not, it symbolizes the history, culture > and heritage of the land and the people inhabiting it. The name is the key > that holds the identity of the place and unveils its past. And Orang is no > exception to this rule. Rather, the word Orang strongly suggests its roots > in ethnicity and history. > > "The Orang National Park owes its origin to history and past civilizations, > the remnants of which are still present inside the park," Aranya Suraksha > Samiti secretary general Hari Charan Das says. > > Situated in the districts of Darrang and Udalguri in central Assam, the > 78-sq km park, now the only habitat of the one-horned rhino on the north > bank of the Brahmaputra, was declared a game reserve by the British in 1915. > In 1972 it became a reserve forest and was elevated to a sanctuary in 1985. > It attained the status of a national park in 1999. Besides the rhino, Orang > also provides refuge to a number of animals and birds, many of which are > endangered. > > While the State Government has shown an undue interest and haste, bordering > on obsession, in getting the park renamed, what it has totally failed to > exhibit is a sense of commitment, sincerity and urgency in upgrading its > infrastructure to the level of a national park. All these years, Orang has > been waging a grim battle for survival with hardly any means to fight the > ills plaguing it. Right from the 18-km stretch of the PWD road leading to > the park to the inadequate and ill-equipped manpower, the park reveals only > scars left by years of apathy and neglect. > > "It is apparent that the renaming has been guided by political > considerations, which is in keeping with the governments' growing tendency > to rename national monuments and places of importance after political > leaders, ignoring the traditions and heritage of the people as reflected > through these," Das says. > > On August 28, the Samiti held a public meeting attended by the local > communities and representatives from environment activist groups, academics, > social activists, woman organizations, and the media, which vehemently > denounced the renaming of the park and resolved to seek the President's > intervention in the matter. > > "It is not that the people of Assam have any disrespect to the late leader, > Rajiv Gandhi, who will always enjoy a place in the hearts of the people. But > since it is a matter of cultural and social identity of the people, there > has been a spontaneous protest against the government's decision," Das says. > > > ________________________________ > Yahoo! India Matrimony: Find your partner > now._______________________________________________ > assam mailing list > [email protected] > http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org > > > > > ________________________________ > Yahoo! Messenger NEW - crystal clear PC to PC calling worldwide with > voicemail > > > _______________________________________________ > assam mailing list > [email protected] > http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org > > > _______________________________________________ assam mailing list [email protected] http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
