IFS Officer Inspires Children To Give Up Slingshots, Save Birds

The response to the initiative that started on World Environment Day on June 5, 2021, has been “heartening”, said the IFS officer.

“Change a child, you'll change a generation” — it is this belief that has shaped an Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer's desire to inspire children of many villages around Nashik in Maharashtra to stop using “galor” (slingshots) and protect birds.Anand Reddy, the IFS officer, informed his Twitter followers how he addressed the “dilemma” of seeing a “cute kid” kill a “bird with this slingshot”, and asked, “will you punish the kid?” It all started as an initiative of “Galor Samarpan Abhiyan” a month ago on World Environment Day — June 5. Mr Reddy said that the response to the initiative since has been “hugely heartening” for him. Here's a dilemma..You see a cute bird. And you see a cute kid. Then you see the kid kill the bird with this slingshot. Will you punish the kid?This is very common in many villages in Nashik. It leads to empty forests - no birds, no chirping, no singing.Only silence! pic.twitter.com/XDg85fcbz2 So how to make these innocent kids stop using galor (slingshot)?By talking to each child.By telling each kid how painful it is.By making them promise never to use again.By nudging them to "voluntarily #surrender Galor"In short, by winning their hearts! ❤️ pic.twitter.com/ktxTIzjrM3 Video from a village on how children made this into a #movementpic.twitter.com/yvD7Zi1RpW What started as a small initiative of 'Galor Samarpan Abhiyan' on this #environmentday, last 30 days were hugely heartening for me -• 590 Galors were voluntarily surrendered until• Kids from 68 villages took #pledge• Some kids even reached out to staff to surrender! pic.twitter.com/BRwtVheYcj "The strongest weapon a soldier takes to war is the reason WHY"Once our green warriors found the purpose, they worked relentlessly - nights, weekends & in rains to reach out to every kid.It was great to see true #Teameffort ! pic.twitter.com/oE6HjOvIid Such a wonderful initiative . It is said that journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step . We need many more such initiatives across the country so that our environment and wildlife teem with life . Thank you, @AnandReddyYellu for efforts & for bringing about this heartwarming change in these little kids! ????There's now hope! Hope for a better, kinder tomorrow, and who better to bring about that change than compassionate children... #saveforests#children#savetheplanethttps://t.co/TJBYEeuyMI This should be known & implemented across India as "Anand Reddy Model" of winning heart, instead of seizing it, truly commendable, best part it's happening, not remains in slogans. Catch them young, they will create better environments. Simply wow, ???????????????????????????????????????????????? https://t.co/kiIe5Jj8Qq Amazing work! This is how a difference is made. By winning hearts, not my dominating brains. https://t.co/N7YN6qBIeV Every time I come across such a thread I get so overwhelmed. It makes me realize just how many issues there are to fix & what a long battle we have ahead of us. But people like @AnandReddyYellu prove how crucial it is to just do YOUR bit.#YouCanChangeTheWorld 1 area at a time. https://t.co/U1DMg7AOsQ Mr Reddy began his Twitter post by stating that it's commonplace in the villages surrounding Nashik to see children playing with slingshots. This, he said, “leads to empty forests — no birds, no chirping, no singing. Only silence.” So, what did Mr Reddy do to “make these innocent kids stop using galor (slingshot)?”