Protecting Wildlife
The death of eight elephants in Bandhavgarh National Park, Madhya Pradesh, likely due to consuming fungus-infected kodo millet, underscores a profound and growing challenge in India’s conservation landscape.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday met Dashmat Rawat, the tribal labourer on whom a man had urinated, and apologised and washed his feet at his official residence here.
Rawat was given a chair to sit and the Chief Minister washed his feet.
Sources said CM Chouhan apologised to him and assured that he would live the rest of his life with dignity and respect.
According to the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), “CM Chouhan engaged in a healthy dialogue with Rawat during the meeting”.
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He was asked about the benefits of the government schemes that he was availing.
Chauhan’s office claimed the Rawat’s wife was getting the benefit of the Ladli Behna Yojana and his house was built under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY).
Rawat, 35, who works as a labourer at a mandi in Sidhi’s Kubri area, was brought to Bhopal by Sidhi district administration following the instruction of CM Chouhan on Thursday.
He was given a new shawl and had breakfast with the CM.
CM Chouhan washed Rawat’s feet in a pure Cansa-made thali to make him “pavitra (pure)”, dried them with a towel and then put flowers.
After making him ‘pavitra’, CM Chouhan had a dialogue with him. CM asked about his family, his work, source of livelihood and also if he gets the benefits of government-run schemes. Later, Rawat planted a sapling with Chouhan.
CM Chouhan also apologised for the inhuman act of Pravesh Shukla, who is now lodged into Rewa’s central jail with stringent Section of IPC and the National Security Act (NSA) was invoked against him.
Pravesh Shukla, the man who was caught on camera urinating on the labourer in Sidhi district, was arrested on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday. A video of the act had gone viral and triggered an uproar.
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