286 lions, 456 leopards died in Gujarat in 2 years: Forest Minister in Assembly
Gandhinagar, Mar 4 (PTI): At least 286 lions, among them 143 cubs, died in Gujarat over the last two years, and 58 of these fatalities were due to unnatural causes, state Forest Minister Mulubhai Bera informed the legislative assembly on Tuesday.
Responding to a query by senior Congress MLA Shailesh Parmar during Question Hour, Bera said 456 leopards, including 140 cubs, also died in two years -- 2023 and 2024 -- in the state.
Of the 286 lion deaths, 121 were reported in 2023 and 165 in 2024, he said.
Gujarat is the world's last abode of Asiatic lions. As per the last census conducted in June 2020, the state is home to 674 Asiatic lions, mainly the Gir Wildlife Sanctuary.
In case of leopards, 225 died in 2023 and 231 in 2024, the minister said in a written reply in the assembly during the ongoing budget session.
While 228 lions succumbed to natural causes, 58 fatalities were due to unnatural causes such as the big cats getting hit by vehicles or drowning in open wells, he said.
Among leopards, 303 deaths were due to natural causes and 153 fatalities were attributed to unnatural reasons, Bera said.
The state government has taken various steps to prevent unnatural deaths of big cats such as appointment of veterinary doctors and introduction of an ambulance service for timely intervention and treatment of lions and other wild animals, the minister told the House.
Other measures include building speed-breakers and installing signboards on roads passing through sanctuary areas, regular foot patrolling in forests, building parapet walls for open wells near forests, putting up fences on both sides of the railway track near the Gir Wildlife Sanctuary and radio-collaring Asiatic lions to track their movement, he said.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
