Bhargava,
We have all met , interacted and shared a common passion and cause through India wilds. we reach out to people sitting in various corners of the country, learn and share, highlight issue of common concern and in this very process we are contributing to the cause of conservation without measuring it against a scale of popular acceptability. Even if you ignore all of the contribution from Indiawilds as mentioned by Patra sab (which I believe is basically his personal contribution) spending time and making the effort of speaking out for what you believe is right and supporting it with visual evidence which might highlight the beauty of nature, share its wonders or simply portray insensitivity of the human kind has its place when done earnestly and with passion. I don’t think I need to highlight to you the importance of spreading awareness for any cause which is as poorly understood, which gets as little media attention which has such low priority in a social or political decision making process the world across as the cause for being sensitive for mother earth. I don’t think we should be-little this.

But what made me type all this which you might consider the ravings of somebody you don’t even know is that you want to wait until Indiawilds comes together to form a conservation unit to do your part in fieldwork or something more proactive than a digital post for what you love so passionately??? And that too in a protected area?? Why Brother, does it need a stage to stand up?? Aren’t sturdy legs enough?? And if at all the need is that of collective participation shouldn’t it be some who can meet, assemble and act much more easily and regularly than a set of people spread across the country?? There is nature around us there are things which we can do for this cause right in our backyard, the question we have to ask ourselves is what have we done for that?? Does commitment for conservation or love for nature have its place only in a National parks and Reserve forests? Is an act sacred only if for the cause of a tiger, elephant or sloth bear??? What about the parks, limited grooves , villages around our cities. What about the wetlands and non descript hills on the fringes ?? don’t you think we can do a lot more for these last resorts for the lesser creatures than simply limiting our contributions to once in a while act of a volunteer in a conservation effort in a protected area. Not that we shouldn’t do it but our lives, life styles, jobs, compulsions will severely restrict the quantum and more importantly the quality of our contributions for these locations which are geographically so distant and more so for a set of people who are in various corners of the country. I believe we still should make those contributions whenever we can but shouldn’t wait for somebody or someone to kick start it in a place which has its set of legal and procedural limitations as it will perhaps only serve as a good excuse for not doing our bit around ourselves and then offering a conditional muscle for service as and when somebody overcomes the legal overbearing hulk of the state in a protected area.

All this aside if your post has triggered a discussion on baiting on a forum which reaches a lot of people you have done a lot more than a intended action for the cause of sloth bears in Daroji which in all probability will never materialise. Whether that was anticipated or not..Believe me iv seen that change in a little village where from absolute indifference there are atleast 50 people who will pay attention to a bird which looks rare and keep night watch in turns to catch porcupine poachers. And if your are keen on field contribution do let me know…. nothing as glamorous as sloth bears and their feeding habits but you will do your bit. And as the saying goes whether someone believes you have succeeded or not you can still stand up and say “ I Tried”..…

Good night and Goodluck…
Roopak