The tiger, an emblem of India’s rich ecological and cultural heritage, holds a prominent place both in the country’s original Constitution and in its natural environment, according to Union Minister of State for Law and Justice, Arjun Ram Meghwal. His remarks were made during the launch of Sacred Tiger Tales: From Vedic Hymns to Tryst with Stripes, a book authored and photographed by Manoj Kumar, a senior official in the Law Ministry.
Launched at the India International Centre in New Delhi, the 248-page coffee-table book published by OakBridge Publishing was unveiled by Meghwal and Attorney General R Venkataramani. This event gathered key figures from the realms of law, government, wildlife conservation, photography, and publishing. The book comprises 82 narratives spanning scriptures, classical texts, folklore, colonial history, and modern conservation efforts, complemented by captivating photographs from India’s tiger reserves.
In his address, Meghwal highlighted the incorporation of a tiger motif in the artwork of the original handwritten Constitution, crafted under the artistic direction of Nandalal Bose. This motif, along with other animal representations, decorates the document’s borders, symbolizing the integral relationship between constitutional governance and the natural world. Meghwal stated, “The constitutional journey of ‘We, the people of India’ is not separate from nature.” He further noted the artwork accompanying Part XVI of the Constitution, featuring historical figures Rani Lakshmibai and Tipu Sultan, the latter known as the “Tiger of Mysore.”
Emphasizing the ecological significance of tigers, Meghwal remarked that every species plays a vital role in maintaining the balance of nature. “The tiger makes a very important contribution towards maintaining ecological balance,” he stated, drawing a parallel with a childhood lesson on the importance of snakes in controlling rodent populations.
Attorney General R Venkataramani described the book as an exploration of justice that transcends the human experience. “This book is about justice in a different space. I began to talk to each one of the photographs, and that was a great discovery for me,” he shared, reflecting on his personal experiences at the Pench Tiger Reserve and concluding with a poem inspired by his visit.
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Law Secretary Rajiv Mani highlighted the tiger’s enduring presence in Indian civilization through Vedic literature and its associations with deities such as Goddess Durga and Lord Shiva, as well as historical figures like Chhatrapati Shivaji. He also noted the tiger’s formal recognition as India’s national animal in 1972, coinciding with the inception of Project Tiger in 1973.
