New Delhi, May 25, 2023 : The Times of India, the country’s largest English newspaper, today launched the “Saving Our Stripes” campaign to raise awareness about the importance of tiger conservation. The campaign commemorates the 50th anniversary of Project Tiger, a centrally-sponsored scheme that started in 1973 and aims to ensure the survival and maintenance of the tiger population in specially constituted tiger reserves throughout India.

“This year marks the completion of 50 years of Project Tiger, a world famous conservation model and success story,” said Kaustuv Chatterjee, Director, TOI. “Times of India is giving the nation a popular film(s) and song on the occasion to drive home the importance of the project for future generations as well. Through this initiative, we are taking the message of conservation to the masses, signifying that tigers and forests are a national treasure and an inheritance for our children.”

The “Saving Our Stripes” campaign has featured a variety of content across TOI’s print and digital platforms, including quirky contests, thought-provoking editorials, and a special Tiger Anthem curated by celebrated artists including Nalla Muthu (a national award-winning wildlife cinematographer) and Shantanu Moitra (composer and musician for Bollywood films like 3 Idiots and Parineeta).

The Tiger Anthem showcases heartwarming images of pure love between a mother tiger and her cub, giving viewers a glimpse into their habits and the world they inhabit. The film traces their path to the serene tunes of Moitra, surreal lyrics by Tanveer Ghazi, and beautiful visuals capturing the power of emotion by Nalla.

“The hearts of the toughest human beings will melt on seeing a tiger cub caressing its mother’s face,” said Moitra. “It will work because the song and visuals are from a cub’s perspective. I am hoping children will pick it up like the ‘lakdi ki kathi, kathi pe ghoda’ song of the 80s.”

Elaborating on how music and films are the best mediums for communicating a message to people, Nalla said, “The minute you talk about tigers and poems, people remember William Blake’s ‘Tyger, tyger burning bright’ first. Using music or a narrative-driven medium like a feature film to convey a message can have a profound impact on an audience. Emotionally engaging content often resonates with people on a deeper level, making it more likely that they’ll remember the message and potentially act on it.”

When launched, Project Tiger covered nine reserves across 18,278 sq. km. Currently, there are 53 tiger reserves spanning 75,000 sq. km. Today, with 3,167 tigers, 75 percent of the global wild tiger population is in India.

“The ‘Saving Our Stripes’ campaign is a call to action for all of us to do our part to protect these majestic creatures,” said Chatterjee. “By raising awareness about the importance of tiger conservation, we can help ensure that these magnificent animals continue to thrive for generations to come.”