The new budgetary provisions for conservation of tigers have not come a day soon. In the course of presenting the budget the Finance Minister said, "The tiger is under a grave threat' and allocated Rs. 50 crore for the National Tiger Conservation Authority. The bulk of the allocation will be used for raising a special armed tiger protection force. Conservationists are delighted that the Finance Minister has resonated to the need of the hour. Neglected area There are no two opinions about the fact that the bedrock of conservation is committed front line staff led by able dedicated officers. This has always been a neglected area. The reserves are more often than not either understaffed or staffed by under trained men past their prime. Men with pot-bellies for whom wildlife conservation is just another posting are a frequent disturbing sight in many reserves. This needs to be changed on a war footing. Seasoned wildlife biologists like Dr. Ullas Karanth have realised the importance of this, after years of work in the field, and are strong votaries of well equipped front line staff. The formation of a special armed tiger protection force has to be done with great circumspection. It should not become just another run of the mill paramilitary force. It has to be populated by youngsters driven by passion for conservation. The training invariably has to measure up to the standards of NSG. I would recommend that the desire for protection should be instilled the way insurgents mould their recruits. Men whose sole aim in life is conservation and conservation alone. The moulding of the special force requires the expertise of social scientists also. Present day conservation is inextricably mixed with human ecology. The men in uniform have to be adept at building bridges with local communities whether the area assigned is inviolate or not. Even though attempts have been made in tiger reserves for the participation of local communities in conservation this has to be streamlined. The picture changes from reserve to reserve and application of one success per se in another reserve is not a practical proposition. Intelligence gathering Another tool that has to be honed to perfection is intelligence gathering. Sophisticated methodologies of intelligence gathering have to be de rigueur as part of the training. Our efforts to date have been in fits and starts. Men in uniform also have to be protected against the viles of manipulators who come in the garb of human rights activists. A poacher needs to be handled tough. A kiss on the cheek is not what is needed. There have been incidents in the past where upright officers have been hauled up before court on trumped-up charges. A case in point comes from Munnar. The incident occurred a few years back. A forester known for his dedication to conservation caught some smugglers from a notorious belt in Malappuram. The culprits who resisted arrest had to be handled roughly. The men were remanded to custody. The criminals who got bail got themselves admitted to a hospital in Malappuram and subsequently filed a case before a human rights commission. The poor guy had to rush off to Malappuram several times. Due to archaic rules in force the harried guy had to spend money from his pocket to defend himself. You can very well imagine the plight of the guy. Such incidents should not occur. The state should come to their rescue with alacrity. While dealing with human rights violations, why don't the authorities concerned think about the atrocities committed on wildlife? Why not a small thought for the denizens of the wild which cannot articulate their right to live? Strong will and support of the local politicians is a must if the initiative is to take root. There are incidents where many conservation initiatives have been smashed to smithereens by the sheer cussedness of the local politicians. A consensus needed A consensus has to be built at the national level that no politician should come to the rescue of a poacher. Sounds far-fetched but a beginning has to be made somewhere. By highlighting tiger, which is at the apex of the food pyramid, we are ensuring the perpetuation of our biodiversity. Now is the time to act. Tomorrow will be too late.