Citizens question choice of state symbols, say they lack exclusivity

VIJAYAWADA: The new state

symbols

announced by the government has failed to impress

Vijayawada

citizens. Many are of the opinion that except blackbuck as the

state

animal, the other symbols don’t have local exclusivity nor ecological significance.

Apart from the state animal, the government announced Jasmine as the state flower, Rose-ringed parrot as the state bird and Neem as the state tree on May 31.

The concept of state symbols seem to be wrongly handled by the government, Duggaraju Srinivasarao from Vijayawada, who works on various environmental issues said. People take the state symbols as a matter of pride and the symbols should be an exclusive property of that particular region he said. “I do not understand the logic behind selecting jasmine which people mostly associate with romance as state flower and Rose-ringed parrot, a commonly sighted bird as the state bird,” he said.

Interestingly, rose-ringed parrot was not there among the three proposals sent by the forest department. The forest department sent the Great Indian Bustard, Jerdon’s Courser and Indian Roller as the probable choices for the state bird. The bird lovers have been left disappointed over the selection of Rose-ringed parrot over Great Indian Bustard and Jerdon's Courser. Even the selection of Neem over Red sanders has left many surprised as Red sanders are only confined to Andhra Pradesh and are considered as state pride.

A botany lecturer working in a government degree college on condition of anonymity told that red sanders are the pride of Andhra Pradesh and exclusive to us. It would have been a better

choice

and also would have given more impetus to protect the endangered species.

However, some other experts opined that making the endangered species like Jerdon’s Courser and Red Sanders as state symbols would increase the risks of everyone going after them.

The government explained selection of Jasmine (Jasmimum officinale) on the CM’s twitter handle. The state flower represents purity of fragrance and the state’s vision to spread positivity and knowledge among people and the nation at large.