February  : The 7th Venu Menon National Animal Awards Ceremony was held today at a glittering function in New Delhi to honor people who have worked towards animal care. Former Prime Minister, Mr. I.K. Gujral was the chief guest for the occasion. Respect for life is a basic tenet of the Venu Menon Animal Allies Foundation (VMAAF). The first step was to institute the Venu Menon Animal Welfare Awards in 1999. It was the organization’s way of recognizing and rewarding the unsung people who have made caring for animals a way of life for themselves.

Family and close friends of Mr. Venu Menon, an animal lover who died young, support the Venu Menon National Animal Awards. Throughout his short life spanning only 33 years, caring for animals was important for Venu. This stemmed from a genuine respect for life in all forms, and outrage at the conditions animals were subjected to. The foundation seeks to commemorate his beliefs and keep his concerns alive.

According to Mr. Vivek Menon, Managing Trustee of VMAAF and Executive Director of the Wildlife Trust of India, “While various individuals and organisations do undertake programmes in the field of animal care, few recognise and reward their contributions. This is where the Venu Menon Animal Allies Foundation is distinct. Venu Menon was an inveterate animal lover and through the annual Animal Allies Awards instituted in his name, we aim to help in giving such efforts the recognition and public attention they deserve”.

Instituted in 8 different categories, the awards involve recognition through citations, statuettes and cash prizes. The recipients this year include:

Twenty-nine year old Mr. Rahul Sehgal received this year’s Venu Menon Animal Allies Award with a citation, statuette and Rs.25000/- in cash for his welfare activities for animals. Rahul Sehgal gave up a lucrative career in the hotel management industry to devote himself to the care of animals. Starting work in a setting that had established animal welfare professionals involved in a wide range of work, Rahul has innovated and created a viable niche. Within a short span of three and half years, the 29-year old has set up an organisation that has 28 employees, three veterinary doctors and ambulances, treating over 18,000 animals and birds, and completing over 10,000 sterilisations. He has played an important role in stopping the sale of exotic pets by the Ahmedabad zoo and the passage of a car rally through the prime habitat of the endangered wild ass. He has brought in innovative education programmes to schools of Ahmedabad like Doctor Dog, and involved corporations in fundraising initiatives like Medicine Messiahs. In a state that is known more for its extremes, Rahul Sehgal, the founder of Animal Health Foundation, comes as a breath of fresh air.

Surabathula Sree Ramakrishna Guruprasad, who has spent his life in the pursuit of the welfare of animals and for his outstanding achievements in the field of wildlife conservation, received the Venu Menon Lifetime AchievementAward. If you were to pick a single strand that runs through Surabathula Sree Ramakrishna Guruprasad’s 53 years on this planet, it would be the single-minded pursuit of the welfare of animals. From fighting against animal sacrifices in temples, prosecuting offenders for cruelty against animals, starting “Kindness Clubs” in schools, rescuing wildlife in distress to organising Dog, Cattle and Pet shows and running awareness campaigns, Guruprasad defies any kind of label. He has been a senior official of the SPCA, an Animal Welfare Education officer, established Animal welfare Societies in 20 districts of Andhra Pradesh, acted as an effective fund raiser, wrote acted and directed plays on animal welfare winning awards at many state level cultural competitions, done public awareness broadcasts on the radio, edited and published the magazine “Animal Welfare” for the past 10 years, and ran the SPCA veterinary hospital, mobile veterinary service and a cow shelter since 1995. Guruprasad’s devotion to his cause has been an enduring inspiration for the youth, raising awareness and ensuring respect for life.

Dr. Divakar Sharma, ayurveda practitioner, astrologer, linguist, wildlife lover, honorary wildlife warden, winner of international awards, won the David Shepherd Wildlife award. With a deep and abiding interest in conservation, Dr Sharma has devoted more than 25 years to working closely with enforcement authorities, using his knowledge of traditional healing systems to track the powerful mafia involved in the illegal trade of wild flora and fauna. His tireless efforts have helped pin down many a slippery don and reduced the pressure on many rare and endangered species. Since Dr. Sharma could not be present at the function, his award was received by his wife and son.

Mr. Jagadanand Singh, Hon’ble Forest Minister, Bihar was selected the IFAW Animal Welfare Politician of the year. One of the senior-most legislators of Bihar , Jagadanand Singh, is also the Minister of Environment and Forests. In a state where the forests have always been under pressure from a well-entrenched timber mafia, acute poverty and a brand of politics uniquely its own, Mr Singh has been a singular source of resistance. Earning the sobriquet of a “Friend of the Forest ” Mr Singh has taken a keen interest in conservation of aquatic as well as the terrestrial wildlife of the state. It was due to his interest and quick decision making that the beleaguered Gangetic dolphin, one of the world’s rarest mammals, got a new lease of life. His personal interest in the working of the department has improved compliances and the welfare of the field staff. His fight against the powerful illegal stone-quarrying lobby is well known. His name spells hope for Bihar ’s forests. The award was received on the Hon’ble Minister’s behalf by the Chief Conservator of Forests, Bihar , Mr. B A Khan.

Special Staff of the Central Distt . Delhi Police received this year’s WTI Endangered Species Award for busting a gang of well-known and notorious smugglers of wildlife products. Robbery, rape, murder, and VIPs dominate a Delhi policeman’s life. It was, therefore, a surprise to see the keen interest taken by a team of dedicated officers of the Special Staff of Central District led by Inspector Rakesh Giri, who busted a gang of well-known and notorious smugglers of wildlife products. With the arrest of these smugglers, derivatives of various wild animals worth more than Rs 5 crore have been recovered. The team consisting of SI Antrix Alok, SI Pankaj Kumar, HC Ram Avatar, HC Resham Pal, HC Satish, HC Sashi Kant, Ct. Sunder Gautam, Ct. Jasvinder, Ct. Bhupender, Ct. Yashpal Bhati, Ct. Sanjeev, Ct. Sat Narain, Ct. Rakesh, and Ct. Naresh have dealt a body blow to the brazen confidence of wildlife criminals.

People for Animals, Sirohi received this year’s Special Organization award. The People for Animals’ shelter for animals and birds in Sirohi was started in 1998 on 10 bighas of land and has grown over the years to a 125-strong body of people dedicated to the care of animals. Its wide range of activities include organising veterinary camps for cattle, liaising with the police to prevent cruelty towards animals and urging them to take stringent action, and spreading awareness by writing to newspapers and opinion makers. It has published literature about applying local medical knowledge to treat ailments in animals. Its doctors have saved many cattle by removing polythene and rubber from their stomachs.

Md. Safiur Rahaman received the WTI Van Rakshak Award for his outstanding contribution in the field of wildlife conservation. It is the rigidity of the government system that has kept Mohd Safiur Rahaman, one of the most successful guards of the Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary, at the post of gardener for decades, because he could not study beyond Standard IV. Recruited as a gardener, Rahaman chose to serve in the remotest areas of the sanctuary and soon acquired the reputation of being the poachers’ nemesis. When he joined service, poaching of rhinos was rampant in the sanctuary and the rhino population had reached the lowest ever number of 14 in 1985. During the last five years, he has detected 125 offences, amounting to 20% of the total cases detected. During 12 of these, his team was involved in encounters in which he and others were injured. Adept at field craft, he used his knowledge of the forest and its terrain to outwit poachers, despite facing death threats. It is not merely a coincidence that the population of rhinos in Jaldapara has steadily increased over the years that Rahaman has been in service.

The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) recognizes the outstanding achievements of the young generation for their contribution in the field of wildlife conservation. Prannoy Pratim Goswami and Namita Bhatia were given the IFAW Young Achiever’s Award for this year. Winner of the IFAW-WTI-HT Next All India Essay Competition, Prannoy Pratim Goswami’s essay on the subject, Keep Wildlife Wild, stood out for its originality, maturity of thought and the way he wove in his own experience to enhance his argument. Studying in Class 7 at Delhi Public School , Numaligarh in Assam , he won in a field open even to Class 09 students. Runner-up of the All India Essay Competition, Namita Bhatia’s essay on the subject, Keep Wildlife Wild, stood out for its balance between the use of good language and well-researched content. A student of Class 9 of Modern Vidya Niketan School,  Faridabad , Namita enjoys mathematics, reading, and music. She wants to train as a biotech engineer.

All the nominations were screened and judged by a seven-member jury comprising Ms.Medha Patkar, Environmentalist and social activist, Ms. Urvashi Butalia, Women’s & civil rights activist and director of ‘Zubaan’, Actress and director Ms.Revathy, Ms.Suparna Bakshi, Founder trustee and Vice-President of the NGO CUPA, Mr.Javagal Srinath Leading Indian test cricketer and Mr.K.B. Menon, Chairman, Venu Menon Animal Allies Foundation.

Nominations for these awards had been invited from across the country through direct mailers, advertisements and press write-up s. The Foundation received a large number of entries, and it was extremely encouraging to see the highly varied nature of entries and the commitment displayed by so many people and institutions, in an otherwise neglected field of work.