Disheartened mother writes letter to IT Minister KTR

Hyderabad: Disheartened mother of five-year-old boy Vedanth submitted a representation to IT Minister KT Rama Rao on Sunday stating that recently her son and many children were not allowed to take peacock feathers that fell in the KBR park.

She stated that when her son visited the park, he was super excited walking around and saying hello to peacocks. Innocently, he collected four peacock feathers. Sadly, the park authorities at the exit gate took the feathers from him, showing a board that stated peacock is our national bird; killing it or hunting is a punishable offence under the Forest Act.

"The poor boy did not understand anything; he was so disappointed. I also witnessed the same happening to other children. The gate-keeper kept the feathers in a corner in a messy storeroom", the letter stated.

She said in the National Education Policy-2020, we are talking about experiential learning, inclusive growth and holistic development. If a child can't enjoy having a fallen feather of a national bird, how do you expect him to love and preserve and protect the national bird when he grows up? It will be better if the State government and somebody else at national level initiate a new pattern of thinking and operating of a department. The Forest department should have a special approach towards how its functioning/ activities can affect the future generations.

Don't you think the feathers would have been of more use being in the tiny hands than in a messy storeroom. Feeling of love for the animal, intriguing his brain as to how the feather falls off naturally; and later shares his experience with his fellow mates when he would go to school? Big leaders are talking about inclusive sustainable growth. Don't these small things contribute to our inclusive growth, she said in the letter.