The Maharashtra government has asked
actor Amitabh Bachchan and
cricketer Sachin Tendulkar to be the state ambassadors for the ‘Save the Tiger’
campaign and promote tiger tourism. Forest minister Sudhir Mungantiwar has
written to Bachchan and Tendulkar to accept the role.
Outlining the
importance of promoting its tiger reserves, Mungantiwar, who is also the state
finance minister, explained several measures taken by the state government to
save tigers. He said he would make it a people’s campaign and would not let
financial constraints come in the way.
Maharashtra, which has six tiger reserves,
has 190 tigers as per the 2014 census. The state has recorded a steady rise in
tiger population from 103 (2006) to 169 (2010) and 190 (2014) as reported in
the Tiger Estimation conducted every four years.
Lauding the achievements of Tendulkar and
Bachchan in their respective fields, Mungantiwar said, “It is my appeal to you
to support the save tiger campaign and make it a common cause.”
His letter to Bachchan states, “An ardent
fan, I have grown up seeing many of your films right from ‘Saat Hindutani’ to
‘Piku’ and remember your song in ‘Mr Natwarlal’ (Ghane Jangalon Se Gujarta Hua
Kahin Ja Raha Thaa). I remember the scene where you had to ward off a tiger.
The fight here is different. We seek your assistance,” states the letter.
His letter also spelled out the
initiatives the state government had taken to protect the tiger and to nab
inter-state poaching gangs, which met with success.
0 on: "GOVT WANTS SACHIN TENDULKAR, AS AMBASSADORS FOR TIGER CAMPAIGN."