Bittu Sahgal
HAPPY BIRTHDAY SÁLIM CHA
Click here to listen to the ORIGINAL voice of Dr. Sálim Ali, who was born on November 12, 1896 👇
For decades, after the above recording sessions, the tapes were untraceable by the staff of AIR, who probably did not realise the immense value of the history that lay in their archives.
And then… to my utter joy, @Tara Gandhi who was guided by Dr Sálim Ali for her M.Sc degree in Zoology with specialisation in Field Ornithology bought this four-part extract (from the 12+ hours of the interviews I conducted with him over months) to my notice. The rest of the tapes I am hoping will also be released for the benefit of the public.
‘The Old Man’ as he was affectionately called by those who loved him, was dear friend and an inspirational mentor to me. He was critical to the birth process of Sanctuary Asia the magazine launched by Sanctuary way back in 1981. One fine day, just before a BNHS Executive Committee meeting, his wonderful assistant, Archana, said that he wanted me to help with his autobiography for the Government of India’s Oral Archives, housed at All India Radio, now Prasar Bharati. I was overjoyed!
As listeners will discover if they listen to the audio files, Dr. Sálim Ali redefined ornithology for the world, changing it’s focus from mere morphology to avian behaviour. Today he remains largely forgotten, yet his teachings and his life’s passion for the wilds are probably more relevant in an age of our climate crisis, than he might have imagined ages ago.
The following are two pieces written about this giant of a man by me for Sanctuary Asia:
SÁLIM ALI: AN APPRECIATION: 2009
The very best gift anyone could hope to give to Dr Sálim Ali on his Birth Anniversary would be to JOIN THE BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, BNHS, an organisation he helped build and for which he worked all his life. I would urge all young people to give ‘Sálim Cha’ a birthday gift by joining the Bombay Natural History Society today! Click for membership form
Bittu Sahgal is a leading voice on environment, forest and wildlife issues. He is also a renowned author, columnist, public speaker and the founder of Sanctuary Nature Foundation, a nonprofit conservation organization that works on environmental policy, advocacy, science, on-ground support and habitat management. He is also the founding editor of Sanctuary Asia, a wildlife and ecology magazine.
This is News 