In Black and White

It is said that the Borivili National Park, cheek by jowl with Mumbai has more species of animals, birds, reptiles, and insects than the whole of Great Britain. In terms of species’ diversity India is a multi-millionaire country as compared to most of the countries of the so-called developed world. But alas, when it comes to that special breed of human being – the nature writer – we are alas hopelessly impoverished – and to mix metaphors, seem to be heading for extinction. Whereas every wild living creature in every square inch of British countryside has been photographed and written about ad nauseam we know next to nothing about the denizens that share our lives with us. Whether this is because, as M. Krishnan wryly observed way back in the 1970s, ‘neither at the level of the illiterate peasant, nor among the educated people is there any popular feeling for wildlife in India today’ remains a moot point. Not true any more, you might argue indignantly, but tell me, how many major newspapers run a regular topical column on nature?