SAVE THE OLIVE RIDLEYS!!!

A lot of you probably didn't know that Olive Ridleys nested at Dhamra, the same place where TATA is building a port. People who know me really well know that I have been trying to spread awareness and protest against the port. Till yesterday, I believed that as a person, I had a voice and my opinion mattered. I believed that if you stuck to something, you could help save it. I also believed that I could give the Olive Ridleys the voice they deserved.

Yesterday changed a lot of my views on my government. Why the government? Because it's the government that gave the tender to TATA, who is building the port for them but is stil at fault. Yes, the same government that introduced the Wildlife Protection Act that said that no constructions could be undertaken within a 15 km radius in an area that was inhabited by an endangered species. However, we're talking about two different governments here. The law was passed with the help of activists and environmentalists - the people of this country. The tender, however, was issued by people who can only be described as selfish who could have done such a thing for personal profit.

We live in a democracy. Or so we think. Yet censorship is more rampant than you could have imagined. From schools and colleges, the process is used repeatedly against you till you become blind to it. Until one day, the revelation comes, you open your eyes and what you see makes you want to scream with frustration. Censorship in schools, colleges and the press till in the end, your right to freedom of expression vanishes just like your right ti information. No reasons given. No questions will be entertained.

We cannot leave a certain Mr. Ratan Tata out of this. After all, one can only hope that he is not so shallow as to allow the extinction of an endangered species for the sake of a profit! So, Mr.Tata, if you're reading this, I implore of you, move your port because lives cost more than money. Otherwise, you may have to be bear the brunt of your actions and perhaps the anger of more than just one angry adolescent. I nearly changed my stand on this topic till I decided that I would look for more information. Here are a few links for you to see and perhaps understand why I chose the turtles over TATA: -

http://www.tehelka.com/story_main39.asp?filename=Op190708port_of.asp
http://www.hindu.com/2008/04/06/stories/2008040655651200.htm
http://www.wwfindia.org/about_wwf/what_we_do/marine/our_work/turtle_conservation/olive_ridley.cfm