In 1996, I, Arun Agnihotri, Artistic Director of The Playhouse Theatre Group and Consultancy was fortunate in securing the Australian International Education Foundation (AIEF) visiting Fellowship, under the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan.

The Fellowship allowed me the widest experience of Young People’s Theatre in Australia, including indigenous, multi-cultural and multi-arts activities. Keeping my keen interest in wildlife and environment, the Fellowship also enabled me to undertake trips to some of Australia’s most enchanting wildlife parks, sanctuaries, deserts and rainforests. I was lucky to have had the rare distinction of visiting most of Australia and was able to initiate various Indo-Australian programmes of educational, environmental and theatrical value.

LIVING WITH THE TIGER AND OTHER INTELLIGENT ANIMALS was the title of a proposed project by the BARKING GECKO THEATRE COMPANY of Australia, in collaboration with THE PLAYHOUSE, INDIA and THE BARODA NATURE LOVERS ASSOCIATION.

It was an endeavour towards the development of an Indo-Australian venture that explored the theme of the Tigers and the other intelligent animals. There was great debate as to why human beings, considered to be intelligent … continue to be so stupid!

The awareness project was to culminate in a theatre production for children with performances in both the countries. An international programme was also planned.

The Tiger, throughout its range on this planet, is facing serious threat and is highly vulnerable. With it are threatened the habitats of rich bio-diversity that are vital for maintaining ecological security and life support systems as well as for providing sustenance to local communities. We agreed and acknowledged that much had been done towards conservation of tigers and their habitats but a lot more was required. A different approach!

We also agreed that to the ecologist of today, equally and justifiably, the tiger again is a symbol of the country’s wilderness. The flow of nutrients through the complex web of nature in the forest ecosystems culminates in the tiger. Among a host of predators and scavengers that thrive on the productivity of this ecosystem, the striped feline stood supreme in most of our forests.

From the cold Himalayan high altitude forests to the steaming coastal mangroves of the Sunderbans; from the scorched arid scrublands of Rajasthan to the lush evergreens of the south; and, from the flat tarai swamps to the rolling hard grounds of the peninsula, the tiger is very much at home. The well being of the tiger is thus synonymous with the health of the Indian wilderness.

In 1995, India had almost two-thirds of the world’s tiger population and my visits to various parks/sanctuaries and innumerable meetings/discussions with locals/park officials/field staff/guards/mahouts et al, painted an alarming picture. It was obvious that things were no longer fine with the Project Tiger and the tiger was slowly moving towards extinction and unless immediate, concrete and effective measures were not evolved and implemented, the tiger too would be wiped out!

LIVING WITH THE TIGER, the project, intended to raise public consciousness, initiative and involvement world-wide through its research and production vis-à-vis the status of the Indian tiger and the immediate measures required locally and globally to restore this magnificent animal to its past glory, and the long term survival of man himself, on planet Earth.

It was proposed that the project develop using a process of partnering of key artists, particularly writers and designers along with a research and documentation team of Australian and Indian wildlife experts. In this way we hoped to maximise the creative and intellectual development of the people concerned, giving everybody an opportunity to collaborate as well as have individual responsibility. An Australian playwright was to undertake a residency in India with the research team and to work with an Indian partner in developing the script. We also wanted to generate the co-operation of people from different spheres and backgrounds.

To the best of our knowledge a project of this kind had never been proposed or initiated earlier and we hoped to create a ‘new awareness’ about environmental issues related to each species. The project was planned to culminate in a performance during 1999; an appropriate year, we thought, for examining a topic that speculated about past human impact on the environment with an eye on the new millennium. It was anticipated that the system of "partnering" artists and research would hopefully provide a genuine collaboration and a fantastic opportunity for the personal development of outstanding professionals from both the countries, and at the same time highlight in a unique manner the theme of human interaction with other intelligent animals. We had hoped to create, through this project, awareness about the plight of wildlife, particularly the tiger’s right to survive as a species.

The Barking Gecko Theatre Company (BGTC) is Western Australia’s only internationally famous, award winning, multi-cultural, non-gender specific young people’s theatre company named after an unlikely breed of coughing lizard! It has an outstanding reputation for excellence and innovation.

The Company has established an international reputation for a series of work it has produced on the theme of human interaction with wildlife. To date, four works have been produced on this theme; concerning Dolphins, Orang-utans, Elephants and Bears. Three of these productions were developed through a process of international collaboration and have toured internationally. The plays have each been used to create awareness about environmental issues related to each species.

The Baroda Nature Lovers (BNL), is a Gujarat based non-government organisation working for the cause of conservation of our natural heritage. It has been involved in a variety of conservation and education measures from Nature Orientation Camps; Tree Plantation Drives to Bird and Animal censuses.

The Playhouse Theatre Group and Consultancy was formally launched in Vadodara in 1980. Since then it has acquired a prestigious reputation for producing high quality theatre performances and for initiating and spreading the Children’s Theatre & Drama Movement and the concept of Theatre-in-Education in various parts of the country. It is also known for its innovative workshops, the Dramatherapy Unit and the Outward Bound Projects. The motto of The Playhouse is ‘Creating Ripples in a Vacuum Pond ’.

In many ways, The Playhouse is unique in the sense, that it does not have a regular office or any staff! Nor does it receive any grant-in-aid from any source. However, the members/volunteers are spread all over the country and most keep in touch. Inspite of the problems, the group has survived for nearly 20 years and its faith has been kept alive because those involved believe in a positive change of attitudes (which may not happen in their lifetime), but the future generations may benefit. We all know that this change will not take place overnight – so we continue to strive and survive and dare to search for the Truth within the Self.

The Playhouse believes in the following thought expressed by Werner Heisenberg - "It is probably true quite generally, that in the history of human thinking, the most fruitful developments frequently take place at those points where two different lines of thought meet. These lines may have their roots in quite different parts of human culture, in different times or different cultural environments or different religious traditions: hence if they actually meet, that is, if they are so much related to each other that a real interaction can take place, then one may hope that new and interesting development may follow."

The obstacles we had to face cannot be counted!

Government apathy and bureaucratic nonsense; cliquish attitudes of ‘protection/expert’ groups; a general absence of environmental/wildlife awareness; a coterie of ex-maharajas (in their new avatar or reincarnation), still continuing their reign; illiteracy and poverty; vested interested combined with the lack of enforcement of any code – were just a few of these obstacles!

During 1996-1997, I posted over 550 information packets to people/organisations concerned with wildlife and environment, MoEF, CCF’s, Tiger Reserves and National Parks, Sanctuaries, multi-national companies and other industrial houses in India and abroad, theatre personalities, funding agencies, Foundations and many others. The information packet contained copies of a letter of introduction signed by the Heads of the organisations involved, details of the proposed project with dates and other statistics, letter of appeal for support – financial or otherwise, letters from Australian support groups, tiger stickers and our unspoken willingness to travel any where to discuss the project. We also travelled extensively surveying various Parks and Sanctuaries.

To give the entire mailing list is meaningless, but some of the recipients of the information packets were:

Global Tiger Patrol, England; Peter Jackson, Switzerland; The Tiger Trust, England; Wildlife Conservation Society, U.S.A.; Care for the Wild, England; Save the Tiger Fund, U.S.A.; Sanjana Kapoor; India Foundation for the Arts; Bina Kak; Dadi Pudumjee; Tiger-Direct, England; ACAP, England; Animal Welfare (UFAW), England; Malcolm Whitehead, Bahamas; CBSG; Mike Fouraker; Pricol Limited; Animal Welfare Board of India; Royal Geographical Society; IZDA; Earthwatch; Paola Manfredi; EIA; Tiger Action Fund for India; Valmik Thapar; Frito-Lay India; Tiger Direct; The David Shepherd Conservation Foundation; Bet’r Campaign; Torrent Exports; Telstra; General Motors; IPCL; Pepsi; Coke; Tatas; TVS; Videocon; Wipro; Zandu; Berger Paints; Birlas; Blow Plast; BPL; Britannia; Cadbury; WWF Tiger Conservation Project; Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust; Zoos Committing to Conservation, U.S.A.; Aga Khan Foundation; Centre for Environment Education; Indian Society of Naturalists; ANZ Grindlays Bank; Asian Paints; AT&T (I); ABS Industries; Alcatel South Asia Pacific; Air India; British Airways; Cathy Pacific; Colgate Palmolive; DCM Daewoo; Eveready; Dabur; WII; Lavkumar Khacher; Essar; Escorts, Eicher; JK Industries; Indian Express Newspapers; Times Group; Jet Airways; Jenson & Nicholson; Kinetic; Novino; Lakme; Johnson & Johnson; Liberty Shoes; Kodak India; Exide, Geoffrey Manners & Company; Garware; Hindustan Lever, Godrej; Living Media; LML; Mafatlal; Luxor; Mahindras; Maruti Udyog; Modi; Motorola; MRF; Nestle; Onida; Pidilite; Proctor & Gamble; Nirma; Parle; Reliance; Shriram; Singer; LAW-E; Corbett Foundation; Ranjitsinh Gaekwad; WPSI; Tiger Haven; WWF-India; BNHS; Indian Society for Wildlife Research; Honorary Wildlife Wardens………………………………….……………………………………etc.

The only people who responded/acknowledged were – Global Tiger Patrol, Tiger Trust, The Whitley Award, IZDA, The David Shepherd Conservation Foundation, Earthwatch and Save the Tiger Fund. (These letters had the same theme of " interest and regret". Tiger Trust even tried to sell a book!)

Then, there were letters from the Director-Gir National Park and the Chief Wildlife Wardens - Jaipur/Lucknow. These were letters of support!

A ‘fact-finding’ Australian team from the BGTC visited India in late 1997. This mission highlighted the total lack of co-operation and callousness exhibited by the Indian authorities and many ‘experts’. By this time, I was nearly bankrupt and BNL was not in a happy situation either. It was bitterly obvious that we had been totally incapable of securing any funding and the Australians could not afford to pay for the Indian side. We did not even have money to post letters!

By 1998, the Australians put the project on a ‘backbench’ and the Indo-Australian aspect was shelved. BNL too, is no longer involved.

I, however, continued with the toned-down version of the Project that slowly evolved into its present form. This has been possible only with the active voluntary support of the young people who are/were part of The Playhouse. Many of these people have passed out of the university and are settled in other cities, but continue their association.

The acute paucity of funds meant that we could no longer afford to cover all the parks/sanctuaries; nor could we undertake the numerous trips involved, as it meant taking time off from studies and other related work. So, we decided to concentrate on the Asiatic Lion Sanctuary, Corbett Tiger Reserve and the Binsar Sanctuary. Gir, because it is in Gujarat; Corbett, because of my maternal grandfather’s association with Jim Corbett and the visits under the Outward Bound Programmes for children and young people; and Binsar, because it fascinates me.

Over the years we have realised that if one does not involve the local people/villagers/staff in and around the protected areas, there can be no long-term conservation. The needs of the ‘lower level staff’ too, must be addressed. We have accordingly developed an information network and try to visit these places (in a group), at least twice a year. Volunteers frequently make individual visits. It has taken a long time to gain the trust of the people, particularly the women – but it has been worth the effort.

We use personal finances to renew contact with the local people, the park/sanctuary staff and the villagers to keep a record of what is (or not), happening. There is a concentrated effort by all of us to clean the place and talk to the tourists and the staff. Items of clothing, footwear and medicine for the mahouts/charakats/forest guards and their families are distributed regularly.

"…Knowledge of consequences in case of being apprehended by authorities (violating codes/laws)… but confident of no action being taken as he was a local and anyway the park officials were corrupt and charge a ‘weekly’ protection fee… no accountability…"

- Savio Fernandez, space marketing, 26 years (1996-97).

"…I look back at the past 10 days or so and feel a kind of sadness seep into me. Sadness, not just because I miss the places… but sadness also because next time (I visit), these places, a lot would have changed – and not necessarily for the better.

The idea I had about Corbett was quite different from reality. I had a picture of a more secluded and a less tourist oriented place… the officials must do something about the noise that the tourists make. There were groups of families who were making quite a racket… even though drinking alcohol is prohibited in the area (there were many), who had alcohol and drank away through the night! Either the authorities did not know; which then they should have made their business to do, (with the noise), or inspite of their knowledge this was happening. No action was taken, as a result we three girls felt quite unsafe and the men who were drinking, did disturb a lot of the peace that night!

Another huge problem with the place was the amount of garbage that was lying around. As part of our (Living with the Tiger), project… one of our jobs was to clean the place. This proved to be a Herculean task and inspite of us picking garbage (3 hours everyday for 4 days), we hardly managed to clear ¼ of all that was there… In the whole of Dhikala I saw just 2 garbage cans – which were well camouflaged with the trees! I think with such an enormous set-up, the authorities can afford to install about 10-15 huge trashcans with lids (so that the monkeys can’t get at them). This would be more effective in keeping the places clean rather than handing out those plastic carrybags. Never the less, the carrybags are a good idea and this whole thing about carrying your trash bag back with you is good. But what if the bags are dumped in the forest on the way out? No one checks. Also, the bags must be made mandatory for each and every tourist and a check made at the main exit points on departure. The staff should also follow the cleanliness rules themselves!

As to waste disposal… there is lot that has to be seen into. It doesn’t make sense when all the garbage (plastic bags, glass bottles and aluminium cans mainly), that is collected, gets dumped on the river (Ramganga), banks and then is picked up by the river water and dispersed every where. It is a hazard for wildlife… found used sanitary napkins lying all around the bank – very near the water. The current could carry these downstream and this very water will be pumped up for use as drinking, washing and cooking for the tourist complex. Everyone seems unaware of the potential health hazards.

Another thing I noticed was, how some people who are either frequent visitors to the place (e.g., tour organisers), or those who spend most of their time at Corbett, misuse the freedom which is given to them. We came across this gentleman (Mr. Ramani), who visits the place often with foreign tourists/rich clients, and passes himself as an expert on ‘sightings’. He manages to keep the local enforcement staff very happy and gets away with many things. We happened to go for a jeep ride with him into the forest… came across a herd of wild elephants. Ramani enthusiastically decided to give us a sneak close-up view of the herd… he took us dangerously close to the elephants. There was a guide with us who kept warning him not to go near the elephants… Ramani totally disregarded the warnings… by doing so he put, not just his, but all our lives in danger… luckily nothing happened to us, but luck can’t be in favour always and before a serious accident happens… people like Ramani should be checked and penalised for irresponsible driving/behaviour and endangering lives. The guide could do nothing. Such people should not be allowed to enter the park. We tried to report this incident… later saw Ramani and park officials having dinner together and sharing jokes!

The real shock came when we returned to Ramnagar (overnight halt at KMVN TRH). During our stay our group Director (Arun), came across this German national, who was offering a vast sum to procure a gun, get into Corbett Park and shoot a tiger. Apart from this, he was also offering another large sum for the tiger skin to be shipped back to his home! Arun somehow managed to get the passport details with address etc. and sent information to the relevant authorities… we later came to know that this written information was conveniently lost or misplaced. Whether the German managed to kill a tiger is something I am afraid to think of, let alone ask. This total disregard for another form of life shocks me and what shocks me more is that thanks to everyone out there who are supposedly doing their jobs, such people get away with things like this.

I fell in love with (Binsar)… it is a pity that when I visit the place again there might be a hotel springing-up from the ruins of Martin’s Bungalow, catering to hoards to tourists and leading to environmental damage… we saw a kill made by a leopard.

The forest guards are totally oblivious of anything happening around them… the trees are being chopped, no patrolling done… the log books are not maintained at the entry points and no records are kept of those entering or leaving the sanctuary. Sometimes there are no entry/exit checks for 3-4 days… on questioning the staff, Arun was informed of the threats received by the guards with no support from the higher-ups… easy for poachers to enter the reserve and stay there indefinitely.

Instead of wallowing in our past achievements and glories we really need to tighten our belts and take some serious steps in order to save whatever little is left of our ‘rich bio-diversity’…"

- Kruti Varma, student, 19 years (1997-98).

Personal note: The incident involving the German national can be corroborated by Jens Hjerrild Hansen, Langli Naturreservat, Hjerting Stran, 6710 Esbjerg V, Denmark.

Jens (Wildlife Warden of a Bird Sanctuary and a friend) was with us and had to be physically restrained by me, during a confrontation with the German. It was the German’s remark, "death is part of life", that had incited Jen’s ire and made him reach for the German’s neck!

"…They all have the right kind of contact and the general public does not really care if any law is being violated… it has become part of the Indian psyche and who cares anyway… it is definitely just the tip of the iceberg. A nexus in which our ‘man’ is only just one small link. How and when will they ever understand that these forests and animals are really their wealth far more valuable than the thousands of rupees that they can earn on these hunts… the arm of the law is weak and impotent…"

- Anisha Mathew, applied artist, 26 years (1997-98).

"…We are fighting for space with the world’s wildlife, which has to contend with hunting, poaching, pollution, pesticides – and most important, the loss of habitat…very often, determination of dedicated people is all that stands between an endangered species and extinction. But why do they bother? Why should we bother about the tiger? Does it really matter if the tiger becomes an extinct species in India…Well, yes it does. Every animal and plant is an integral part of the environment… with a major role to play in maintaining the ecological stability of their delicate environments… conservation is very much in tune with our own survival… the world would be a lonelier, poorer place without them.

He has been a tourist guide all over the Kumaon hills, runs a restaurant and owns jeep to provide services to the tourists. He and his friend occasionally visit the area (between Ramnagar and Park main entry), to hunt deer, wild boar, jungle cats etc… takes various interested parties for hunting… for the cost of Rs.300/- would take us into the park and for another ‘donation’, take us to places where the cats could be seen very close…a track, off the main park road is generally the entry point. The forest officers there are usually allotted the spot on a yearly basis, which is a short time, thus, most are intent on making a fast buck before the next posting which may not be so lucrative… good knowledge of the value of tiger skin … we were also explained the techniques of hunting in the dark… he could be contacted anytime and his restaurant was close to the Project Tiger office…

As the bus service into the park had been shut down the only way to get to the guesthouses, was on private jeeps spewing diesel smoke. Exorbitant prices for the jeeps… people forced to pay as there is no other way to travel… a percentage of the jeep rental charge goes to the Project Tiger officials… a nexus of operations where people are cheated daily. Another area that is being controlled in this manner is the booking of the accommodation inside the park, which is done at the Project Tiger office in Ramnagar. Most often, on enquiry one is told that there is no place available or everything has been booked in advance by other parties. Some ‘under the table’ influence can make the situation flexible… it is amazing how these people have managed to retain their positions for years… why can’t they be transferred? Though it is not uncommon a practice in Indian context to make a fast buck where possible – it is offensive because of the blatant attitude of turning a blind eye to any criteria/law/rule except making money at all costs… to the detriment of the wildlife, the forest and people who have spent time trying to salvage these disappearing sacred spaces.

This in combination with many other factors were an eye-opener… our stay was tinged with an underlying sense of futility and despair. Would we ever be able to create a dent in a situation that seems riddled with hopelessness? The people (mahouts et al), who have been a part of the park for decades do not even have adequate facilities for basic needs – no medical aid either for the people or the animals in their care (sadly emphasised by the recent death of a trained elephant)… the elephant grass is being constantly burnt to make sightings easier for tourists…"

- Nikita Mehta, anthropologist, 26 years (1997-98).

"...Who allows the mushrooming of concrete monstrosities all around the forest area...? The owner laughed when we talked about permission... archaic laws... so many vehicles... who allowed the ‘engagement party’ to happen...?"

- Akshay Jain, landscape designer, 42 years (1997-98).

"…Cattle grazing, low staff moral… no staff training/refresher courses… so much time and money spent on tourism management in unnecessary areas… field staff has no equipment… no special and compulsory programmes for tourists…"

- S. Maheswari, businessman, 31 years (1998-99).

"…It would be wrong to say that there are no honest park officials. There are people who are dedicated towards their work and who would like to see the parks and sanctuaries run in the proper manner; that there is proper tourist management and that the rules and regulations are followed - by everybody… how long is an honest officer allowed to stay in one place…? How many bosses does Corbett have…? everybody says ‘salaam’ to the warden but in reality are working for the ‘raja sahib’ and his guest…"

- Vijay Kumar, professor, 35 years (1998-99).

"...It is really stupid to expect the guards to operate without any facilities... they are unarmed and powerless... how is it that all the senior staff is sitting cosy whilst the major legwork is done by daily wagers...?"

- Kripal Singh, student, 25 years. (1998-99).

"...Our first encounter with the locals was in Ramnagar – the base area from where all tourists and visitors to the park get their permissions. This should be a relatively easy process for tourists. However, as the taxi and jeep drivers narrated... we found that each day there are cases of harassment by the officials present in the Ramnagar base office. Even tourists who have made reservations in advance are turned away with statements that their reservations were changed due to VIP visits, or intimation of their requests have not reached the office... stranded tourists who have travelled kilometres can rectify the ‘clerical error’ by paying some amount to the officials... payment results in miraculous recovery of reservation receipts... the jeep charges are exorbitant and the added cost of entry fee makes the scenario pathetic... why can’t the park resume the bus service?... general conversation outside the Ramnagar office with old contacts still mentions the disappearance of animals in the park, poaching and the disappearances of allotted funds for the development of the park and the people in it.

In Corbett, we learn about the new director – Mr. Mohammed Ahsan. It seems that he is keen on improving certain things... the staff at Dhikala has noticed a greater degree of participation from his side into their problems... there is also a noticeable difference in the cleanliness around the area... one of the staff, in a conversation with me agreed that there were changes after a long time of complacency. He didn’t think Ahsan would be able to do much about the rampant poaching or bribery but it was good to see someone make some effort... his main concern was whether Ahsan would stay long enough to really make a difference.

There is also one very evident problem with the implementation of project tiger – it is neither developmental nor integrative in nature... park staff suffers various kinds of problems in their day to day life... working groups can be divided into dailies, mahouts, forest officers and senior forest officers. This is typical of Dhikala and perhaps the other forest posts as well... one of their main complaints arises from the fact that they haven’t received salaries in two months... some daily wagers have been ‘dailies’ for eighteen years with no raises, benefits etc. There are no facilities to provide even the basic medical attention if the need arises... Baba came to the room to speak with Arun about his charakat... on examination it was found that the man had broken ribs and was forced to work regardless... shouldn’t it be the responsibility of the senior staff officials to look into the matter... there is much to be done for the people who work in the park. It is a predominantly Muslim community with large families to support. Apart from medical facilities, there needs to be some kind of means for banking (for them to seek loans at low interest rates), a school for the children, a vet for the animals and lastly salary appraisal. If not that then at least a guarantee that the next month’s salary will come in... will the senior officials stay without salaries? If we don’t take care of the people who contribute the most by living there, we are giving them a clear signal to accept ‘lucrative’ offers from outside.

Met a lot of people who had come to collect their clothes... in Dhikala alone there must be 80 people. Despite the influx of tourists and therefore revenue, the people here are in desperate need for basic facilities. There have been several attacks by wild elephants and tigers in the past. Apart from that there is no vet to tend to the tame elephants working for the park. Basic hygiene, education, nutrition, salaries are not things the people here take for granted. It was cold – there were no jackets provided to forest guards who patrol the area. No warm clothing provided by the park to the mahouts and charakats... There is a serious need for a good doctor here. At least one who could come in once a week... the nearest hospital is in Ramnagar, which apart from being far is also inconvenient because the only mode of transportation to the town has been discontinued. The bus that used to operate between Dhikala and Ramnagar has been discontinued due to improbable reasons... have to depend on jeeps that come into the park to drop visitors or Kaleji’s ‘benevolence’... the women here have no way of discussing their medical problems... there are cases of domestic violence and abuse but there is no one to look into the ramifications of such problems... most of the children go to a one-room school meant for children of all ages – thereby hindering the mental development of older children, who are shifted out to schools in Ramnagar after a certain age, adding to the complications of the educational process... how do they travel to Ramnagar?

There are some stark realities facing us now. Issues that we need to address. Realities that are linked with the survival of the tiger and other wildlife. Issues that environmentalists, policy makers and officials need to look at. Conservation cannot be done with just a single approach. Conservation cannot be done with just a few people talking about it... those involved in it for a long period must allow new impetus... Conservation has to be multiple featured and all encompassing.

So the question arises, why would these people continue to work for the park? The park is their livelihood, having lived there for generations. They don’t know any other way of life and asking this question is offensive to them. The younger generation is anyway being lured away.

The solution then lies in what economists call developmental and integrative policy making and eventual implementation. If we are to expect any programme to work in favour of conservation of the tiger and its habitat, then we need to ensure that the people working for the project are suitably reimbursed for their efforts... all policy makers are familiar with the problems of population explosion, environmental degradation, encroachments, poaching and the rest. But they also need to be aware of the fact that the basic crux of any policy that they frame has to be people oriented. Which is where the part of the problem lies. An environmental policy cannot be based on the interests of man... well known fact that the success of the Project body in the eighties gave way to its more politically correct counterpart – the environmental lobby. Social organisations have now also begun to advocate the land use of protected areas.

Arun and I finally got to meet the new director. Introduced the work and us. Had to convince him that we were not some ‘glory-seeking-photographs-in-the-newspaper’ kind of people. He was a bit reluctant to accept the fact that our project and work had never been written about in magazines/newspapers... asked him about his views on the problems in Corbett and he outlined all the above... will have to return to see what changes he has brought about, besides the cleanliness and weekly ‘ambulance’ service for the staff to travel to-and-fro from the park to Ramnagar. He also seemed extremely reluctant to discuss the problems created by his predecessors. A fact I thought was strange because any correctional work will have to be done in acknowledgement of the past. He promised to send us on an elephant across the Ramganga to clean the river bank and also to look into the problems at Binsar (as he was going there the following day)... should have known better..."

Personal note: The elephant had ‘politically more important’ trips to undertake; daughter of some high ranking govt. official was on a visit with her incredibly noisy Hindu College classmates. There was another VIP family too, with a gun-toting security guard. Later, a mahout complained of being thrust into a potentially dangerous situation during a tiger sighting, when the said collegians disregarded the mahout’s advice. My subsequent meeting with the director (in Ramnagar) was futile too, as he had been unable to find time at Binsar due to VIP movement/bureaucratic meetings.

"...I have a lot to say about the apathy of the attitude of the people who visit national parks. Apart from park officials taking care of the forest, there also has to be co-operation from the visitors. This should be demanded... plastic packets, bottles... complete lack of respect of the sanctity of the area and the animals in it. Blame it on the commercialisation of environmentalism, but it’s a malady of miseducation. Binsar, was covered in plastic – there was only so much we could pick up. I also think tat one of the problems is the fact that there is no planning of waste disposal in the area. The people in Binsar do not know how to get rid of the plastic that they do use. There are unchecked changes taking place in Binsar too. Martin’s Bungalow will eventually turn into a hotel where ‘guests’ will stay, thereby increasing the number of visitors to the park. The building should in fact have been preserved as a heritage structure. There is also construction going on at the KMVN guesthouse. Parks like Binsar should restrict visitors on day visits so that the peace of the area and decorum is maintained. Again one hears of the lack of integrative development in the area... forest fires started by villagers to get access to timber... the staff here is totally disregarded... lack of medical facilities, warm clothes, first aid boxes, torches, food supplies when the area is snow bound etc. Immediate attention and action is needed."

- Arti Sharma, media person, 26 years (February 2000).

Situated deep in the Kumaon Himalayas, Binsar is now (unfortunately, I feel), accessible by metalled road from Almorah.

Unlike many other popular India hill stations established by the British, Almorah is an ancient town, mentioned in the scriptures as the home of Vishnu. It was the capital of Kumaon under the Chand Rajas from the 17^th century until 1700 when Gorkha invaders from the neighbouring Nepal raised their flag in its hill fort. The British in turn eclipsed them in 1815 whose influence is seen in the town’s architecture.

Binsar is 34 kms North East of Almorah, uphill from Kaparkhan. There is no bus service to Binsar and one has to request the Jageshwar/Pithoragarh bus driver to stop at Kaparkhan.

Settled around the temple of Kasar Devi is a community of Europeans evidently in search of something they can’t find elsewhere. They do find a lot of hash here! In the past this village was something of a favourite with artists and writers – D.H. Lawrence, Bob Dylan, Cat Stevens and Timothy Leary, founder of the hippie movement, among others have stayed here and the current bunch seem to be die-hard relics of the "flower power" era, along with the desi kind.

At the brow of Binsar Hill, locally known as Jhandi Dhar, is the KMVN guesthouse and further up is the ancient, but well maintained Forest Resthouse. There are technically no private accommodations.

1n 1988, about 100 kms of the forests of Binsar were declared a wildlife sanctuary. No longer under the State Forest Department, this declared area is, on paper, known as the Binsar-Askot Sanctuary. It comes under the jurisdiction of the Project Tiger office in Ramnagar! There is a separate local office in Almorah with staff and a warden.

The flora comprises of oak, rhododendron and varieties of hanging ferns, moss and wild flowers. The forest is dense with curtains of gnarled tree trunks. Sunlight hardly permeates through this thick foliage and it is sometimes eerie. Binsar’s forests have considerable wildlife. Barking deer, ghoral, wild boar and serow, black bear (not sighted for long), yellow-throated marten, jungle cat and leopard (locally known as the ‘guldar’. The beam of a torch swept through the courtyard of the rest house at night may reveal several pairs of eyes belonging to jungle inhabitants lurking around in search of food/prey. Leopards have ventured into the precincts but are wary of humans and are very difficult to spot during the day. But they are there! Inspite of being familiar with the forest and ‘venture with care’ areas - was once put into my place and warned to stay away! Pugmarks around the rest house are common.

Among other birds, various varieties of pheasants and eagles have their homes here. According to the local people, there were tigers in this area in the past but none have been seen or reported for years. However, in 1998, there was the killing of a temple sacrificial buffalo. It was too large a prey animal for a leopard. The women taking care of the Shiv temple (the late Mai and her sister) insisted that the predator be striped and when I showed them assorted ‘cat’ pictures, they had without hesitation identified a tiger. I had then specifically asked Mai if she wasn’t mistaking it for a Guldar. Mai’s reply was scathing and there were no further questions about their identification. Unfortunately, the ground area was too thick with leaves to locate pugmarks and a report was filed but there has been no feedback.

There are a number of large private estates in Binsar. Vivek and Marie Dutta’s estate is situated at the top of a hillock surrounded by forest. Their house is more than 100 years old and was once the property of a British bureaucrat. Nehru was "imprisoned" here during the freedom struggle. The Duttas were one of the pioneers in the area years ago and it is largely due to their effort that Binsar was notified as a wildlife sanctuary.

Binsar is approximately 8000 feet above sea level and offers one of the most spectacular views of the Himalayas. The 300 km long range, on a clear day reveals the Nandaghunti; the Gangotri cluster, Kedarnath and Chukhamba; Trishul; Kamet; Panchchuli; Neelkanth; Annapurna and Mathapuji; and the towering Nanda Devi flanked by Nanda Devi East, Nanda Kot and Nanda Khat.

The weather remains cool around the year with temperature ranging from 20 – 25 degrees Celsius in summers and below minus two degrees in the winter season. There is no electricity in Binsar.

So much for the ‘touristy’ description! What about the people who work there?

The guards and rangers have no equipment. Nor can they cover the entire area. There are people who have been sent from Kanpur after completing their Forest Training. However, they receive no salary, as the relevant authorities have not forwarded the official letters confirming their posting/job. There is a tremendous lack of morale.

Villagers around the sanctuary are becoming more hostile as there are no ‘rural friendly’ programmes. The State Forest Department conveniently stays away as they no longer have anything to do with the area. There have been indirect remarks from the DFO’s staff that they can extend ‘manpower’ support, provided the forest within the sanctuary be given back to them. More village women are entering the sanctuary for timber and noosing and the guards are totally helpless against them because some of them have been implicated in false cases of atrocities. They have to fight the cases themselves and borrow money from moneylenders to survive. So, they turn their faces and walk the other way rather than apprehend lawbreakers. The villagers and middlemen who come to collect moss have also threatened the staff with dire consequences. Moss, incidentally is in great demand in the cities. Binsar is also not important enough for senior officials to visit on a regular basis and look into the problems of the area and the staff. Consequently, the people working there remain ignored. In turn they ignore their duties and responsibilities.

Just a short list of things urgently required by the staff (guards and rangers), in Binsar. This was specifically requested earlier this year:

Warm jackets, thick-soled shoes, socks, torches, water bottles, gloves, caps, sleeping bags/blankets and first aid kits.

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Most of the parks and sanctuaries have no idea or are not really concerned about the long term problems that will materialise because of our over popularisation of "Eco-tourism’. At present, everybody is promoting his or her own patch of wildlife and hell with anything else! There are guidelines, rules, regulations and codes - but who will implement them? Are they uniform or do these guidelines change according to the social status of the visitor? A code is for everybody.