Ahmedabad : Even as a high profile contingent of top political leaders of India strode out of Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad on the historic 75 th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s march to Dandi, Vhali the whale shark quietly came home to this land-locked city.

The mayor of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, Aneesa Begum Mirza declared the world’s biggest fish, the whale shark as its city mascot at a public ceremony that made Ahmedabad the first inland city to adopt a marine species.

As part of its campaign to save the whale shark and make it the pride of Gujarat , the Wildlife Trust of India has so far covered coastal areas of the state in which the cities of Porbandar, Diu, Okha and Dwarka have adopted this marine species.

The event in Ahmedabad was an indicator of the interest generated by the campaign across government and non-government bodies. The Department of Posts took special interest in the campaign and expedited the procedure to release a special postal cover on the whale shark. The special cover was released by M L Sharma, the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests.

DIG Rajshekhar, Commander Coast Guard of the Gujarat Area traveled all the way from Porbandar to support the campaign. “The Gujarat Coast Guard remains alert to such illegal activities in the coastal areas prone to whale shark poaching”, he said. He also pointed out that “aggressive patrolling on the coast in the last few years has greatly reduced the number of poaching incidents.”

The auditorium echoed with a pledge that DIG Rajshekhar led to save the whale shark, to treat it as a loved guest and to spread awareness on its status.

The highlight of the day was, however, the screening of a special message from Morari Bapu, the popular religious leader who has been associated with the conservation campaign for over a year, and a short film on the whale shark in its natural habitat.

Aptly called “The Homecoming”, the film depicted the whale shark under water, with divers swimming in close proximity. The synchronized music with traditional drum beats from Gujarat in the background infused a festive mood into the air. The catchy theme song serves as an effective tool to induce a sense of pride in the world’s biggest fish visiting the shores of Gujarat and dispels all fears about it being harmful to humans. The film also calls for greater support and cooperation in the conservation efforts launched by WTI in the state of Gujarat .

Vhali in Gujarati means the dear one, and it has a profound bearing on the people of Gujarat as it symbolizes “the whale shark who returns to her parental home off the coast of Gujarat ” said Morari Bapu in his message. “It will be a great sin to harm her while she visits her own home” said Morari Bapu.

The campaign to save the whale sharks was launched by WTI in Gujarat in the year 2003 with support from Tata Chemicals Ltd. and Gujarat Heavy Chemicals Ltd. A series of events organized in all the important coastal areas of Gujarat created awareness among the general public and built proactive collaborations between different partners and stake holders for long-term wildlife conservation goals.

The encouraging response from the corporate sector, government forest department and NGOs in Gujarat was a welcoming change and brings hope for future conservation goals in the wildlife sector.

Pictures: Umesh Patel/WTI