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Ban Ko Katha Bolchha Sarangi (The sanrangi violin sings of the forest)

In 2016/17, Kumar Puadel conducted dozens of interviews with people arrested for wildlife crimes in Nepal. Based on those findings, he has now launched an innovative public awareness campaign.

Based on our findings, he proposed that improved awareness about the scale and impacts of enforcement could help to increase the deterrence effects of Nepal’s very strict conservation laws--while also reducing unintended social harms of conservation enforcement. Moreover, he felt compelled to widely share the tragic stories he heard during his interviews.

People will not be deterred from participating in illegal trade if they do not perceive it as a risk.

Kumar collaborated with Prakash Gandharva, a traditional Gandharva musician, to communicate these stories--and help listeners to recognise the risks of participating in wildlife trade.

The music of the Gandharva people, whose traveling musicians are known throughout Nepal for their tragic ballads, provided the perfect medium for sharing stories from the interviews. It features (Dilu) singing and playing the Sarangi, with stories and lyrics by Kumar Paudel. These songs were shared via live performances in communities where wildlife trade is common, reaching more than 1000 people (Sept- Nov 2019). They were also broadcasted through the Community Information Network to 330 community radio stations across 77 districts, covering an audience of more than 9 million.

Music videos based on these songs have been viewed >50,000 on Facebook across Nepal.

For example, Nam Ganayo (Shameful name) shares the story of a farmer from Nepal's Parsa District. Encouraged by a smuggler to poach a tiger, he ended up in prison. He knew that catching protected species was illegal, but underestimated the risk. He recounts how his arrest affected not only his freedom and his mental health, but also the dignity of his family, one of which even committed suicide. Now, through this song, he shares his regret and appeals to the listener not to repeat his mistake.


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