Wildlife filmmakers Krupakara, Senani interact with students on Wangchuk, climate change, evolution in Shivamogga
Renowned wildlife filmmakers Krupakar and Senani interacted with students at DVS Arts, Science and Commerce College here, speaking on issues ranging from Ladakh activist Sonam
Renowned wildlife filmmakers Krupakar and Senani interacted with students at DVS Arts, Science and Commerce College here, speaking on issues ranging from Ladakh activist Sonam Wangchuk’s hunger protest to climate change, bird migration, and wildlife conservation. Referring to Mr. Wangchuk’s ongoing hunger protest in Delhi, Mr. Krupakar recalled the days the duo spent with him in Leh-Ladakh during their work as wildlife filmmakers. “We both spent days in the region as part of our work as wildlife filmmakers. Mr. Wangchuk fought for constitutional safeguards for the fragile Himalayan ecosystem. He opposed industrial mining activity and corporate land grabs in the region, saying such activities would harm it,” Mr. Krupakar said. Social movements Senani said the mining activity would pollute glaciers, leading to darkening of snow, increased heat absorption, and accelerated ice melt, which would eventually impact rivers. “He fought for the benefit of half of India’s population, who depend on rivers originating in the Himalayas. Yet, our country termed him anti-national and imprisoned him,” Mr. Senani said, adding that India could lose Mr. Wangchuk within a couple of days if his hunger protest over the education sector continued.
Senani said the student community should be well-informed about current events and should be exposed to social movements. “When we were students, two major social movements of the State — the Dalit movement and the farmers’ movement — were gathering momentum. We were exposed to them,” he said. Signs of climate change On climate change, Mr. Senani said there were clear signs of it, though some people in high positions dismissed the phenomenon as fake. “This exhibits their ignorance, besides greed and selfishness. The question is how future generations will survive without clean water or clean air, irrespective of the wealth they are left with,” he said. Explaining the migration of Red Knot birds from South America to their Arctic breeding grounds — a journey spanning over 14,484 km — Mr. Senani said the birds prepare by reducing their body weight and flying continuously for five to six days without food or rest. They halt at Delaware Bay, where nutrient-rich horseshoe crab eggs are available to fuel the onward journey.
“This has been going on for over 300 million years. In recent years, however, the birds’ stopover to feed on horseshoe crab eggs has been affected badly, impacting their survival. There are many such clear signs of climate change. Scientists who study these developments closely are better placed to see the full picture, though many people — including those in positions of power, like Donald Trump — dismiss climate change as fake,” he said. Co-evolution When a student asked about the duo’s experience with the bandit Veerappan, Mr. Senani said the encounter was an accident in their lives, not an achievement to share with young students. (Krupakar and Senani were held hostage by forest brigand Veerappan for 14 days in October 1997.) Instead, he spoke about the concept of co-evolution, citing the “arms race” between giraffes and acacia trees, in which both species have competed for survival over thousands of years. “Biodiversity has many such wonders to explore. A scientist can turn it into a well-researched paper, and for a creative writer, the phenomenon can be the subject of a short story,” he said.
The BriefWire