Wildlife and nature watching are considered to be one of the biggest pastimes and entertainment by people even in today’s world dominated by technology. The love for nature, interest in birds, animals, trees and other creatures and caring for them may form the foundation of a career in the future. For this reason, these activities cannot be considered merely as entertainment only.
Because Sálim Ali, one of the world’s greatest ornithologists, started his career as a bird watcher and evolved as the undisputed father of Indian ornithology. He was responsible for the increase in interest in activities such as bird watching and the increase in the number of studies on Indian birds.
Sálim Ali’s life was full of adventures, displaying such qualities as modesty, a sense of humour, and commitment to work. In a third world country like India, he had to travel and stay in places there were no basic amenities which did not deter his pursuit of passion. There were many interesting incidents in his life as he searched for birds in the wilderness. This year as we celebrate his 125th birth anniversary, this booklet is an attempt to familiarise his life story to the children and young adults and in the process, increase their understanding of nature around them.
It needs to be said at this point that the character ‘Pakshirajan’ in the Rajinikanth – Akshay Kumar starrer ‘2.0’ was said to be based on Sálim Ali. Sálim Ali was focused on protecting the birds and the environment based on science – though, the character of “Pakshirajan” is portrayed as quite the opposite in the movie.
Although studies warn of the dangers posed to humans by cell phone towers – there is no known link to the disappearance of birds, including sparrows from urban areas and cell phone radiations. The movie, ‘2.0’ is not based on science. It depicts a conservationist as a terrifying ghost. The director and screenwriter of the film should have exercised prudence and care while portraying this character and refrained from representing such a misleading and unscientific portrayal.
Sálim Ali’s real contribution is distorted by such misrepresentations. A determined mission, it was Salim Ali’s objective to study and document every bird in the Indian subcontinent. To do so it took persistence and sacrifice, But thanks to his efforts, we now have a well-document chronicle of our birds, their habitat and habits. The real contribution of people like him should be made known more widely.
Apart from that, the events in Sálim Ali’s life are similar to the twists and turns of an interesting story. Extensive travels observing and documenting birds gave him a unique understanding of the birds and how their life is intricately linked to their habitat. It is essential, therefore, that we understand Sálim Ali and his mission on his 125th birth anniversary so that we preserve and protect the birds and their habitat and ensure their safe survival in the years to come. It is with this fond hope that this is published.
My sincere thanks to Mr. Ilamparithi, translator. Thanks to Prof. T. Murugavel, Dept. of English, SVCE, Sriperumpudhur, for editing this book
Sincerely,
Adhi Valliappan
amithatamil@gmail.com
