Lokpal Bill

I got off at Bhopal station this morning. Tried a coolie for my one bag which weigh less than thirty kg. Coolie asked me 80 Rs and after bargain come down to 50. I refused I wheeled it to auto stand. From here for E7 their demand was 200/ Rs. Someone advised me to go to Habibganj by nex train and take auto from there. I did. Here first demand was 70 Rs come down to 60. Dont want more hassle so agreed to 60.

Is this not a corruption?

Now the question is Will this lokpal bill solve these problems?

or we are living in a core corrupt society where everyone wants to earn some extra money through corrupt means?

Fell a sleep in the train.

Last Feb(I think, dont remember exactly) we were expecting an Australian family. They were travelling from Agra by Utkal Express. Their train got delayed by 5 hours so they reach here at about 11.00 AM. We all had breakfast together and after breakfast Lady decided to go for a shower. She went to the room and within few minutes she comes back and whispers in her husbands ears and they both goes to the room. I thought there must be a gecko or spider in the bathroom which she didn't like so she must be asking him to remove it.

We were enjoying our tea and suddenly we heard gentleman shouting on her. There two daughters ignored it completely. I couldn't wait any longer so I went to their room to know the problem.

Lady said " I forgot my camera bag with my wallet and our credit cards in it." They were relying more on their credit cards while travelling in India. I thought I can get that bag easily back. They got off the Train about two hours before so train must have covered another 150 km. I assured her that if a passenger has not stolen your bag than I think I will get it back for you. I made few frantic phone calls to my friends to report this case to the different railway stations and one friend, luckily, agreed to send somebody to the station to inquire about the bag from train conductor. By this time train conductor already got the message about this incident that case is reported to authorities. He handed over the bag to the person in Bilaspur. Next morning by the time they came back from the jungle the bag was already waiting for them on the table. Each and every penny was intact along with credit cards and camera.

On 25th july when i was coming back from Agra in the same train I talk to my brother at about 5 AM informing him that train is running 30 minutes late. Than i fell a sleep between Katni and Chandia. A phone call wakes me up. Hariom asking me where r u, I said I am in the train. Which compartment? I replied AC. Than get off Train is leaving Umaria station.

In that frantic situation I grab my two bags and jumped off the train leaving behind my shoe, glasses and book I was reading. In the night I put my train ticket and money from my pocket in that book. Not much about 250 Rs.

We asked one of our friend to collect my belongings at Shahdol station. He collected them but book did not had any money in it. A fellow passenger was reading it.

So this is the story of passengers travelling in A/C Compartment. Everyone thinks these are educated honest people. Experience it and you will know which side the camel rests.

Tulsi's cubs to Van Vihar Bhopal

People gets sentimental with Tigers. Shifting of these two animals is a very right decision.

After this incident don't you think that villagers would have taken the revenge on any cattle kill?

People have not witnessed the mob attack that night? Experience it and than think what is the best in favour of those two Tigers. Seeing them dead / missing or rescuing them from this situation.

One still wonders that why a department should take the responsibility of a persons act who is on leave and that too when this incident happened outside of his work field. But in good faith and for the future of the Tigers department does all the help what they can do in good faith.

Otherwise here were the option?

As this case took place outside of the park boundary department would have said that this is a case that should be dealt by regular forest or police as its not in our jurisdiction.

Butterflies of Chakrata - Week long tour in September 2011

Chakrata is is a small cantonment town in Dehradun District, 92 km, in the state of Uttrakhand.

It is at an elevation of 7000–7250 feet.After the rains, early September is always a very good time to visit this place. Lots of moist places and flowers makes the butterflies to come out in search of mud puddling spots or necter on sunny days. My last visit to Chakrata was very successful. I came out with photographs of more than 70 species of butterflies in three days with quality photographs of more than 55 species.

Chakrata offers very good chance to see and photograph the Butterflies of Lower Himalaya region.

Chakrata Butterflies tour from 11th to 15th September 2011.

Itinerary :

Day 1 : Meeting at Dehradun Railway station. After breakfast we travel to Chakrata by Jeep. (Suggested . Travel from Delhi to Dehradun by Dehradun A/C express 12205, Leaving New Delhi 1155 reaching Dehradun in the morning at 0540) On way to Dehradun we will visit to village Kalsi to see the rock edict of the Mauryan king Ashoka 2nd Cenury BC. We will stop wherever we see an opportunity of seeing / photographing any butterflies. Our plan is to reach there lunch time and have free afternoon. Dinner over night.

Day 2 -4 : Explore the surrounding areas by foot.

Day 5 : Back to Dehradun.

End of the Tour.

Tour inclusive of :

Accommodation on twin sharing basis with Breakfast and Dinner.

Transport from Dehradun station to back to Dehradun.

All other expenditure of personal nature extra.

Tour Leader Satyendra & Kay Tiwari

All the hot spots for butterflies i.e. Tiger Falls and other places will be visited but all this depends a lot on weather that day so plan may change according to weather. Jeeps will be with us all the time to take us to different spots and villages.

There is enough time to do the train bookings and all.

For the cost and other details write me at skayscamp@gmail.com

Please see some of the butterflies photographed on our last tour to Chakrata in 2008 here.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/satyendraphotography/sets/72157609083628296/

B2

In 1997 we use to visit our land in Village Ranchha more often than now. Plantation was done and overseeing the work by was my main job. Sometimes I use to go on scooter and come back to Tala via Garhpuri. One such afternoon in April 1997, I heard lots of alarm calls at Thauni waterhole. I could see a herd of Spotted Deer looking towards the fire line. I knew that this could be tiger so I stopped and to have a better view stood on culvert.

Within few minutes I saw a tigress walking with something in her mouth. When she came in an open patch I could see it clearly that it was a cub. Within thirty minutes I saw her again carrying another cub.

This was a great sighting from the main road although she was 200 mtrs or little more away from me.

After reaching home I pass on this news to a photographer so he went to look for her next morning. Next morning me and Kay went on elephant to see them. We saw Bachchi lying in a cave and three cubs moving around her. They were not more than two weeks old.

Now out of those three male cubs just one, B2 aka Sundar is still around. He had a very good life in Tala Range of Bandhavgarh National Park an now he is on his last lag of his dominance.

I am sure to see him again after the monsoon but not in very good stage of dominance.

Female cub killed by another Tiger

A female cub was killed by some other tiger in the night of 10-11 june. Forest Guards at Machkheta says they heard some tiger fighting in middle of night. Tourists saw some pugmarks of Tiger and drag mark on road. They found the tiger by following those drag marks.

She was bitten on her chest and right armpit. A portion of her body was eaten. Her intestines were out and all over her body.

Question is who killed her?

A female Tiger killed her or the male or its the dispute over a tiny kill with her brothers?

Her stomach was empty and full of worms.

In January this year I saw a tigress in Ghorademon. Everyone thought this is a new tigress in this area. But when Kay checked my photos she found that its Tulsi, Mirchhani female.

So whats she doing here. Far far away from her territory?

Has B2 become useless to serve her? Is she looking for a mate here?

Yes, later on she was seen mating with Shashi, Bamera boy, in Feb and March on Rampur road.

There was another female (Wakeeta's sister) seen by us but only once or twice in the season. So where she moved?

So many questions always remain unanswered by us. That's the problem in the jungle now, can't cover an entire stretch in one park round.

World Environment Day

Last night I was talking to Mr Saptarishi Sahgal about their Cattle protection Programme in village Damna. I was thinking about it in the morning again and I decided to go against the idea of Cattle Protection.

Last night when he was sitting at our place I just called one of my staff to ask him that how many Cows he have? Whats the use of them?? and How much milk they produce??

This was his answer in presence of Mr Saptarishi Sahagal.

About ten cows are there. We don't milk them and they are there mainly for cow dung manure. We feel lucky when they produce a male calf because that fetches better price in the market. He have less than 5 acre of land.

If he is telling the truth than this should be the answer of each and every villager of the area.

Now why I went against cattle protection.

Villagers are protected against their financial loss in cattle lifting by the government through cattle compensation.

If somebody wants to have ten cattle's then he should feel responsible for them. My staff said he pays 50 Rs per head to a person for grazing. He takes them out in the day to graze in nearby forest. They do not feed them in the night at home when they come back from the jungles.

Some people who get Wheat chaff feed them only after April otherwise they survive grazing in jungle. But most of the people do sell their wheat chaff for cash.

This is the same situation or worst than human population explosion. When people are responsible for their children then why not of Cattle too?

Here cattle are kept on Zero cost.

If we think on total economy of these cattle we will see that they destroy forest more than what one can imagine.

So what is the use of running a programme for cattle protection?

Its better to do an animal husbandry programme to improve the cattle breed for better milk yield which benefits the villager and reduces the pressure on nearby forest.

Villagers love to survive on subsidy so they jump on any scheme that gives them some sort of hand out.

I would like readers to put their comments on this. I will love to read some negative comments on this just to improve my understanding of village economy.