Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday complimented the people of Assam for their proactive efforts in protecting the rhinoceros.
Reacting to a tweet by Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on the state witnessing no-poaching case in 2022, Modi tweeted: “This is great news! Compliments to the people of Assam, who have shown the way and been proactive in their efforts to protect the rhinos.”
On Sunday, during the customary New Year’s Day interaction an incumbent chief minister has with senior media persons and noted personalities, Sarma revealed there was no rhino poaching in 2022.
On Tuesday, Sarma took to the social media platform to highlight Assam’s feat. “Zero Poaching! 2022 was really special for our rhino conservation efforts. Not a single rhino being poached in 2022 & just 2 in 2021, the gentle giant is now much safer in Assam. Kudos to @assamforest dept & @ assampolice for their sincere efforts to protect the iconic animal,” he tweeted.
The tweet, which evoked a response from Modi, claimed Assam was “now a safe abode” for rhinos, a key attraction for both domestic and forest tourists. The last rhino was killed on December 28, 2021, in the Kaziranga National Park, which is still on the vulnerable list, meaning it needs extensive protection, both within and outside protected areas.
Protecting rhinos from poaching was one of the ruling BJP’s key pre-poll commitments before the 2016 Assembly polls. The BJP and its allies have won back-to-back Assembly polls since. Assam now has over 2,895 one-horned rhinos, the highest in India.
Sarma’s tweet also gave out the figures of rhinos poached in the past 22 years, between 2001 to 2022. The year-on-year breakup revealed 187 rhinos were killed in the state between 2001 and 2021, the worst years being 2007 (16), 2012 (11), 2013 (27), 2014 (27), 2015 (17) and 2016 (18).
