HYDERABAD: As ‘Project Tiger’ turns 50, TSRTC has collaborated with Indian Photo Festival to bring tiger reserves to people. A number of most awe-inspiring photographs clicked by none other than wildlife photographer, Jitender Govindani have been put on display in a van, which will be parked at various places in the city during the next 30 days
“My first visit to Jim Corbett was with a friend, who had arranged for our passes. He now casually likes to say that when you first visited the Corbett, no one knew you and now after almost a decade, there is no one at the Corbett who doesn’t know you,” says Jitender Govindani, the star professor-turned-photographer who is known for his tiger-clicks.
Marking 50 years of Project Tiger which was launched to spread awareness about tiger conservation, a number of his most remarkable clicks have been put on display in a van. “If people cannot visit tiger reserves, we should bring tiger reserves to people,” said Aquin Mathews, the man behind Indian Photo Festival.
While highlighting the fact that tiger conservation has led to the development of a 280-crore economy, Govindani said, “A bare minimum of eight lakh employment opportunities are generated when a tiger reserve is set up. As the tigers grow, the surrounding villages also improve. I consider it a privilege that I’m able to contribute to the cause of wildlife. I understand that parks have become stricter in terms of rules and regulations but the good thing is that the tiger population has improved. On the contrary, the growing tiger population has given rise to a new problem, man-animal conflict. Across all the tiger reserves, especially where the villages are around, you see there is an increasing case of man-animal conflict. Two states: Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, have lost 138 tigers in the last four months. The whole point of such kinds of exhibitions is to create awareness. I understand that the import of a tiger or killing a tiger is not the solution. We should learn to coexist.”
The 18 photographs that have been put on display were the result of months of waiting and patience in deep jungles. “Sometimes I had to return without clicking a single picture even after 20 days of waiting. These pictures are the outcome of hard labour of 13 years,” Govindani said.
Being closely involved in spreading awareness about animals, he has helped the production of coffee table books, the profits from which go towards the education of underprivileged children. He also takes lectures at colleges teaching young students ‘life lessons’ from photography. “Photography teaches you how to be patient, how to plan your click because before a photo is even clicked, it is already formed in your head. It also tells you that you might just have one chance,” he said.
Adding that wildlife photography is no longer a stranger to women, as the number of women entering the field is getting higher each year and in many areas, they are even leaving men behind. About the integration of digital art with AI, he said, “The impact of it, presently, might be on the negative side but this does not mean that I should drop my camera. It actually inspires me to plan and work harder to click an image which is also as real as it seems with AI.”