That set the audience thinking. Until now, there had been numerous programmes, mostly unsuccessful, to eliminate the rodent `ili'. Now, no less a person than the Forest Minister was talking about conserving their numbers. They were rattled about it, alright, but settled for a generous explanation that it could have been a slip of the tongue and he had really meant something else.

But before they could decide what it was all about, the Agriculture Marketing Minister Nagappa made a grand announcement. ``The 25-year-old `Ili Yojane' is a grand sucess.'' They both happened to be at the inauguration of the 25th anniversary of `Huli Yojane' or Project Tiger.