march_2012

March 2012 VANA PREMI

41

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MARCH - 2012Vol .13 No. 3

JOURNAL OF THE ASSOCIATION OF RETIRED FOREST OFFICERSANDHRA PRADESH

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1. President : Ex-Officio President of Assn.2. Editor : Qamar Mohd. Khan

Tel : 40121132, 9849233624e-mail : [email protected]

3. Associate Editor : Sardar Iqbal Singh,

Tel : 99898508984. Member : A.H. Qureshi, IFS (Retd.)5. Convenor : Ex-officio Secy.of Assn

VANA PREMI

Vol : 13 No. 3March 2012

Editor : Qamar Mohd. Khan Associate Editor : Sardar Iqbal SinghThe Association of Retired Forest Officers,

Andhra Pradesh(Regd. No. 557/1990)President : Sri. S.D. Mukherji, I.F.S. (Retd.)

Tel : 23551065, 9885236493Vice President : Sri. Krishna Bhoopal Rao, I.F.S. (Retd.)

Tel : 23743774, 9866307808Secretary : Sri K. Santokh Singh, I.F.S. (Retd.)

Tel : 27962929, 9848808101Jt. Secretary : Sri. P. Upender Reddy, Dy. C.F.(Retd.)Cum Treasurer Tel. 23342582, 9848754778

Editoriral Board

Contents

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VANA PREMI

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Excutive committee members1. Sri C. Subba Rao, I.F.S. (Retd.), 9848018796

2. Sri Sultan Mohiuddin, I.F.S.(Retd.), 9440057333

3. Sri M. Padmanabha Reddy, I.F.S. (Retd.), 9849269105

4. Sri J.V. Subba Rao, 9848486146

5. Sri A. V. Govinda Rajulu, 9440764611

Totla pages 40

1. Editorial ..................... QMK 2

2. letters to the Editor...... 4

3. Visit to Eastern Paradises

..............................M. Kamal Naidu 5

4. Trip to Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh

.................................... S.D. Mukherji 11

5. Verily you are compelled to admire

and like to know more about him!

.......... Dr. Raghotham Rao Desai 19

6. Birthday Greetings ... S.S.S 23

7. Notice ........................ Secretary 23

8. Why JOG Falls Have Been

Reduced to a Trickle 24

9. What is a Grandparent? 26

10. Notice ...........B. Surender Kumar 26

11. Did You Know? ......... 27

12. Save Urdu from Narrow - Minded

Politics........Murli Manohar Joshi 30

13. Roll of Honour .......... K.B.R. 31

14. Invitation ................... Secretary 31

15. News and Notes ....... 32

16. Legal Notes ............... K.B.R. 36

17. ™êfiQÆ «O w «O ....................... q.q. Ç¨Ïi„Ñ¨™ê £ 39

18. F! J@g =∂`å ..... ................ a. ~°OQÆ<å äŒ ™êfiq∞ 40

19. =∞x+≤H˜ =¸Å=Ú 'K≥@∞ì—.........a.~°OQÆ<å äŒ ™êfiq∞ 40


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World Sparrow Day:- The World Sparrow Day

(WSD) will be celebrated on 20th March across

the globe to raise public awareness about the

decline of the population of house sparrows and

throw light on the problems faced by the

species in its daily fight for survival. The first World

Sparrow Day was celebrated on March 20, 2010

across the globe. National and international

organisations, NGOs, clubs and societies,

universities, schools and individuals across the

world celebrated the event by organizing

awareness programs.

The house sparrow (Passer domesticus indicus) is

perhaps one of the earliest birds we can

remember from our childhood. Their nests

dotted almost every house in the

neighbourhood as well as public places like bus

bays and railway stations, where they lived in

colonies and survived on food grains and tiny

worms. I remember that in my childhood I have

seen large number of House Sparrows in our

houses, mainly in the holes and cavities of the

wall, upper cups of the electric fans, ventilators,

under the country tiles of houses and many other

places. We used to capture this bird and after

some time we used to release it. Many bird

watchers and ornithologists recall with fondness

how the house sparrow gave flight to their

passion for observing birds.

EDITORIALThe association between humans and the house

sparrow dates back to several centuries and no

other bird has been associated with humans on

a daily basis like the house sparrow. It is a bird

that evokes fond memories and has thus found

mention in folklore and songs from time

immemorial. The house sparrow’s main diet

consists of grain. If grain is not available, their

diet is very broad and adaptable.

The majority of the nest building is done by the

male, but it is not uncommon for the female to

help. The majority of house sparrows will select

a cavity for nesting, but it is not uncommon for

them to nest in trees. The female will lay three

to five white/brown speckled eggs and will

incubate the eggs for 12 to 13 days. The young

sparrows fledge after 15 to 17 days in the nest,

and since house sparrows are non-migratory,

they never wander too far from their place of

birth.

Unfortunately, the house sparrow is now a

disappearing species. But like all other plants

and animals which were once abundant and are

now facing an uncertain future, their numbers

are also declining across their natural range.

What are the reasons for its disappearance?

Certainly, there is no one single reason for the

decline of house sparrow. Its slow but noticeable

disappearance has been label as one of the

biggest mysteries of recent times.


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Possible reasons for decline in Population·

Introduction of unleaded petrol:Denis

Summers- Smith’s theory was that the

unleaded fuel, believed to be eco-friendly,

had harmful by products. The fuel uses Methyl

Tertiary Butyl Ether (MTBE) as an anti-knocking

agent. Along with by-products of combustion,

this kills small insects. The insecticidal nature

of the by-products makes the food for those

birds feeding on insects scarce. Though adult

sparrows can survive without insects in their

diet, they need insects to feed their young.

Field bean theory:Formerly, India used to buy

field beans as pods in vegetable markets.

When the pod was broken, larvae

(Helicoverpaa-rmigera) came out, to be

promptly devoured by sparrows. But now that

fresh seeds are available in packets, these

larvae have disappeared, depriving the

sparrows.

Old spacious buildings are being replaced by

match-box flats.

Mono-culture (single variety) grasses that

have become a fad and that are grown for

beautification by destroying various native

varieties of grasses, depletion of other flora

and fauna that they depend upon.

Receding tree cover - reducing bushes, and

grasses in cities and towns.

Paved gardens, with no mud to bathe in.

Hedges being replaced by wrought iron

fences.

Use of chemically treated seeds: A sparrow

feeds mainly on seeds. Similarly, the treated

grains available in the market are also a slow

poison for the bird. On an average each

sparrow will eat a staggering figure of 1000

caterpillars per year which is better than a

chemical pesticide with harmful side effects.

Increased predation by owls cats, and other

species, competition for food by pigeons,

crows and mynas.

The criss-crossing cable wires and the flow of

electromagnetic waves from cell phone

towers injure the sparrows. It causes irritation,

it reduces their reproductive capacity. In our

country Mohammed Dilawar has been named

one of Time Magazine’s Heroes of

Environment for his efforts to get Indian

citizens to realize their House Sparrow

population declining and make efforts

towards conservation. Mr.Dilawar has some

practical conservation suggestions to help the

House Sparrow and native Indian birds:

Restore gardens and green spaces in the

urban landscape

change modern architecture to provide

nesting cavities

provide appropriate food

protect against microwave pollution

reduce pesticide use

diversify agriculture and avoid mono-

cropping

. Let us all work together to save this tiny bird for

our own survival. QMK


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1. Sir,

Having been enthused by your warm letter to (try to compile and) despatch ‘an article or two’ for the

favourite monthly and mouthpiece of APARFOA, and being encouraged by the idea that the articles also

could be written on alien subjects as well, (which had been the case during the period of Sri. KBR Reddy,

BSc, LLB, IFS, who was the founder-editor of your esteemed magazine for well over a decade, and to

whom the credit goes for having very ably and worthily guided its destiny through the turbulent teething-

period, soliciting the articles and enrolling the life-members, while enriching it with scholarly editorials/

articles/legal notes/tit-bits, etc...) I had been able to comply in the form of two sketches (The Prophet

&Alhaj Wahab Andleeb) which are being appended hereto for further needful, hoping that they are to

your liking.

I have also just received the latest issue of the journal for 2/2012 which contains a beautiful and stylish

article of Sri M. Kamal Naidu and a thought-provoking tribute by KBR (under the caption ‘Roll of Honour’),

and Sri. JV Sharma’s ‘Bechara’ un ravelling the ‘mysteries’ (in a very charming way) through a finely got up

article, among others, following your editorial on a contemporary subject of ‘World Wetlands Day’.

Interestingly one is compelled to have nostalgic memories after having gone through the news item

‘Gold price history for the last 86 years’! This was indeed well re searched and documented.

With best wishes,

Yours sincerely,

Dr.Raghotham Rao Desai

2. Sir,

I have great pleasure to inform that by reading the article, Young man at 83 by Sri M. Kamal Naidu, IFS

(Retd) in Vana Premi February’ 2012 edition was inspiring the working Forest Officers.

In this context, I am to inform that I met you sir as probationer at Project Tiger, Srisailam during 1987

during our practical training in wild life.

In this connection, I am to inform that I am also interested in Raising of Sandal Wood nurseries Red

Sanders nurseries and plantations, the way shown in the article as monoculture and without the help of

host plant. I would like to know the contact No. & address of Sri Jagannadha Reddy Garu, DFO (Retd) to

know further information on the raising of Red Sanders and Sandal Wood nurseries and Plantations.

Hope my request may be considered.

Yours Sincerely,

K. Khadar Basha,

Editor’s Note: Readers can contact ‘young man at 83’ on his mobile number 8008128484 for further

details.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR


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It was in August 2011, I needed to go to Guwahti

for the meeting of the Supreme Court

Commission. I got an invitation call from PCCF

Sikkim Mr.Lachungpa for a visit to Gangtok, since

he was to retire in December, and also from

PCCF Meghalaya Mr.Nautiyal, batchmate of retd.

PCCF Madhukaraj, to visit Shillong. Both the

invitations were tempting but the priority

became Sikkim, for I had not visited it earlier,

especially with Mr.Lachungpa to retire. I had

missed a visit to Sikkim narrowly in 1975, when

I went up to Kalimpong as the instructor at

Forest Academy owing to paucity of time, when

accompanying probationers, Awasthi's batch.

Therefore ceasing the opportunity to visit

Sikkim, I confirmed my trip. I went to Guwahti,

took a flight to Bagdogra in North Bengal. I was

received by the Sikkim Tourism Dept. staff with

an excellent comfortable vehicle, to take us up

the steep winding road to Gangtok, 120 km.

away. I soon realized that the Sikkim Tourism

Dept. was manned by a CCF on deputation, and

so the arrangement.

We had to travel by the longer route via

Darjeeling to reach Gangtok, because the main

shorter route was blocked due to a large

landslide, being the normal feature during the

rainy season. So we were taken via Mirik to

VISIT TO EASTERN PARADISESBy

M. Kamal Naidu

Darjeeling. Mirik is very notable for its 1.25 km

long lake fed by perennial streams, having a

floating fountain in its middle, and a beautiful

garden around. It was stated that on very clear

days the glorious Kanchenjunga can be seen

reflected in it. We passed through many orange

gardens, for Mirik is the largest supplier of

oranges in North Bengal. We soon passed through

Cryptomeria plantations introduced here, and

are fairing here better than in Japan. We soon

reached Darjeeling, popularly called as “Queen

of the Hills”, and passed through without much

sight seeing, having seen it thrice earlier. We

passed through the ‘Chowrasta’, a wide

promenade atop the ridge lined by shops and

restaurants, the heart of the town. While enroute

to Kurseong saw the famed gigantic, 360 degree

‘Batasia loop’ turn, made by the narrow gauge

Toy Train, officially known as ‘Darjeeling

Himalayan Railway’, honoured by UNESCO World

Heritage Status, a great favourite of the tourists

for its grandeur of scenic beauty. This was made

famous by the picture ‘Junglee’. We bypassed the

‘Himalayan Mountaineering Institute’ and the

‘Tiger Hill’ famed for seeing the Kanchenjunga

on clear days, partly due to paucity of time, and

to reach Gangtok early before it gets dark.

Passing through Kurseong, famed for the Forest


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Rangers College set up in 1975, with my batch-

mate AK Lahiri, of West Bengal Cadre, as its

founder principal. Besides this the place is

famous for the serenity and healthy climate, and

Rabindranath Tagore composed many of his

poems and songs here. Further it was here that

Netaji Subbhas Chandra Bose was interned by

the British in 1936, and also Sister Nivedita,

disciple of Swami Vivekananda made it her

home. After snacks and a hot cup of the famed

‘Darjeeling Choy’, we proceed down to the

Teestha River, crossed the bridge to the other

side of the turbulent river, bypassing Kalimpong,

reached the check-post to Sikkim, at Rangpo. We

soon reached our place of stay at the State Guest

House, near the State Assembly.

Next day morning, Mr. Manjunath, the

Conservator Working Plans, was detailed by the

PCCF during our stay, gave us a brief introduction

to the state of Sikkim. The state was an

independent Buddhist kingdom ruled by

Chogyals from 14th century, since the divine

revelation instructed Prince Khye Rumsa to

travel south from eastern Tibet, to seek his family

fortunes. By the beginning of 1970 there was

political rumbling which demanded removal of

monarchy, and establishment of a democratic

setup. The events led to abolishing of the

institution of Chogyal, and the popular

government opted to be the 22nd state of India

in 1975.

The state is 7100 sq.km ranging from 800ft to

28,200ft in altitude. Its climate ranged from

tropical to alpine, and is regarded as one of the

26 bio-diversity hot spots with a very diverse

flora and fauna. The state has one ‘Kanchendonga

National Park’ spread over 850 sq. km, and six

wildlife sanctuaries, which together constitute

over 30% of its total geographical area. The state

is veritably a treasure house of some of the

world’s most beautiful scenic streams, lakes and

waterfall amidst the lush green vegetation. The

place has panoramic locations with plenty of

Buddhist monasteries and other pilgrimage

centres, rich in unique culture, tradition with

intricately designed handicrafts and handloom

products. The people are warm and hospitable.

Gangtok is located on a ridge with the town

spread on its either side having an excellent

view of the awe inspiring, gigantic, spectacular

Kanchanjunga, the third highest peak in the

world. We were fortunate to see its grandeur,

from such a close range for a very short moment,

when it got cleared of clouds in the afternoon.

Mr Manjunath said that our day was made to see

such a sight in this month of August. This place

was an important transit point for traders

between India and Tibet, and has an interesting

mix of cultures and communities. Then we had a

breath taking view of the town from the cable

car of the ropeway, starting from Deorali market,

and ending up at the top, below the secretariat,

in the very first trip starting at 9.30 AM, getting


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an excellent view of the river 1000m below. On

getting off the cable car, proceeded to ‘Nan-

Nang’ view point, also known as the ‘lovers point’.

This point sure did bring back our youthful vigour

for further visits of the day. Thereafter we visited

‘Ganesh Tok’ temple to start of the day of sight

seeing on the out skirt of Gangtok with his

blessings, followed by ‘Hanuman Tok’ further

beyond for giving us the strength and energy for

the strenuous trip ahead. Here nearby we visited

the ‘Himalayan Zoological Park’ covering 200 ha

of my interest, exhibiting the representative

endangered eastern Himalayas animals like the

black bear, clouded snow leopard, red panda,

Tibetan wolf, Himalayan tahr, ghoral and musk

deer, etc. in open and closed enclosures. As a

sample of the innumerable monasteries, we saw

the ‘Rumtek Dharma Chakra Monastery’, the seat

of Kagyu order of Buddhism, one of the 4 major

Tibetan sects, which was traditional in design,

and said to be almost a replica of the original at

Kagyu headquarters, in Tibet. It had a collection

of some of the most unique Buddhist religious

art objects. Another most impressive spots was

the ‘Flower exhibition centre’, exhibiting some

of the world famous orchids and seasonal

flowers, where the PCCF Mr.Lachungpa, a local

of Sikkim had considerable association. We

ended the day of sight seeing at the MG Marg,

the main street of Gangtok, lined with shops on

both sides, with vehicles being prohibited

during rush hours to make it safe for the children

and elderly. This had a park lie divider, with

seating facilities.

Later in the evening we went to the PCCF

MrLachungpa house to see his personal estate,

which he had purchased when he entered

service, on the out skirts of the town. Here we

saw that he had set up several cottages, with

excellent facilities for high level tourists. His wife

who was a teacher was managing it very

competently. I asked as to why I was not kept

there in such an excellent facility. She stated that

since the State Guest House was very excellent

for my short stay, right inside the town, of two

nights and three days. Later in the evening, on

return back home of MrLachungpa PCCF from

his office, we sat in their common dining hall for

guests residing in their 10 guest rooms, to taste

some of their delicious Sikkimese food and

drinks. It started with ‘momos’, a favorite of

Sikkimese which are steamed dumplings along

with ‘Thupka’, a typical Tibetan style noodles

soup, accompanied with ‘Ningro’ made out of

wild ferns, and ‘Medu’, a traditional fermented

bamboo shoot pickle. These were followed up

with ‘Sael roti’ made of rice paste mixed with

milk and sugar, deep fried and eaten with potato

and mutton curry. These were accompanied with

‘Chaang’, a mild sweet-sour cereal based

fermented alcoholic beverage. After these we

headed back to our guest house for a satisfied

sweet slumber to rest our very tired limbs, in

our cosy beds.


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Next morning we were to go to Nathula Pass,

which became famously known to everyone

during the Chinese aggression of 1962, located

at 14,400 ft. on the old caravan trail to Tibet. It

had been opened for tourists recently. We could

not make it due to a big landslide enroute, at the

45 km from Gangtok, over the night, due to the

continuous drizzle over the area the previous

day. However we were fortunate to avail the

helicopter ride of the Sikkim tourism dept. with

a very competent knowledgeable guide, who

seemed a good historian as well as a good

naturalist, ideal for my interests. It was almost a

forty minutes trip taking us over western Sikkim

than north Sikkim fairly close to Kanchenjunga

at 8534m, massive and majestic, awe inspiring,

with a feeling of loftiness and confidence while

flying over the National Park around it. We flew

over Gyalshing which means ‘Kings Garden’, as it

was the royal garden of the palace, for this was

the capital of Sikkim till the late 18th century.

Near it we saw the ‘Singshore suspension bridge’,

supposed to be the second highest in Asia, built

on the gorge almost 1000ft. deep, with the

‘Mainbus waterfall’ from a narrow pass beyond

it, which went beyond, is the gateway to Nepal.

Here we passed over Yuksom, considered as the

first capital of Sikkim, meaning ‘meeting place of

three lamas’, consecrated in 1641 AD. We

continued to fly over ‘Shingba Rhododendron

Sanctuary’, very famous for a variety of

rhododendrons, bordered by ‘Yumtang Valley of

flowers’, known for its alpine meadows and hot

springs. We spotted a herd of yak on a barren

hilltop, the height was said to be above 12,000

ft. The guide explained that the domestic yak

was a versatile animal was a source of milk,

butter, meat, hair for clothes and leather, and

most importantly used as a beast of burden. On

the return trip while over the ‘Kyongnosia Alpine

Sanctuary’ rich in primulas, poppies and

rhododendrons, etc. adjoining the Tsomgo Lake

we saw the famed Nathula Pass from a distance,

and the landslide which barred us from going to

the place in the morning. After the detailed

expert commentary by the guide, we felt this

trip was far more knowledgeable and revealing

than the land trip to Nathula would have been.

The guide related the unique history of Sikkim,

and its deep association with Buddhism,

showing us a bird’s eye view of the innumerable

scattered monasteries; besides being a treasure

island for researchers in floral and faunal species.

The enchanting abundance of greenery, and the

fringing snow covered mountains, the valleys

and waterfalls, rivers and lakes, flora and fauna

makes it simply impossible to express the

natural, yet un-spoilt paradise on earth. The aerial

trip made me remember the words of Helen

Keller: ‘The best and most beautiful things in the

world cannot be seen or even touched. They

must be felt with the heart’.

We returned from the unexpected aerial trip

because of the landslide, which we were


9

fortunate that the 5-seater helicopter had

arrived from Bagdogra because of a favourable

weather that day. After lunch we took our

baggage, and proceeded to the helipad. Our

return trip was arranged by air, rather than travel

down to Siliguri. This journey back to Bagdogra

was just less than half an hour traveling along

the Teestha. Here the Sikkim Tourism vehicle

picked us up, and drove up to Sukna Forest Rest

House, beyond Siliguri. This FRH was my great

desire to visit in Darjeeling Division after 1975

December, when I had camped on the East India

Tour with the probationers, which included late

Mr.Awasthi. The stay at the FRH was nostalgic

after so many years. I remembered the chasing

of the wild elephant which approached the FRH,

and seeing a pair of Hoolock gibbons swinging

away, their voice resounding in the wilderness.

This FRH was now made into a luxury Guest

House for visits and stay of Governor and the CM.

It had been revamped just a month back for

MsMamta Banerjee’s maiden visit after

becoming the CM. I thought the old rustic FRH

was homely. We walked down to Teestha and the

surrounding sal forests, now gigantic. The next

morning after breakfast we were driven down

to Bagdogra International Airport, from there

departed to Guwahti, back to business on the

Border Dispute.

At Guwahti, I was whisked away from Airport to

Governors Guest house, along with Chairman

Justice Chatterjee, who arrived from Kolkata

little earlier. Three days after being in strict, tight

custody of Security of Assam, as the Member of

Supreme Court Commission, at the end of the

meeting with Assam and Nagaland, a car came

with escort from Shillong, to take us away. The

new road almost completed from Guwahti to

Shillong was very smooth sailing, with the curves

much eased out. We halted for a brief moment

enroute, to freshen ourselves, at now popularly

known ‘Barapani’, the biggest artificial lake in

Meghalaya, surrounded by sylvan hills wrapped

in the beauty of the Khasi pine, just 15 km from

Shillong.

We reached Shillong by tea time at ‘Royal

Heritage—Tripura Castle’ Guest House for our

stay, tucked away in 9 acres of wooden seclusion.

This place was built by the Maharaja BirBikram,

of Manikya dynasty in 1920, as a symbol of his

romance with the place. This castle reflected the

regality of a royal home, with splendid interiors

and grace of by-gone era, a virtual treasure trove

of artwork and antiques collected over the ages,

paintings and photos of royal family, a blend of

European and Oriental influences. Its Tea lounge

is a connoisseur’s delight, and a favourite relaxing

area. It had 10 spacious rooms retaining the old

world heritage character, coupled with modern

amenities. The Maharaja Suite is reserved, has

an ornately carved mahogany bed, which was

used by Rabindranath Tagore during his visit, as

a family friend of the Rajas.


10

The city has its own charm, different from other

hill stations, and presents a natural scenic beauty

with waterfalls, brooks, pine grooves and

gardens, in and around it. The place, the people,

and the climate all combine to make Shillong

an ideal resort throughout the year. It offers

amenities for tourists with good hotel

accommodations, facilities for sports, angling,

trekking and hiking. This city has been the seat

of Government since the consolidation of the

British administration in this part of India, more

than a century ago. Now it is the head-quarters

of many central defence and civilian

organizations, and higher education, including

our Burnihat Forest College for ACF, occurring

on both sides of the border of Meghalaya and

Assam. There was nothing worth seeing in

Shillong, except to enjoy the place, as it is a feast

to the eye. The place is rich in minerals, forests,

and unique fauna and flora.

I was particularly interested in visiting

Cherrapunji, 56 km from Shillong, the wettest

place on earth with a rainfall directly influenced

by the south west monsoon and the north east

winds. The place was named as Sohra more

recently, and is a sub-division head-quarter.

Sohra was declared the capital of Assam in 1832

by the British, which was later shifted to Shillong

in 1866, due to the inclement weather.

The heavy monsoon rains over these mountains

creates it as one of the rarest bio-diverse

vegetation in the world. It is dotted with waterfalls

cascading over deep gorges. The swift flowing

rivers and streams flow in a southern direction

to the plains of Bangladesh. The average rainfall

is 12,000 mm a year, with the maximum rainfall

occurring over the southern slopes of the Khasi

Hills in Sohra. The highest recorded total annual

rainfall was 24,555 mm in 1974. The maximum

for a single day was recorded in 1876 when 1,040

mm fell in 24 hours. Sohra also holds the World

Record for a month’s rainfall when 9,300 mm fell

in July 1861. Despite all this, the point from

which the plains of Bangladesh are visible down

the slope was a sad disappointment. It was

barren, treeless as seen by me earlier in 1975,

with coarse grass, with blades that tear the skin

painful. This is because the tree growth once

removed here, exposed to severe erosion,

exposing the parent material where nothing

would grow. What man has destroyed, man alone

should nurture back with careful assistance.

Nature once destroyed rarely comes back to the

original. That is the Law of ecological succession.

I bid Sohra good bye, and so also to Meghalaya,

the land of clouds, with a deep longing to be

back to nature’s glory, wishing Nautiyal all the

best.


11

It was the desire of my 15 year old grandson,

Siddhant, to see snow-capped hills during his

winter holidays. We finally chose a trip to Tawang

region of Arunachal Pradesh that borders China

with snow-capped passes and hills during this

time of the year. I along with Rita, my wife,

Madhumita, my daughter, and Siddhant

grandson, left Hyderabad on 5th of January 2012.

We celebrated the 15th birth day of Siddhanta at

Guwahati. On 6th we went to Kaziranga and

visited the National Park. Our vehicle, Bolero,

covered two ranges and we could see and snap

the one horned Rhino from close range. Next day

at 5.30 AM we again visited the Park. However,

this time we were taken very close to Rhino

while we were sitting pretty safe on the back of

the Elephant. It was a fantastic experience and

very enjoyable. Visit to Park was over by 6.30

AM. We came back to the rest house, loaded our

luggage and left for Arunachal Pradesh (A.P) as

we were to reach Bomdila, about 180 km away

and located at 8500 feet elevation.

We reached Tezpur, the border district of Assam,

by about 10 AM and collected the inner permit

needed to visit AP. For some distance road was

good. However, as we were approaching to the

TRIP TO TAWANG, ARUNACHALPRADESH

B yS.D.Mukherji

border the road was under repair. There were

army men with gun standing all along the road

under repair to give protection against

insurgents to the Border Road Organisation

involved in road work in Assam. We stopped at

Bhalukpong, the border check post, and after

showing the permit moved into AP.

From here the road started climbing. Soon we

encountered landslides which were being

cleared. At places we had to stop till green signal

was given. The clouds had started descending

and the chill could be felt. Siddhant was happy

and started taking snaps of the hills, forests, and

water falls. He was joined by Madhumita and

both were busy to snap each other to create

their album for the face-book. Bolero was moving

at the speed of 25 to 30 km per hour because of

the road condition. We passed several army

camps enroute indicating the heavy

concentration of army. Chinese had come up to

Bomdila in 1962 war when we lost large number

of brave fighters because of our unprepared

ness. However, the roads are still not up to the

mark. May be the terrain is responsible.

We had planned to reach Bomdila by 5 PM but it

was getting late due to poor road condition. The


12

mobile was not working as there was no signal

in this hilly terrain and hence could not speak to

Ms Surabhi Rai, Bomdila DFO, who had made all

arrangement for our stay. Soon it was dark and

vehicle speed was further reduced. It was also

becoming cooler by minutes as we were

climbing. We had to put on all our warm clothing.

It was passed 7 PM by the time we reached

Bomdila. The mobile was still not working and

we did not know the location of the forest guest

house. The driver was enquiring and moving but

always to a wrong place. It was about 8 PM by

the time we located the guest house. Forest staff

was waiting to receive us. However, it was totally

dark. We were told the current has gone but it

will come soon. The guest house was about 50

feet above the road. We had to climb the steps

to reach. In the darkness and ice chill weather

even this distance was looking long. We were all

shivering. Siddhant had gone silent. Rita was

having pain in her legs and climbed up with

great difficulty. However, the bed rooms were

provided with room heating stove. It was fed

with wood and kept burning. We four huddled

around the stove and went on nudging the

wooden pieces in to the stove to keep the wood

burning. Soon tea was served and that brought

us back to life. However, there was no sign of

light coming and hence geezers were not

working. A young and good looking lady at the

guest house was busy making arrangement

along with her young husband. She told us that

wood is a scares commodity and even a small

bundle of wood here cost Rs 50. Her monthly

expense on fire wood alone was over Rs. 3000.

That was enough hints for not asking for hot

water. Soon we were served with hot dinner. To

our surprise the sprawling dining room was

freezing cold as there was no heating

arrangement. When we opened the tap and

washed our hands the fingers refused to move.

Although the food was excellent it was the cold

that did not allow the full enjoyment. We

completed our dinner and retired to the bed that

was provided with double quilt. Soon it was

warm and we slept like a log.

The absence of electricity did not permit water

pumping to the rest house in addition to absence

of hot water. Somehow we managed to complete

the cleaning up. We came out of the room and

could see snow present in shady areas. Couple

of days back there was heavy snowfall and road

to Tawang, passing through Sela pass, at about

13800 feet, was blocked. Fortunately, it was a

bright sunny day and the weather looked in our

favour. We resumed our journey by 8 AM with

the hope of reaching Tawang, a distance of about

180 km, by 5 PM. The mobile was not working so

nobody could be contacted. We passed through

Dirang, an army camping area. We stopped to

see a hot water spring. Young boys and girls were

lying in a pool of hot water and enjoying. We took


13

THE FROZEN LAKE AT SELA PASS TAMANG, ARUNACHAL PRADESH

YAK NEAR SELA PASS

BUDDHA AT TAMANG MONASTERY


14

Madhuri fall on way to Tamang

VIEW AT Jaswant GARH, NEAR SELA PASS,TAWANG

My Grandson, Siddhant FOREST WITH SNOW COVER TAMANG


15

some snaps. Sun’s warmth and a good sleep had

once again made all of us active. We had tea in a

small shop but it was tasty. As we approached

Sela pass there was series of hairpin bends

taking the vehicle up slowly. The surrounding

hills were covered with snow. We reached Sela

pass at about 1.00 PM. There was a small shop

on the pass selling tea and famous for Momo.

Siddhant had Momo and we took tea sitting

around the hot stove. The shop was being run by

a lady. She had kept bucket full of snow which

was used for water. Almost every passer-by was

entering the shop where even night shelter was

provided for the stranded passengers.

This pass was the border between Bomdila and

Tawang districts. There was a welcome board to

Tawang. We crossed the pass and entered into a

paradise of snow. Snow was everywhere

including on the road. A big lake on the road side

was frozen. We all got down and got busy in

taking pictures of the surroundings and

ourselves. There was brightness all around with

sun shining. We were enjoying the chill with no

sign of discomfort. After the photo session we

resumed the journey to Tawang. It was passed 2

PM. We had hardly covered a distance of about

5km from the pass when a lorry was found

stranded in the snow. The driver of our vehicle

was driving safely but lost concentration for a

while and landed in a rut formed by heavy

vehicles. Our vehicle was stuck in the snow and

refused to move. The driver struggled for quite

some time and finally gave up with the hope of

some military help coming. Suddenly, the clouds

had covered the sun. The temperature was

coming down. Spending night at this place was

dangerous as night temperature here would be

less than (-) 10 degrees Celsius. My worries were

mounting with the inaction of the driver and

time ticking away. Other vehicles were coming

and going without halting as none was prepared

to stop and take the risk. In the meantime a van

came and it also got stuck. There were number

of young boys in it. We requested them for help

but they were busy with their own vehicle. After

some struggle they succeeded and sped away

leaving us stranded. There was no hope and effect

of weather had already silenced the enthusiasm

of my family members. Finally, I approached a

truck driver coming from the opposite side with

folded hands for help. He was a gentleman and

seeing our plight immediately gave assurance

for help. Initially, trials were made to manoeuvre

the vehicle back and forth but it did not succeed.

Lastly, the truck driver took out a rope and tied it

on our vehicle and pulled it by his lorry. This was

successful and our vehicle was out but the lorry

got stuck in the snow. The lorry driver and his

companions had to work hard with spade and

crowbar for quite some time and finally

succeeded. We thanked the truck driver

profusely and resumed the journey to Tawang.


16

We were in the high altitude snow for about

three hours. The temperature was several

degrees below the freezing point. Because of

failure of net-work service, I could not

communicate with the DFO Tawang. We reached

Tawang by about 8 PM. By this time most of the

shops were closed and there were very few

people seen on the roads due to severe cold. We

had no idea about the location of the Forest Guest

House (FRH). We had to get down and enquire at

several places about the location of the guest

house. With some difficulty we reached the FRH

by about 8.30 PM. By that time the temperature

at Tawang was below zero degree. To my surprise,

the FRH was closed with no body to respond to

our knock at the door. As there was no sign board

or indication about the ownership of the

building, we thought that it is not the FRH as we

were sure somebody would be waiting for us at

the rest house. We spend another half an hour to

confirm the location of FRH and were redirected

to the same building. We again knocked at the

door but with no response. Then I searched for

the residence of the DFO and located it.

Unfortunately, the gate was locked and there was

no response to my call from the gate. We were

all shivering in the grip of severe cold. Siddhant

was not feeling well. The driver was suggesting

moving to some hotel. He had several addresses

but I was worried about the officers waiting as

my programme was communicated to all DFOs

by the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests,

Arunachal Pradesh. I then stopped one passer

by going in a car and requested to help us after

giving the brief account of our plight. He was a

kind man and ready for help. He showed a

building on the opposite side of the DFOs

residence and said: it is the FRH. I went down

and knocked at the gate. A lady appeared and

when I asked to open the FRH she informed it

was not the FRH. Then a gentleman

came out. After listening to me, he was kind

enough to invite me to his house. He tried to

contact the DFO and FRO Tawang but neither the

land line nor the cell phone was working. He then

asked me to follow his car to take us to FRH.

To our surprise, he came to the same building

where we had already visited twice. Not finding

any body at the front door, he went on the

backside of the building and found two kids. On

enquiry, the kids said that Forest Range Officer

(FRO) Tawang, has told them to bring the office

rcoming to the FRH to his residence. This

gentleman took both the children in his carand

asked us to follow. Finally, we reached the

residence of the FRO but a lady there told that

FRO has gone out. We requested her to phone

up and tell him to come early as we have come

from a long distance and tired. By about 10 PM

we were able to meet the Range Officer. The FRO

thanked the gentleman escorting us and assured

him of our safety. I thanked him from the core of


17

my heart as he was God like in that tragic hour.

Later on we came to know, the gentleman who

brought us here was the Deputy Director of

Agriculture at Tawang. The FRO informed that

since the FRH was not suitable for our stay and

he made an alternative arrangement. We finally

reached the NHPC guest house. It was quite

spacious and comfortable for our stay. Since we

were very hungry, I enquired whether it would

be possible to give us dinner. Fortunately, the

guest house had a kitchen and cooks. They

assured for serving the dinner within half an hour.

I was told that DFO had gone to Guwahati. The

FRO left after discussing next day’s programme

and we settled in two rooms. Soon very hot

dinner was served. The food was delicious and

we all had sumptuous meal. The harrowing time

we spent after crossing Sela pass was a life time

experience.

Next day, 9th of January, was sunny and bright.

The good sleep and warm morning sun had

brought back the sagging spirit. We had our

breakfast and remained standing in sun basking

the warmth. China border was about 22 km from

Tawang. There were lakes and falls but all roads

were closed due to heavy snow. We visited

Tawang Monastery where about 700 Lamas live.

It is the second largest Buddhist Monastery after

one in Tibet. We took a snap with a Lama.

Monastery was located on elevated hillock and

gave a bird eye view of Tawang town. Then we

visited a memorial of “Unsung Heroes”, in

memory of over 2470 Officers, JCOs, and Soldiers

who laid down their lives from 10th October to

21st October 1962 in Kamang Sector during 1962

war with China. The names of all the war heroes

were written prominently. There was a museum

that gives some glimpses of the important

events concerning the war. There was an army

canteen and we bought a few things as souvenir.

We then went to Tawang market. It was a closed

day for the market but a few shops were open.

Rita and Madhumita bought a few things and

then we returned to the guest house. Weather

was pleasant till the sun was shining. With the

sun dipping towards west it became very cool.

We had early dinner and retired for the night.

On 10th of January we resumed our backward

journey. The day was sunny. We stopped at a fall

named after Madhuri Dixit and took photos.

Before reaching Sela pass we stopped at

Naurang. This place was named Jaswant Garh

with a war memorial dedicated to Jaswant Singh,

Mahavir Chakra awardee (posthumous) of 4th

Battalion, Garhwal Rifles. He showed his valour

by fighting and holding the invading Chinese for

72 hours all alone before he was killed. The place

was serene with memories of the brave soldier.

Living and working here shows the hardship

endured by the army men posted in such remote

places with harsh climate but smiling faces. We

talked to some army men and found them in


18

high spirit with no complaints about their

posting. We see the civilians in government

service avoiding even a small shift from the

places of their comfort whereas the army men

endure all hardship without remorse. I salute

them. The surrounding area was forested with

pine trees standing, covered with snow. We

passed through the place where we were

stranded but by this time snow had melted

considerably and we crossed Sela Pass without

any difficulty. Due to road work we had to halt at

several places and it became dark. We halted at

Dirang, another strategic location for the army

in 1962 war, for the night. The rest house was

comfortable and cook was available. The geezer

was working. We had a good bath and had hot

dinner. There was a heater in the room that kept

us warm. We slept well.

11th January was our last day in Arunachal

Pradesh. We were to reach Tippi Forest Rest

House, in Bhalungpong forest division. The

distance to be covered was about 100 km. the

day was sunny and warm. We were feeling

comfortable. We left Dirang by 9AM and stopped

at few places enroute to capture the beauty of

nature and take photographs. The mountain

slopes were full of dense forest. We reached Tippi

at about 3.00 PM. The rest house was located on

the bank of river Kameng, a tributary of

BrahmputraRiver, the life line of Assam. The

sound of flowing water could be heard from the

rest house. Rest house was spacious with

comfortable bed rooms, dining hall, fire place

and a sitting room. There was a cook who served

hot tea followed by tiffin. For the dinner we had

fish, egg, vegetable curry, dal and rice. We also

lighted the fireplace and sat around it till dinner

was served.

In the morning Mr Nilam Nedo, DFO Bhalukpong

came in traditional Arunchal Pradesh dress for a

courtesy call. Previous day two FROs had come

to enquire about our comfort. Tippi rest house

generally remains occupied as it is located close

to the border, 6km from Bhalukpong check post.

Siddhant and Madhumita were again busy in

photography as the rest house was located in

beautiful surroundings with thick forests on

slopes and flowing river. The end of our journey

was beautiful and satisfying. We left Tippi at 9.00

AM and crossed the border by 9.30 and entered

Assam. I am thankful to Arunachal Pradesh forest

department for all the arrangement made for

this memorable trip that we may always

remember and rejoice.

Happiness is inward and not outward; and so it does notdepend on what we have, but on what we are.

(Henry Van Dyke)


19

He was by far the most remarkable man who

ever set foot on this earth: he preached a religion,

founded a State, built a Nation, laid down a moral

code, initiated innumerable social and political

reforms, established a dynamic and powerful

society, and completely revolutionised the

human thoughts and actions for all times to

come.

He was born in Arabia on 20-08-570 AD and by

the time he left this mortal world 63 years after,

the whole of Arabian Peninsula had changed

from paganism and idol- worship to the worship

of One God, from tribal quarrels and petty wars

to national solidarity and cohesion, from

drunkenness and debauchery to sobriety and

piety, from lawlessness and anarchy to

disciplined-living, from utter moral bankruptcy

to the highest standards of moral excellence!

Human history has never known such a

complete transformation of people or a place

before or after.

The encyclopaedia Britannica calls him “the

most successful of all the religious personalities

of the World”. Bernard Shaw says that “if he were

to be alive today he would succeed in solving all

the problems threatening to destroy the human

civilization”. Thomas Carlyle was simply amazed

how one man single-handedly could weld

warring tribes and wandering Bedouins into a

VERILY YOU ARE COMPELLED TO ADMIREAND LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT HIM!

ByDr. Raghotham Rao Desai

most powerful and civilized nation in less than

two decades. Napoleon and Gandhiji were

never tired of dreaming of a society along the

lines enunciated by this man in Arabia some 14

½ centuries ago.

Indeed no other human being ever

accomplished so much and in such diverse

fields of human thoughts and behaviours in as

limited space of time as he did. He was at once

a religious teacher, a great preacher and orator,

a social reformer, a moral guide, a political

thinker, a military genius and strategist, an

administrative colossus, a faithful friend, a

wonderful companion, a devoted husband and

a loving father, all rolled into one. No other man

in history ever excelled or equalled him in any

of these difficult departments of life.

The World has had, however, its share of great

personalities, but those were figures who

distinguished themselves in one or two fields

such as religious-thoughts or military-

leaderships. None of them combined so many

different qualities to such an amazing level of

perfection. The lives and teachings of other great

personalities of the World are mostly shrouded

in the mists of times: there is so much

speculation about the times and places of their

births, the modes and styles of their lives, the

natures and details of their teachings, and the


20

degrees and measures of their successes or

failures, that it is impossible for humanity today

to reconstruct accurately and precisely the lives

and teachings of those personalities. Not so in

the case of this man: not only was he born in the

fullest blaze of recorded history but every detail

of his private and public life, of his actions and

utterances, have been accurately documented

and faithfully preserved to this day, the

authenticity of which is vouched by not only the

faithful but also unbiased critics and open-

minded scholars.

He not only preached the most wonderful ideas

but also successfully translated each one of them

into practice in his own life-time. At the time of

his demise, his teachings were not mere

precepts and ideas straining for fulfilment, but

had become the very core of the life of tens of

thousands of perfectly-trained individuals, each

one of whom was a marvellous personification

of everything which he taught and stood for. At

what other times or place and in relation to what

other political, social, religious system,

philosophy or ideology did the world ever

witness such an amazing phenomenon? Indeed

no other system or ideology, secular or religious,

social or political, ancient or modern could ever

claim the distinction.

The ideology preached by him was established

as a complete way of life by the teacher himself

before he departed from this mortal world, and

history bears testimony to this fact even while

the harshest sceptics have no options but to

concede this point. Most importantly—and I

state this quite emphatically—he did not for a

moment claim to be God or His incarnation or

His son, but only as a human who was chosen

and ordained by God to be a teacher of truth to

mankind and a complete model and pattern for

their actions. This: despite of his amazing

achievements and absolutely-convincing and

authentic/countless miracles (and phenomenal

success) which crowned his efforts. He was

nothing more or less than a human being, but a

man with a noble and exalted mission: a unique

one to unite humanity on the worship of ONE

AND ONLY ONE GOD, by adopting the way of

honest and upright living in accordance with the

laws and commands of God. He always described

himself as a messenger and servant of God and

so indeed was his every single action throughout.

Today, after a lapse of over fourteen centuries,

his teachings survived without slightest

alteration and interpolation, and offer the same

hope for treating mankind’s many ills, if not all

ills, which they did when he was alive, and this is

the inescapable conclusion by a critical and

unbiased study of history. The least you can do as

a thinker and sensitive person is to know him

intimately and know him well-enough to be able

to benefit from his guidance and example. It is

time you responded to this tremendous

challenge and made some efforts to know him.

It does not cost you anything: on the other hand

it may well prove to be the beginning of a

completely new era in your life.

You might have correctly guessed his name as

you conclude going through sketch: his name is

Mohammad (pbuh) the Prophet.


21

So India lost 367 sq.km, of forests in, 2 years, out

of which 281 sq.km of forest cover was lost in

Andhra Pradesh. As per the latest report, the on-

going naxalite activities in Khammam district of

Andhra Pradesh are squarely blamed for this

state if affairs as 182 sq.km of forest lost in Andhra

Pradesh pertains to Khammam district known

for leftist activities. This report has not only

generated lot of discussion among the

environmentalists, concerned citizens and

officials for further depletion of already

dwindling resources, same time conflicting

opinions are being advocated for this problem.

A few of these are listed below.

1. The main reason for this situation is clearing of

forests by local tribals to prove their claim over

the forest lands so that they can be benefitted

under recently promulgated Scheduled Tribes

and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers

(Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006. Andhra

Pradesh is one of the States implementing this

Act very effectively.

2. There are many areas where the felling of

mature plantations of Teak, Eucalyptus etc. was

also taken up under the approved working plans

resulting into display of clear patches in aerial

photography.

3. Illegal felling of forest area under the support

of leftist or other anti-social elements is also one

TIGERS OR TRIBALS: WHAT TO CHOOSE &WHAT TO LOSE?

ByM.C.Pargaien

of the reasons.

Whatsoever the reasons we may cite for the

depletion of forests by the local tribals, a candid

analysis points at only policy and management

of government programmes. In spite of

adequate allocation of funds and legal

safeguards/supports and protection in the form

of reservations and mandatory allocation of

funds, the developmental activities and schemes

are not percolating down to the lowest and

needy individuals for the last 50 years. The lack

of access to developmental activities and

marginalization of poor in distribution of

resources which are the corner stones for a

sustainable and environmental friendly

development , has only compelled the poor

including tribals to exploit the adjacent forests

which is only resources accessible to them and

from which they eke-out their livelihoods.

According to one latest survey under taken up

by Chronic Poverty Research Centre (CPRC),

there is inequality in the efforts made to prevent

people from poverty and get them out of it. The

numerous are inadequate and insufficient.

Of the 29 poverty alleviation programmes

studied in the survey, only nine could prevent

people from falling into the poverty trap.

Thirteen could enable escape from poverty and

16 could alleviate chronic poverty.


22

Consequently, says ShashankaBhide, a senior

fellow of the National Council of Applied

Economic Research, a significant proportion of

non-poor households may fall into poverty while

a large proportion of poor may not manage to

escape it. The result in the case of forest

dependent tribal communities, more and more

forests is cleared in order to eking out their

livelihoods. The poor remains poor for

generations. So the question arises when we are

not able to improve the conditions of tribals and

aboriginal communities in spite of so many

interventions/ experimentations , is it possible

to conserve the wild -life specially tiger which

is an indicator species of a balanced and perfect

ecosystem and the tribals are one of the integral

parts of this ecosystem ?

When discussing the status of Wildlife

particularly the number of Tigers in the Country,

tremendous concern for this matter has been

shown not only by the media, officials and

environmentalists but also by the general

public, though the currents census of tigers has

indicated an improved population of 1706

against the 1411 in 2007.

However in case of any incidence of death of a

tiger and a leopard to that matter there is

genuine response from all sections of the society

which is appreciable but the hard fact remains

that such concern and response fizzle out very

fast. Very quickly we forget these issues be it

forests or tigers or pollution.

Rapid urbanisation, multifarious demands of

population that is increasing at exponential rate

and industrialisation has to follow the rapid and

fast mode of development. This developmental

process demands exploitation of resources at a

rate which is unusually fast. Forests resources of

the world had already been easy target of this

process. Moreover Forests never had been an

important agenda at political parlance.

Supposing if all trees would have a voting

power then the scene would have been entirely

different .The on-going programmes and

schemes of the Government aiming at

improving the forest cover of the country are

not at all sufficient to counter the total impact

and pressure of all on-going developmental

activities including pressure on existing land/

forests for various purposes. Apart from

providing a higher budgetary allocation there is

need to inculcate a sense and positive approach

towards environmental conservation among our

policy makers and programme implementing

agencies at various levels including forest

departments. Otherwise we will be always

fighting the battle of survival of forests and

tribals at one forum and the dwindling number

of tigers at other forum in isolation while the

solution is very simple. Conserve and improve

the forest resources, it will provide more

livelihood opportunities for tribals; such a system

will be always conducive for the growth of the

tigers, a species indicating the health of a

balanced and ideal environment.

(Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in

this article are exclusively mine and do not

necessarily reflect the official policy or position of

any agency/government.)


23

S.S.S

Birthday Greetings

S.No. Name of the member D.O.B.

Sarva Sri

1. C.Laxma Reddy 09-03-1934

2. S.Ashiah 15-3-1949

3. D.V.Jayaram Prasad 15-03-1942

4. S.M.Rasheedullah 15-03-1939

5. M.SitaramaRao 19-03-1933

6. K.MuralidharRao 01-04-1946

7. B.Rangiah 05-04-1946

S.No. Name of the I.F.S. Oficer D.O.B.

Sarva Sri

1. B.Shafiullah 13-03-1976

2. Smt.ShivaniDogra 17-03-1980

3. K.D.R.Jayakumar 19-03-1955

4. Vinay Kumar 26-03-1968

5. P.V.Padmanabham 02-04-1952

S.No. Name of the S.F.S. Oficer D.O.B.

Sarva Sri

1. K.Bal Reddy 10-03-1956

2. P.SrinivasaRao 10-03-1966

3. B.Chandrasekhar 13-03-1962

4. I.Janardhan 23-3-1954

5. Y.JojiBabu 28-3-1955

6. B.Venkataramana 31-3-1960

7. Y.Ramaiah 01-04-1962

8. V.SrinivasaRao 01-04-1965

9. Ch.PrakasaRao 02-04-1963

10. Y.Srinivasa Reddy 03-04-1971

11. G.Hari Kumar 05-0-1958

63rd General Body Meeting of our Association willbe held on Sunday 11th March 2012, 11-30 a m,at KBR National Park. All the members arerequested to attend the meeting with theirspouses. Members are also requested to confirmtheir presence or otherwise three days before themeeting to avoid the wastage of food.

- Secretary

We wish the following born on the dates mentioned

“ A very Happy Birth Day”

NOTICE


24

It used to be one of India’s biggest tourist

attractions, and among the world’s ten largest

waterfalls, But today, the Jog Falls has been

reduced to a trickle because of man-made

changes to the environment

”It should be called Joke Falls, not Jog Falls,” says

a disgusted Yoav Masiach. The 31-year-old Israeli

tourist had visited India’s largest waterfall in the

Western Ghats around the same time in the mid-

90s and was enthralled by the four waterfalls -

Raja, Roarer, Rocket and Lady. This year, he brought

his 22-year-old girlfriend Dianne Solares all the

way from Goa on a motorcycle, but they were

shocked to see what had become of one of the

top ten falls in the world.

Locals like Siddhaiah Gowda, 42, who runs a stall

nearby, also rue this drying up of the waterfall so

early in the year. “We would get hundreds of

tourists every day, throughout the year. But as

word of the falls reducing to a trickle spreads,

hardly anyone wants to come here.”

So why does the River Sharavati not plunge down

830 feet with as much force anymore, I asked

Prabhakar Bhat from the Centre for Ecological

Studies of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc).

“It’s because climate change is wreaking havoc

on the ecologically fragile Sharavati valley,” he

says.

WHY JOG FALLS HAVE BEENREDUCED TO A TRICKLE....

Bhat is part of a central government team

studying the nature of the forests in the Malenaad

(literally, ‘the rain region’). They found that that

the tropical rain forest is rapidly changing

character.

”Changing rain patterns and systematic

degradation of what are the country’s richest

forests are becoming evident, and the dwindling

of tourists is just one small sign of this,” says Bhat.

Add to that the development of six dams -

Linganmakki, Supa, Bamanhalli, Kanthalla,

Korsalli, and Kadra - which led to submergence

of lush forests, and you begin to understand why

the once famous Jog Falls has lost its splendour.

Wildlife, plants endangered Dhangar (shepherd)

Jeevantrao Devatkar from Baramati grazes sheep

along the river bed kokum and plans like amla

are disappearing too.

”Communities in the region have traditionally

depended on these and honey, bamboo shoots,

wild fruits, berries, and mushrooms. But these

are increasingly hard to come by,” he points out,

as we settle down to a meal of tender bamboo-

shoot curry and rice under the open sky in an

adaketota (betel nut grove). “The next 15 years

will be crucial. The way we manage our resources

will decide whether or not the coming

generations will get to see this.”


25

It is two in the afternoon, but the mist hangs low

in the forest, giving it a surreal effect. As we drive

through what is still a relatively verdant terrain,

we hear the calls of a lion-tailed macaque. This

region is one of the last known habitats of this

endangered species. I keep my eyes open and

the camera handy, but only a peacock dashes

past. When we stop for tea at Kuntsi village in

Shivamoga district, the sarpanch Sridhara Rao

brings to our attention another effect of

deforestation.

He takes us to the natural tank that was a

perennial source of water for the village until

about 15 years ago. “Like every village in

Malenaad, we depended on this water to keep

our wells recharged. But now, with the forests

getting destroyed, the rains wash away the top

soil, depositing it in these tanks and reducing

their water-bearing capacity.”

Locals feel the effects Our next stop is the tehsil-

town of Sagar, where a local journalist takes us

to meet the ailing veteran Kannada litterateur

Na D’souza. His eyes fire up when we bring up a

subject close to his heart: destruction of the

forests. “I have brought it up in my writings since

this has impacted lives in Malenaad region in

more ways than can be documented,” he says.

D’Souza recounts the first wave of destruction

and displacement that began with the

Linganmakki dam in the 1960s. “One time, when

cattle that had been untied for grazing did not

come back in the evening, search parties went

out with flaming torches, only to find all the cattle

waiting at the old village from where the people

had been forced to move out. It still brings a lump

to my throat when I think about it. If animals feel

so attached, imagine what human beings who’ve

lived in a place for generations feel when

uprooted.”

Bhat says the forests are dwindling in the absence

of adequate regeneration. “Conservation policies

will have to be planned with community

participation. The community should be made a

part of both conservation and sharing of benefits

from tourism. Without this, we will perhaps be

left without even the Joke Falls.” (Contributed

by Sri K.Buchiram Reddy with thanks)

People who are unable to motivate themselves must becontent with mediocrity, no matter how impressive their

other talents. (Andrew Carnegia)


26

(Taken from papers written by a class of 8-year-

olds)

Grandparents are a lady and a man who have no

little children of their own. They like other people.

A grandfather is a man, & a grandmother is a lady!

Grandparents don’t have to do anything except

be there when we come to see them. They are so

old they shouldn’t play hard or run. It is good if

they drive us to the shops and give us money.

When they take us for walks, they slow down past

things like pretty leaves and caterpillars.

They show us and talk to us about the colors of

the flowers and also why we shouldn’t step on

‘cracks.’

They don’t say, ‘Hurry up.’

Usually grandmothers are fat but not too fat to tie

your shoes.

They wear glasses and funny underwear.

They can take their teeth and gums out.

Grandparents don’t have to be smart.

WHAT IS A GRANDPARENT?They have to answer questions like ‘Why isn’t God

married?’ and ‘How come dogs chase cats?’

When they read to us, they don’t skip. They don’t

mind if we ask for the same story over again.

Everybody should try to have a grandmother,

especially if you don’t have television because they

are the only grownups who like to spend time with

us.

They know we should have snack time before bed

time, and they say prayers with us and kiss us even

when we’ve acted badly.

A6-YEAR-OLD WASASKED WHERE HIS GRANDMA

LIVED. ‘’OH,’’ HE SAID, ‘’SHE LIVES AT THE AIRPORT,

AND WHEN WE WANT HER, WE JUST GO GET HER.

THEN WHEN WE’RE DONE HAVING HER VISIT, WE TAKE

HER BACK TO THE AIRPORT.’’

GRANDPA IS THE SMARTEST MAN ON EARTH! HE

TEACHES ME GOOD THINGS, BUT I DON’T GET TO

SEE HIM ENOUGH TO GET AS SMART AS HIM!

(Contributed by Sri C. Subba Rao with thanks)

IGNFA, Dehradun is organizing a re-union of the forest officers who have completed 50 years

since the year of joining at IFC, Dehradun. The 1962-64 batch reunion along with the workshop

is scheduled for 8-9 May 2012. Any-one in the batch of 1962-64 is requested to contact Dr Mohit

Gera (IFS) who has been entrusted to organize this memorable get-together of veteran Forest

Officers. His contact details are: Dr Mohit Gera, IFS, Additional Professor, Indira Gandhi National

Forest Academy Dehradun-248006, Uttarakhand, Tel: 0135-27751835 (Off ) Tel: 0135-2775807

(Home) Fax: 0135-275314. e-mail:[email protected]

I hope this message will be read/communicated to the Batch mates (1962-64)

SURINDER KUMAR BALI IFS(Rtd.) Nagpur, India.

NOTICE


27

In the 1400’s a law was set forth in England that a

man was allowed to beat his wife with a stick no

thicker than his thumb. Hence we have ‘the rule

of thumb’

Many years ago in Scotland, a new game was

invented. It was ruled ‘Gentlemen Only....Ladies

Forbidden’... and thus, the word GOLF entered

into the English language.

Coca-Cola was originally green.

The first novel ever written on a type writer is,

Tom Sawyer.

Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a

great king from history:

Spades - King David

Hearts - Charlemagne

Clubs -Alexander, the Great

Diamonds - Julius Caesar

111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,

654,321

If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has

both front legs in the air, the person died in battle.

If the horse has one front leg in the air, the person

died because of wounds received in battle.

If the horse has all four legs on the ground, the

person died of natural causes

Q... If you were to spell out numbers, how far

would you have to go until you would find the

letter ‘A’?

DID YOU KNOW? A. One thousand

Q. What do bulletproof vests, fire escapes,

windshield wipers and laser printers have in

common?

A. All were invented by women.

Q. What is the only food that doesn’t spoil?

A. Honey

In Shakespeare’s time, mattresses were secured

on bed frames by ropes.

When you pulled on the ropes, the mattress

tightened, making the bed firmer to sleep on.

Hence the phrase... ’Good night, sleep tight’

It was the accepted practice in Babylon 4,000

years ago that for a month after the wedding,

the bride’s father would supply his son-in-law

with all the mead he could drink. Mead is a honey

beer and because their calendar was lunar

based, this period was called the honey month,

which we know today as the honeymoon.

In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and

quarts....

So in old England, when customers got unruly,

the bartender would yell at them ‘Mind your

pints and quarts, and settle down. It’s where we

get the phrase: ‘mind your P’s and Q’s’

Many years ago in England, pub frequenters had

a whistle baked into the rim, or handle, of their

ceramic cups. When they needed a refill, they


28

used the whistle to get some service. ‘Wet your

whistle’ is the phrase inspired by this practice.

Most lipstick contains fish scales

The sentence “the quick brown fox jumps over

the lazy dog” uses every letter in the English

language.

Did you know Sailor, Dead Leaf, Paper Kite, Blue

Striped Crow, Julia and Great Egg Fly are all

names of BUTTERFLIES.

The rhino is a primitive-looking animal. They

have looked the same for thousands of years.

There are two species of rhino: the white (or

square-lipped rhino) and the black (or hooked-

lipped rhino). The black rhino has three toes on

each foot. Both the black and white rhino have

two horns.

The rhinoceros’s horn is made of the same stuff

found in our hair and fingernails which is called

keratin. It also contains something called

gelatine.

There are over 900 different types of bats and

they can all fly. The Vampire bat has fewer teeth

than the other bats because it doesn’t chew its

food. It lives on the blood of mammals. Bats do

not need to see when they fly; they use sound to

help them figure out where they are going. Bats

always turn left when exiting a cave.

Did you know there are two kinds of pandas?

There is the Long-tailed Himalayan carnivore

that looks like a raccoon and there is the Giant

panda bear that lives in Western China.

The Blue Whale’s whistle is the loudest noise

made by an animal.

Did you know there are two kinds of camels?

One is the Arabian that lives in Western Asia and

Northern Africa. It has one hump. And the second

kind is called Bactrian which has two humps and

lives in Mongolia and Chinese Turkistan.

There are two kinds of elephants: the African that

is taller and has larger ears and the Indian that is

small and has smaller ears.

The fastest human swimmer can swim at 6 miles

per hour. The fastest mammal – the dolphin –

can swim up to 35 miles per hour.

The smallest bird in the world is the

Hummingbird. It weighs 1oz.

Did you know fishes talk to each other? Some of

them communicate by making noises in their

throats by rasping their teeth; others use their

swim bladders to make sounds.

The bird that can fly the fastest is called a White.

It can fly up to 95 miles per hour.

The brain of an average adult male weighs 1,375

gm (55 oz). The brain of Russian novelist Turgenev

weighed 2021 gm (81 oz), Bismark’s weighed

1807 gm (72 oz), while that of French statesman

Gambetta was only 1294 gm (51 oz). Einstein’s

brain was of average size.


29

The king of hearts is the only king without a

moustache. Mosquito repellents don’t repel.

They hide you. The spray blocks the mosquito’s

sensors so they don’t know you’re there. Apples,

not caffeine, are more efficient at waking you

up in the morning.

The plastic things on the end of shoelaces are

called aglets.

Barbie’s full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts.

The citrus soda 7-UP was created in 1929;”7"

was selected because the original containers

were 7 ounces. “UP” indicated the direction of

the bubbles.

No piece of paper can be folded in half more

than 7 times.

1 in every 4 Americans has appeared on

television.

Oak trees do not produce acorns until they are

fifty years of age or older.

A Boeing 747’s wingspan is longer than the

Wright brothers’ first flight.

The albatross drinks sea water. It has a special

desalinization apparatus that strains out and

excretes all excess salt.

A dragonfly flaps its wings 20 to 40 times a

second, bees and houseflies 200 times, some

mosquitoes 600 times, and a tiny gnat 1,000

times.

The first product to have a bar code was Wrigley’s

gum.

A duck’s quack doesn’t echo, and no one knows

why.

The United States has never lost a war in which

mules were used.

Blueberry Jelly Bellies were created especially

for Ronald Reagan.

All porcupines float in water.

Cat’s urine glows under a black light.

A group of unicorns is called a blessing.

Twelve or more cows are known as a “flink.”

A group of frogs is called an army.

A group of rhinos is called a crash.

A group of kangaroos is called a mob

A group of whales is called a pod.

A group of ravens is called a murder.

A group of officers is called a mess.

A group of larks is called exaltation.

A group of owls is called a parliament.

Margaret Higgins Sanger, the birth-control

pioneer, was one of eleven children.

There are more than 15,000 different varieties

of rice.

Your stomach has to produce a new layer of

mucus every two weeks or it will digest itself.

To extend your life by a year take one less bite each meal.


30

There can be no dispute that Urdu is an easy and

sweet language. But many people are under the

wrong impression that it is the language of a

particular religion or community. Sometimes,

because of this ignorance, Urdu is dragged into

vote-bank politics. This causes great damage to the

language. The fact is, Urdu was born in India and

after the immigration of people from foreign lands,

and it became the official language of the Mughal

court. A large number of Urdu words are still used

at our police stations and courts. Urdu words like

“abodana”, “zila”, “daftar” and “haqeeqat” have been

assimilated as everyday words into various Indian

languages.

With the advent of British rule, however, Urdu lost

its status as official language. This hindered the

spread and development of the language. The flow,

sweetness and interplay of ideas, so characteristic

of Urdu literature, now remain confined to a smaller

number of people. One reason for this is the decline

in the use of Urdu in official work. Another reason

is that it has been erroneously identified with a

particular community. Many big newspapers in

Urdu were brought out by Hindus rather than

Muslims. Prominent Urdu writers include

Premchand, Kishan Chander, Firaq, Mulla and Gulzar.

Similarly, Hindi has had Jayasi, Khusro and Abdur-

Rahim Khankhana. Urdu has a vast body of

literature that is delectable as well as philosophical.

Such writers as Manto also raised issues that

concern the common man.

What Urdu is lacking is material on modern

knowledge — science, information technology and

engineering. The institutes that have been teaching

SAVE URDU FROM NARROW-MINDED POLITICSBy

Murli Manohar JoshiUrdu have hardly paid attention to the teaching of

these subjects. As Urdu education gradually lost

its employment potential, the number of students

learning the language also declined. One hindrance

to the development of Urdu is the script. When I

was human resource development minister in the

Vajpayee government, and by virtue of that the

chairman of the Urdu Council, I had many of the

great works of Urdu literature transliterated into

Devanagari. The results were visibly positive.

Moreover, many centres of computer education in

Urdu were opened across the country. As part of

the drive to modernize madrassas, a scheme to

provide them with science and mathematics

teachers by the government was also launched.

Regrettably, instead of treating languages as forces

that bind people and adopting a creative cultural

attitude, we have been pushing them into the

morass of divisive politics. A healthy attitude

towards Urdu is the need of the hour. The language

needs to be rescued from the manipulations of

politics and nurtured as a repository of culture,

literature and science.

The radiance of Urdu should be used to enhance

the beauty of India’s multi coloured linguistic

horizon. It should not become a victim of narrow-

mindedness and be made to suffer alienation. With

this in mind, as HRD minister, I had organized an

exhibition of Urdu books. It is good to know that

the National Council for Promotion of Urdu

Language has organized an Urdu book fair in

Mumbai. Such fairs should also be organized in

cities like Delhi and Lucknow.


31

Forest personnel, particularly those in charge of

protection of forests, face numerous problems

day- in and day-out. He is expected to deliver

maximum output with minimum resources at

his command. Detecting offences and

apprehending the offender red handed is a

challenging task. Many of the cases are caught

during the unauthorized transport of forest

produce.

Forest Guard is considered a minion in the

hierarchy of the Forest Department. But he has

onerous duties to perform. He is expected to be

agile and alert, during the day and night, to get

the information on occurrence of offence.

Prevention of offence is another duty cast on him.

Sri C. Jacob, Forest Beat Officer in Achampet

ROLL OF HONOURC. Jacob, Forest Beat Officer, Achampet division.

The Association of Retired Forest Officers, Andhra Pradesh, Congratulates the following Forest Officers,

who are retiring from on attaining the age of Superannuation on the dates mentioned against their

names and cordially invites them to join the Association of Retired Forest Officers to keep in touch with

their old colleagues and to keep themselves

Name of the Officer Date of Retirement

1.Sri.I.Janardhan 31-03-2012

For Further details they may contact the following Office bearers:-

1Sri K.Santokh Singh , Secretary 9848808101

2. P.Upender Reddy, Joint Secretary 9848754778

A. Crossed Cheque for Rs.2000/- may be drawn in favour of “The Association of Retired Forest Officers-

A.P.” towards Life membership of Association may be sent to P.Upender Reddy, Qtr. No. 2/B, P.S.Nagar,

Vijay Nagar Colony, Hyd.-500 057. B.Crossed cheque for Rs.2000/= may be drawn in favour of “The

Editor,VanaPremi” towards Life Subscription of VanaPremi may be sent to Sri Qamar Mohammad Khan,

Room No. 514, ARANYA BHAVAN, O/O Principal Chief Conservator of Forests - A.P., Saifabad, Hyd.-500

SECRETARY

INVITATION

division of Mahbubnagar district, received

credible information on 10.02.2006 about

smuggling of teak timber in a van. He managed

to secure a jeep with staff for helping him. They

set out to chase the van. They almost succeeded

in reaching the van. As the jeep driver was

overtaking the van, the van driver hit the jeep

from the side, as a result the jeep fell in a ditch

and Jacob met with instant death.

Jacob was a subordinate of Forest Department,

highly conscious of his duties. He had to his

credit detection of many cases. He died in

harness and reached martyrdom. The survivors

received all the benefits which are due to the

late Jacob. May his soul rest in peace!

K.B.R.


32

1. Young mother defends rock climbing with

toddler:- Clearly aware of the risks involved in

rock-climbing, Menna Pritchard has taken the

precaution of kitting herself out with a safety

helmet. However, not only has she decided to

scale the cliff with her two-year-old daughter

Ffion strapped to her back – but she has also left

the toddler’s head unprotected. Clinging on as

her mother smiles for a picture 30ft up, Ffion is

exposed to serious injury should rocks fall from

above or her mother lose her footing. She said:

‘The sue-and-blame culture means so many

people are nervous, so afraid of getting into

trouble, and taking small risks.’

A British Mountaineering Council guide warns

parents to ‘be aware that climbing, hill walking

and mountaineering are activities with a danger

of personal injury or death’.

(For photo please see last cover page )

2.Fishermen on the Arabian Sea Reel in 40ft.

long shark:-Try telling someone you caught this

40ft fish that’s as big as a whale - because they’re

unlikely to believe you. The giant whaleshark

being reeled in and brought to port, in

Karachi.Crowds gathered to catch a glimpse of

the beast - believed to be one of the biggest

ever caught - as it was hauled out of the water at

Charai Fishery.

Two cranes were brought in to pull the eight-

ton shark’s carcass out. But that failed, so

eventually another crane was brought in to

complete the task.The largest confirmed whale

NEWS AND NOTESshark was 41ft long but it is thought they can

grow to considerably greater lengths. The shark

is found in tropical waters and lives for around

70 years. They feed mainly on


3. 145 Water-Skier Set a New World Record: -

Dozens of 145 have set a new world record after

145 people were pulled behind a single boat.

Some 154 skiers from around the world gathered

in Macquarie Harbour in Strahan on the west

coast of Tasmania for the record attempt. The

skiers needed to stay upright for a full nautical

mile (1.85 kilometer) in order to qualify for the

record books. But even though nine unlucky

participants were unable to last the distance,

the 145 who did manage to remain on their skis

easily beat the previous record of 114. The record

is expected to be confirmed by Guinness World

Records officials, who witnessed the event, in the

coming weeks.plankton, microscopic plants and

sometimes small fish.


4. Volcanic Eruptions:-A volcano is an opening,

or rupture, in a planet’s surface or crust, which

allows hot magma, volcanic ash and gases to

escape from below the surface. Volcanoes are

generally found where tectonic plates are

diverging or converging.

During a volcanic eruption, lava, tephra (ash,

lapilli, volcanic bombs and blocks), and various

gases are expelled from a volcanic vent or

fissure. Several types of volcanic eruptions have


33

been distinguished by volcanologists.

5. Macaw Parrots: - Macaws are small to large,

often colourful New World parrots. Of the many

different Psittacidae (true parrots) genera, six are

classified as macaws. Macaws are native to

Mexico, Central America, South America, and

formerly the Caribbean. Most species are

associated with forest, especially rainforest, but

others prefer woodland or savannah-like

habitats.Some of the macaw species are known

for their impressive size. The largest parrot in

length and wingspan is the Hyacinth Macaw. The

heaviest macaw is the Buffon’s, although the

heaviest parrot is the flightless Kakapo. There

are 18 species of Macaws, including extinct and

critically endangered species. In addition, there

are several hypothetical extinct species that

have been proposed based on very little

evidence. (For photos see last cover page )

6. World’s most Crooked street:-In the U.S. city

of San Francisco’s Russian Hill is located one the

most crooked streets in the world. Lombard

Street - the name of this famous street, which

has a 27% slope, and the speed on it is limited to

8 kilometers per hour. (For photo please see last

cover page )

7. Corruption Perceptions Index : -Since 1995,

Transparency International (TI) publishes the

Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) annually

ranking countries by their perceived levels of

corruption, as determined by expert

assessments and opinion surveys. The CPI

generally defines corruption as “the misuse of

public power for private benefit.

As of 2011, the CPI ranks 178 countries on a scale

from 10 (very clean) to 0 (highly corrupt).

The top 10 least corrupted countries in the

world are:

· New Zealand (9.5)

· Denmark (9.4)

· Finland (9.4)

· Sweden (9.3)

· Singapore (9.2)

· Norway (9.0)

· Netherlands (8.9)

· Australia (8.8)

· Switzerland (8.8)

· Canada (8.7)

India stands at #95 with 3.1 rating.

8. Kochi experiments with novel ideas to

treat waste :- KOCHI: With waste treatment

becoming a major concern for Kochiites, various

citizen’s groups have come forward with

alternative ideas for waste management. While

the local bodies and the district administration

are yet to solve the issue, efforts from trusts and

individuals show that the citizens are more

aware and concerned than the authorities.

Realizing the importance of waste management,

Yasoram Charitable Trust has introduced a

project to treat organic waste and promote

organic farming in the city. The project that has

been planned with the help of residential

associations will be implemented in 50,000

houses. To implement the project, all one has to

do is to plant a few vegetable saplings at a

distance of one metre between each crop. The


34

waste management system that can be easily

installed in any household can treat organic

waste including waste paper and food waste and

cost only Rs 550 per house. A R S Vadhyar,

managing trustee of Yasoram Trust, said the

objective was to popularize the practice of

organic waste utilization and organic vegetable

cultivation among Kochiites.

“We have already submitted the project

proposal to the mayor and expect to launch it

by next month,” said Vadhyar. Better Kochi

Response Group (BKRG) has also come up with

‘Zero Waste’, an initiative to dispose of bio-

degradable waste at its source. The project

involves setting up a bio-fertilizer or biogas unit

in every household that will make waste

management hassle-free. S K Nair, project

convenor of ‘Zero Waste’, said the units were

based on simple technology and could easily

process waste generated in a household.

The treatment plant that can handle up to 1.5 kg

of kitchen waste a day can be easily installed in

an area of 2 sq ft. For a four-member family, the

implementation cost will come to Rs 1,800.

Meanwhile, many projects that were

enthusiastically started by residents associations

in the city have stopped functioning. One such

project that came to a standstill was the one

started by the Panampilly Nagar Welfare

Association. ShirlyChacko, former president of

the association, said they were in the process of

reviving the waste treatment plant.

9. The World’s largest Emerald: -The world’s

largest cut emerald is set to go up for auction -

and is expected to fetch $1.15million. The

57,500-carat stone, which is the size of a

watermelon. The gem, named Teodora, was found

in Brazil and cut in India, before being sold to

rare gems dealer Reagan Reaney in Calgary - but

there are doubts over whether it is in fact a true

emerald.

Emeralds - the birthstone for the month of May -

get their green colouring from the presence of

chromium within the stone and the effect it has

on constituent mineral beryl. Unlike diamonds

they are graded by eye. If when examined by

the naked eye an emerald appears free from

material trapped while it was being formed

then it can be considered flawless.

Emerald crystals, like all other naturally occurring

gemstone crystals, grow one molecule at a time

meaning it takes prolonged periods to create a

quality gemstone.

10. Britain’s fattest woman : BrendaFlanagan-Davies: - Britain’s new fattest woman

- who weighs 40 stone and is so big that she has

not left her house in four years. Brenda Flanagan-

Davies, 43, has never once sat in her taxpayer-

funded living room because it takes too much

effort for her to walk there from bed. Once as

heavy as 45 stone, Brenda is now the heaviest

women in the UK following the death of 45-

stone Sharon Mevsimlerin 2010.

The former shop assistant, from Gateshead, Tyne

and Wear, eats more than 6,000 calories per day

- including nine chocolate bars and three litres

of fizzy drinks. The recommended daily calorie

intake for women is 2,000. Years of being

confined to her tiny bungalow, Brenda is begging

for help after doctors warned her ‘lose weight or

die’. (For photo please see last cover page )

11. Tight rope walk across Niagara Falls:-It


35

may not have been the most appropriate choice

of phrase. But when Nik Wallenda was told he

was to be allowed to attempt a tightrope walk

across Niagara Falls, he said: ‘I’m thrilled to death.’

If the 33-year-old daredevil survives his 1,800ft-

long walk on a two-inch thick rope over the

famous site, he will become the first to ever

achieve the feat. The stunt will take up to 40

minutes through mist and spray, 220ft above the

bottom of the gorge.

Mr Wallenda, who lives with his wife Erendira and

their three children, has been tightrope-walking

since he was two. In 2008 he walked and then

cycled across a high-wire suspended from

skyscrapers in Newark, New Jersey. The feat won

him a place in the Guinness Book Of Records for

the longest and highest bicycle ride on a high-

wire. He currently holds six Guinness World

Records.

12. underground Town in South Australia:-

Coober Pedy is a small Australian town with

population of about 2,000 people. It is well-

known as an underground town. Coober Pedy is

also known as the world’s opal capital with 30%

global opals mined here. As for the town name,

it is translated as “whitemans hole” from the

Aboriginal term kupa-piti.The severe desert

climate made a lot of residents move to live

underground, in caves.

A cave home usually has three bedrooms,

kitchen, bathroom and lounge that are excavated

out of the rock in the hillsides. Such homes don’t

require air-conditioning, because they remain

at a constant temperature while summer

temperatures on the surface can reach 40-50

degrees Celsius (over 100 degrees Fahrenheit).

Coober Pedy attracts tourists from all over the

world.

The mines, underground churches and graveyard

are the most interesting attractions here. The

trees you can find in this town are iron welded.

You can play golf at night only to avoid hot

temperatures. The local golf is free of grass that

is why players take a small piece of tee-off turf

with them.

Coober Pedy is featured in many movies,

including Opal Dream, Mad Max Beyond

Thunderdome, Red Planet and Priscilla, Queen

of the Desert. NASA is planning to train

astronauts for a planned mission to Mars here in

2012.

13. Kerela plans to train Monkeys :- Kerela

plans to train Monkeys to pick coconuts Driven

by crunching shortage of people to pluck

coconuts, two agriculture officers have

proposed using monkeys for the task. The

simians are used to pluck coconuts in Thailand,

Indonesia and Sri Lanka. Agriculture deputy

director K.R. Vijaykumar and principal agriculture

officer V.K.Raju say that the government will have

to establish a “training school” for monkeys with

the help of faculty from Sumatra and Thailand. A

group of monkeys will be trained to pluck

coconuts. Monkeys can be trained to distinguish

the ripe ones form the unripe, how to retrieve

from the ground and load them on the truck.

(Contributed by Sri S.D. Mukherji)


36

Prl.Chief Conservator of Forests, vs J.K.

Johnson & others

The significant and important question raised in

this case is: Whether a specified officer

empowered under Sec. 54 (1) of the Wildlife

Protection Act 1972 as amended by the Wildlife

Protection Amendment Act 2002 (Act 16 of

2003) to compound offences has power,

competence and authority, on payment of a sum

of money by way of composition if the offence

by a person who is suspected to have committed

offence against the Act, to order forfeiture of the

seized property.

On the intervening night between July 24/25,

2004, the Sub-Inspector of Police of Kulcharam

Police Station checked a jeep bearing No. A.P.-

12 D 703. It was found that the jeep was carrying

one hunted wild boar and three rabbits. At 03.30

a.m. the jeep, a battery, a torch light, dead animals

and two rifles of foreign make fitted with

telescope, were seized under a panchanama.

Three persons who were travelling in the jeep

were arrested. An offence was registered under

Sec. 9 of Wildlife Protection Act. The Divisional

Forest Officer, Medak was also informed.

On July 25, 2004 the Divisional Forest Officer,

Medak recorded the statements of the accused

persons. The accused, while expressing

ignorance of law, were willing to compound the

offence. On August 10, 2004 the Conservator of

LEGAL NOTESForests, Nizamabadon the report of the

Divisional Forest Officer, Medak ordered that the

offence be compounded for Rs 30,000/- under

Sec. 54 of the Act and the vehicle and the

weapons used in committing the offence be

forfeited.

The first accused J.K. Johnson challenged the

order of the Conservator of Forests before the

Prl. Chief Conservator of Forests. The Prl. CCF

stated on October 8, 2004 that he has no

jurisdiction to entertain an appeal, yet he

advised the CF to reduce the composition

amount to Rs. 25,000/- The CF Nizamabad

passed order on November 4, 2004 to compound

the offence for Rs. 25,000/- He ordered further

that the seized property Viz. Vehicle and two rifles

shall stand forfeited; failing to pay the C-fees the

accused will be prosecuted.

The accused challenged the three orders

directing forfeiture of seized property in a writ

petition before the High Court of Andhra

Pradesh. The High Court on March 29, 2005 set

aside the order of forfeiture of vehicle and the

rifles. Writ Appeal No. 1035 of 2006 against the

order of Single Judge was dismissed. There-upon

the Prl.CCF and the CF Nizamabad approached

Supreme Court in an appeal by special leave.

The case in Civil Appeal No. 2534 of 2011 came

up before a Bench comprising R.M. Lodha and

J.S. Khehar, JJ. Senior Counsel R. Sundarvardhan


37

and Jayant Kumar Mehta appeared on behalf of

the Appellants and Respondents respectively.

It is argued by the senior counsel for the

appellants that in view of the amendment to

Sec. 54 (2), seized property cannot be returned

and therefore the compounding officer can

order forfeiture. It is also argued that in the light

of Sec. 39 (1) (d), whether the case is

compounded or not, property used in

committing an offence and seized shall be

property of Government. It is submitted that the

compounding under Sec. 54 does not fall within

the circumstances mentioned in Sec. 320 of the

Cr.P.C.

While referring to the Statement of Objects and

Reasons of Act 16 of 2003, MrSundervardhan

submitted that it leaves no manner of doubt that

one of the objects sought to be achieved by the

amendment was to provide the vehicles, vessels,

weapons etc. used in compoundable offences

are not returned to the offenders. It is further

submitted that the legislative intent and policy

must be given due regard. In support of his

argument the following case-law is cited:

(1). Sew PujanraiIndrasanrai Ltd. vs. Collector of

Customs &Ors. (A.I.R. 1958 S.C. 845) to focus

distinction on offender, offence and confiscation.

(2). Biswahan Das vs. Gopen Chandra

Hazarika&Ors. (A.I.R. 1967 S.C. 895)

The Senior Counsel further submitted that

quashing the order of forfeiture of seized articles

is contrary to the provisions of the Wildlife

Protection Act as amended by Act 16 of 2003.

The Counsel for Respondents while agreeing

with the judgment of the High Court of A.P.

submitted that Sec. 54 of the Act did not

expressly empower the specified officer to

order forfeiture of the property while

compounding the offence. It is argued that

Statement of Objects and Reasons cannot be

acted upon unless explicit provision for

forfeiture of property is made in the Act.

Disagreeing with the argument of learned

counsel for appellants it is submitted that

regardless of composition of offence, the

property seized from the accused stands

forfeited under Sec. 39 would result in anomaly

and lead to unguided, arbitrary or

unconstitutional power in the hands of

empowered officer. In support of his argument,

Mr J.K. Mehta referred to Sections 50 (4), 51 (2)

and 53 of the Act and said that, if interpretation

of the Counsel for appellants is accepted, the

aforesaid Sections become superfluous. It was

argued that in cases of Casus Omissus, the court

should not supply any words which are missing

in the enactment. Reliance is placed on State of

M.P. Vs. Madhukar Rao (2008-14-SCC 624). The

counsel also quoted case-law extensively.

Their Lordships examined among others the

provisions of Sec. 50 (Power to search, arrest etc),

Sec. 51 (Penalties), Sec. 54 (Power to compound)

before and after amendment and clause (XVI) of

the Objects and Reasons and concluded that the

statutory provisions did not provide

Departmental Authorities to forfeit seized


38

property. Referring to Sec. 39 (1) (d) of the Act

the court made a liberal interpretation and said,

“….. the kind of absolute vesting of the seized

property in the State Government on mere

suspicion of an offence committed against the

Act could not have been intended by the

Parliament………..every enactment in the

country must be in conformity with our

Constitution. In this view it is not sufficient – nor

did the lawmakers intend, to make it to deprive

a person of the property seized under the Act

on accusation that such property has been used

for committing an offence. For Sec. 39 (1) (d) to

come into play there has to be a categorical

finding by the competent court of law about use

of seized items such as vehicle, weapons etc. The

Court dealt with the implication of forfeiture

where the forfeiture is intended to be a penalty

or punishment for a crime.

In the instant case Their Lordships ruled that the

offence under the Act has to be legally

ascertained and adjudicated by a competent

court of jurisdiction. In Madhukar Rao’s case the

Full Bench (High Court of M.P.) also held that mere

seizure of any property including vehicle on the

charge of commission of offence would not

make the property to be of the State

Government under Sec. 39 (1) (d). On appeal to

the Supreme Court by the State of M.P., the

judgment of the High Court was affirmed and it

was ruled that Sec. 39 (1) (d) would come into

play only after court of competent jurisdiction

found that accusation and allegation made

against the accused were true and recorded the

finding that the seized article was, as a matter of

fact, used in the commission of offence. The

Supreme Court held, “Any attempt to

operationalize Sec.39 (1) (d) of the Act merely

on the basis of seizure and accusation /

allegations levelled by the Departmental

Authorities would bring it into conflict with the

Constitutional provisions and would render it

unconstitutional and invalid.”

In view of the above it is held that the order of

Conservator of Forests, Nizamabad in ordering

forfeiture of vehicle and rifles is de hors the

provisions of the Act and unsustainable. The order

of the High Court dated March 25, 2005 is

confirmed. It is further held that the Single Judge

and the Division Bench were not right in

directing the release of the property. The seized

property needs to be dealt with by a Magistrate

under Sec. 50 (4) of the Act. The Respondents are

directed to approach the Magistrate concerned

for the return of the property who will consider

such application according to law.

In the result it is held that the specified officer

empowered under Section 54 (1) has no power,

competence or authority to order forfeiture of

the seized property on composition of the

offence. The appeal is disposed of accordingly

on October 17, 2011.

K.B.R (2011)-10-Supreme Court Cases 794

N.B:- The meaning of the legal terms used, in

the judgment are as stated below:

Casus Omissus= A point unprovided for by a

statute.

De hors= Out of the point in question.


39

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40

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41

Registered with RNI R.No. Apeng/2002.2185Postal Regn. No.LII/RNP/HDC/1154/2012-14

BOOK POST

To

If Undelivered, Please return to : Editor : VANA PREMIOffice of the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Aranya Bhavan,

5th Floor, Room No. 514, Saifabad, Hyderabad - 500 004, A.P.

For details please see page no 34

For details please see page no. 34 For details please see page no.32

For details please see page no.33For details please see page no.32

For details please see page no.32 For details please see page no.32

march_2012

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