A Forester Remembers

  Virbhadra Singh – a Tribute   Raja Sahib – Virbhadra Singh – is no more. His demise leaves a gaping void not only in Himachal politics, but also in the hearts of many who had worked with him in any capacity. He was an able administrator, an admirable guide and mentor, and a kind and supportive boss. His smiling visage and gentle demeanor endeared him to one and all. Of course, he did display dismay and anger at times, but his overall appearance was that of a calm and thoughtful individual. My association with him began in 1985, when I was handpicked by him to serve as Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) at his royal seat, Rampur Bushahr. My return from deputation with the Govt. of India, in 1983, coincided with his return to Himachal Pradesh from the Centre. While he took over as Chief Minister of the State, I was posted as DFO Working Plans at Shimla. In 1985, when I was looking forward to my promotion as Conservator of Forests (CF), I suddenly received orders posting me ...

When I reported for duty in Himachal Pradesh, for the first time in my life I came face to face with politicians – from the lowly village ‘Pradhans’ to Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) to Ministers. Prior to joining the Forest Service, I had no idea what a politician was and how much nuisance value one wielded. I had grown up in Army cantonments, where the most important person we saw was the Station Commander, a Brigadier, or, on very rare occasions, a Major General. Yes, I had heard about Presidents and Prime Ministers, but had absolutely no idea about the political hierarchy prevailing at the ground level. So, it came as somewhat of a shock when, at a Van Mahotsava (tree planting festival) at Rajgarh I was confronted by a diminutive individual wearing khadi pyjamas and kurta, and a Gandhi cap, who imperiously asked me where my DFO was. When I asked him who he was, a bulky, uncouth looking person by his side said “You seem to be new here. Don’t you recognize Mr. ZS, the MLA...

Forest fires, each year, destroy millions of hectares of forests worldwide. Apart from an estimated direct loss of USD 3000 million each year, there is a huge loss in terms of lives lost, health problems due to smoke inhalation, loss of soil fertility, increased soil erosion and flooding, and a host of other short term and long term effects of the fires. The recent 2019-2020 season fires in Australia have reportedly affected 186,000 square kilometers of forest, destroyed over 2779 homes and killed at least 34 people. An estimated one billion animals have been killed and some endangered species may be driven to extinction. By January 2020, the smoke from the bushfires had moved approximately 11,000 kilometers across the South Pacific Ocean to Chile and Argentina. NASA estimated that, as of 2 January 2020, 306 million tonnes of CO 2 had been emitted from the burning forests. According to a report, forest fires globally contribute 2.5 billion to 4 .0 billion tonnes of CO 2 to carbon...

I have just heard of the demise of Mr. B S Chauhan, the gentleman who was the DFO at Rajgarh when I joined there in February 1974. I have already mentioned how much in awe of him I was. He was a towering personality both literally and figuratively. Well over 6 feet in height and sporting an imposing moustache, Mr. Chauhan instilled ready respect amongst his juniors and subordinates and fear in minds of wrongdoers. His tours of inspection were awaited with dread by the field staff. Many a story was told of his long walks in the forests and his keen eye for detail. He had the nasty habit of stopping the jeep and getting off where he was least expected, hopping over the fence of the plantation, and then taking a tour of inspection, with the Range Officer and other staff trailing behind him. Needless to say, the area near the entry to the plantations was always well looked after with the grass and bushes kept in check and the saplings well looked after. The far corners of the plantati...

Immediately after completing my graduation, in 1970, I began preparing for competitive exams, and filled and submitted whatever forms I came across. I knew my parents had high expectations from me and I did not want to let them down. I would get through the written exams of Business Schools, but was always rejected by the Interview panels, as they considered me too young to be admitted. I was rejected by the Delhi University, the Banaras Hindu University, even IIM Calcutta, merely on the grounds of age and also, in case of   IIMC, as I was considered inexperienced! What chance did I have against IIT graduates, many of whom had even worked for some time after their graduation! As one can imagine, I was pretty much down in the dumps when I applied to the UPSC for the IFS exam. I had no idea what the Forest Service was – in fact no idea what forests were either! There was no ‘Google’ to guide me, and nobody in my father’s circle of colleagues and friends had any knowledge. All ...

The north-western Himalayas are home to two nomadic tribes, the 'Gaddis' and the 'Gujjars'. While the Gaddis are shepherds, rearing large herds of sheep, the Gujjars are cattle herders. Come April/May, members of both tribes can be seen wending their way, along with their sheep or buffaloes, as the case may be, towards the high pastures among the fir and spruce forests of the Himalaya. Their womenfolk trudge along with them, while children can be seen astride the little ponies that also carry their tents, beddings, pots and pans. They spend the entire summer months in the alpine pastures and, from October onwards, begin making their way back towards the lower hills or the plains, where they spend the winter months. The ‘Gujjars’ are hardy folk - the men, on an average, six feet tall, and the women a few inches less. The hooked noses and hennaed beards of the men, and their colourful turbans, make them easily distinguishable. Their foot wear is distinctive too – a p...

Being the junior-most officer on station, and still under training to boot, I was always being singled out for tasks that were either considered too menial, or too monotonous. One such duty entrusted to me was to carry out an inventory of the stores of the Division, an exercise that had not been conducted for over ten years, although it was mandatory to do so every year. A certificate was required to be recorded in the Stores Register that all the items listed therein had been checked and verified. This task was not only tiresome and boring, but also sometimes dangerous as the ‘Store’ was essentially a garage below the Range Office, with the doors allowing easy access to whatever creepy crawly wanted to make its home amongst the stored items. It was this Augean stable that my boss one day ordered me to inspect and clean up. Like Hercules, I too flinched at the thought of not only getting dirty and filthy, but also the prospect of getting stung and bitten by every type of creature t...