THE SILENT FLIGHT OF TRADITION: ANTHROPOGENIC CLIMATE CHANGE AND ITS CULTURAL FALLOUT

India has taken some steps toward vulture conservation, such as establishing vulture breeding centers and restricting the veterinary use of Diclofenac

- P. V. LAXMIPRASAD

"The earth, the air, the land, and the water are not an inheritance from our forefathers but on loan from our children." - Mahatma Gandhi

The recent passing away of Ratan Tata, an iconic entrepreneur and philanthropist, marks not just the end of an era in Indian entrepreneurship but also highlights an unsettling shift in cultural and religious traditions due to human-induced climate change.

Unlike other Parsis who are traditionally taken to the "Tower of Silence" under the practice of "Dakhma Nashini," Tata was cremated. This departure from religious practice is a poignant example of how environmental degradation driven by anthropogenic activities is disrupting millennia-old rituals, beliefs, and ways of life.

The ancient practice of "Dakhma Nashini" involves placing the deceased on stone towers (Dakhmas), where vultures consume the bodies, allowing Nature to complete the cycle of life and death without burial or burning. This practice symbolizes the Parsi belief in minimizing harm to the earth and preventing contamination of the elements. However, in recent years, the ritual has become increasingly difficult to sustain due to the drastic decline in the vulture population of India.

The primary culprit? Diclofenac, a veterinary anti-inflammatory drug introduced in the 1990s, which causes kidney failure in vultures when they consume the carcasses of cattle treated with the drug.

THE EXTINCTION OF VULTURES: A RIPPLE EFFECT

Between 1992 and 2007, vulture populations in India plummeted by more than 97% due to the widespread use of Diclofenac.

The Indian white-backed vulture (Gyps bengalensis), the long-billed vulture (Gyps indicus), and the slender-billed vulture (Gyps tenuirostris) were hit the hardest.