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In the villages surrounding Nashik, it is common to see children playing with slingshots. They use these to hurl stones at innocent birds that fly or chirp around them. It is not because they want to hurt or hunt the bird but because it is considered to be a game among the kids.
To address this problem, Indian Forest Service officer Anand Reddy, took to Twitter and raised a simple question — Will you punish the kid for doing so?
Here's a dilemma..
You see a cute bird. And you see a cute kid. Then you see the kid kill the bird with this slingshot. Will you punish the kid?
This is very common in many villages in Nashik. It leads to empty forests - no birds, no chirping, no singing.
Only silence! pic.twitter.com/XDg85fcbz2— Anand Reddy, IFS (@AnandReddyYellu) July 5, 2021
Though this can lead to empty and silent forests, punishing the child is not the solution. It is easy for children to make these slingshots and within one day they will have a new one.
So this is what the IFS Officer suggests instead:
Talk to the child
Explain how painful this is for the bird.
Make them promise not to hurt a bird again.
Finally, request them to voluntarily surrender their slingshot.
So how to make these innocent kids stop using galor (slingshot)?
By talking to each child.
By telling each kid how painful it is.
By making them promise never to use again.
By nudging them to "voluntarily #surrender Galor"In short, by winning their hearts! ❤️ pic.twitter.com/ktxTIzjrM3
— Anand Reddy, IFS (@AnandReddyYellu) July 5, 2021
A month ago on World Environment Day, he started the initiative — ‘Galor Samarpan Abhiyan’, to encourage kids to voluntarily surrender their slingshots. Upon hearing the purpose of the initiative, green warriors assigned to villages worked day and night, even during the rains, to reach out to children.
"The strongest weapon a soldier takes to war is the reason WHY"
Once our green warriors found the purpose, they worked relentlessly - nights, weekends & in rains to reach out to every kid.
It was great to see true #Teameffort ! pic.twitter.com/oE6HjOvIid
— Anand Reddy, IFS (@AnandReddyYellu) July 5, 2021
Today, it has turned into a movement with more than 590 slingshots surrendered by children across 68 villages.
What started as a small initiative of 'Galor Samarpan Abhiyan' on this #environmentday, last 30 days were hugely heartening for me -
• 590 Galors were voluntarily surrendered until
• Kids from 68 villages took #pledge
• Some kids even reached out to staff to surrender! pic.twitter.com/BRwtVheYcj— Anand Reddy, IFS (@AnandReddyYellu) July 5, 2021
Now, children themselves are taking this movement ahead to spread awareness among others in their village.
Anand writes, “Change a child, you’ll change a generation.”
Change a child, you'll change a generation ? pic.twitter.com/RXRHP46tRN
— Anand Reddy, IFS (@AnandReddyYellu) July 5, 2021
Anand concludes by saying, “Do not seize it [the slingshot] but try to win his heart through positive reinforcements. Give him a colouring book, a pen, or chocolates and ask him to do away with the practice. He might not do it today, but eventually he will (sic).”
Edited by Yoshita Rao