CELEBRATING RESPONSIBLY

THE PLEASURE OF ONE CAN BRING PAIN TO THE OTHER. CELEBRATING A FESTIVAL IS ONE THING BUT CAUSING HARM DURING THE CELEBRATIONS AND PAIN TO THE MOTHER NATURE.

CITY FIRST BRINGS TO YOU THE WORDS OF PEOPLE MAKING UP FOR OUR IRRESPONSIBLE CELEBRATIONS!

The sky is home to birds, and during Makar Sankranti every year they open their home to your kites.

They don’t seem to mind it, except when the Chinese manja used to fly these kites takes the life of and injures so many of their friends and family members.

They now live in fear in their own home. And it isn’t fair! The Chinese manja is made of nylon or synthetic thread and is treated with glass and metal to make it sharper. This can be deadly for humans and birds alike. Yet people use it.

One of the highlights of such birds treatment camps is that they garner the interest of the youth who come forward to volunteer. These organisations, conduct Bird Rescue Camps, in which many people take part as volunteers.

These volunteers come to these camps for free and work with these organisations to learn things like bird handling, first aid, etc. City First ran an extensive interview with people taking part in these camps. Let’s see what they have to say.

I too used to fly kites and was crazy about them since I was a child. But after experiencing the damage our joy is inflicting on our feathered neighbours.

I restricted myself from flying and started helping in bird rescues with Raksha NGO based in Jaipur.

Resident as well as migratory birds both are being injured from manjha as dec to mar is migration time for birds from Russia and Africa. —ISHAN SHARMA

I’ve been working as a volunteer for five years now and I can confidently say that this is one of the most rewarding things that I have done.

Knowing that I helped someone in need brings me peace and makes me sleep better. It’s sad to see how often and badly these birds get hurt but I also know that many people are working hard to contain or fix the damage.

I think everyone should do it. —ADITI SHARMA

I’ve been working as a rescuer for as long as I can remember. It’s a diffi cult line to follow but to see so many people coming forth to work is just beautful.

People are more aware and worried about their environment now. Though we still have a long way to go, I’m glad for how far we’ve come.

I hope in the future more people come to the aid and understand how to celebrate festivals safely. —SHAMROZ

It was hectic. Getting calls from all over the city for injured birds was a little overwhelming. I can’t believe how many of them get hurt.

Our camp alone rescued over 100 birds and to know that there are more camps like us getting similar calls is just so sad.

Working as a volunteer is rewarding but it is not for the faint of heart. I definitiely recommend doing it though. —RAKESH PRAJAPAT

This was the first time I ever got involved in a camp like this. It’s so sad that the fun we have on Sankranti causes so much damage to these innocent creatures.

I see the people working here to make it all better and help these injured birds get back on their feet and it makes my heart warm.

I hope that more people understand how much we are hurting them and stop using things like plastic manja. —YEDIK PUROHIT