A workshop on sensitizing the Media on conserving the Tiger and its habitat in Tamil Nadu was sponsored by the Wildlife Conservation Society - India Program and arranged by the Eco Club. PSG College of Arts and Science, Coimbatore, from the 25 of Feb to the to the 27th of Feb.
30 selected students from Coimbatore ,Tamilnadu and Pondicherry from different colleges filled the hall at PSG College along with some very important speakers. All this was put together by Project Coordinator Mr C.R Jayaprakash, whose efficient communication skills was the reason for each member present in the hall being
there.
The Hall hushed as the first session started .Posters designed by the participants were released and slowly an eye-opening angle to Wildlife dawned upon the students in the hall as Dr Ravi Chellam, Country Director, WCS -India addressed us on wildlife issues affecting the country. Bringing out the importance of conserving tigers he said, "Tigers are an umbrella species and protect a diversity of other wildlife species and that is one of the main reasons we need to conserve them"
After a refreshing bottle of neera, Dr Tolstoy briefed the audience with a power point presentation on the ethics, attitudes and a sensitive approach to wildlife photography and said, "look beyond postcard shots and let your picture make a impact - what is your measurable influence to help nature?" .What was also shocking was his revelation as a doctor, on how forest dwelling tribes suffer from lack of medical attention.
After a satisfying lunch there was a very funny session on how newspapers misunderstand Human-Animal Conflicts by Mr Mohammad Ali who stated that "The elephants created havoc" a line often used in newspapers whereas the fact remains that humans build houses where elephants roam.
After that we were off to Top slip, Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) and reached in time to have a "under-the-tree -sitting-in-a-circle" self introduction session followed by a screening of "The Truth About the Tigers" produced by Shekar Dattatri followed by a discussion with himon doubts regarding the documentary followed by a sumptuous dinner. All this in one day !
The next two days were filled with short treks every morning with the daytime packed with discussions ranging from documentary-making guided by Shekar Dattatri to discussing human-animal conflict issues and the present status of tiger-poaching in India by Dr Ravi Chellam, Dr Rajah Jayapal, Mr Dattari and K.Vijayanandan Wildlife Warden of Parambikualm (on one occasion) followed by a surprise visit by the Wildlife Warden of ATR himself who patiently cleared all our doubts. After three days of rigorous learning, I realized that there is a serious need to sensitise and induce tolerance and understanding of wildlife and bring in the awareness to people who live beside jungles .Time's ticking, and if we don't do something who will ?
Ps :My computer is slow so cant I send the pictures tomorrow? If you require it urgently do mail me before 3 pm
Regards Nina
sometime,somehow,somewhere
There is A room high on a cliff which faces the sea where only the spray of salt can touch...i will be there someday
Beautifull
There was singing and laughter and a beauty I couldnt describe,I was just a guest.Slowly the music faded and a calm silence filled the space as satisfied snores rumbled once in a while....the household was asleep as I sat up, wide awake smiling at the beauty around.everything looked so in place,displaced or inorder it didnt matter.All that mattered was that these tiny components made, what my mind found beautiful.
Adhi and geeth..if youve met them youre blessed.if you want to make a list of contradictions between both of them: the list will take six A4 size sheets (back to back) .I walked down the road they are walking and I have no words they are simply beautifully in love! I am a guest priviliged to have been walking on the same road.If i could only give them "couple for a day" everyday ...sigh!
Deepak sir .He's a marine bio professor in my college .His classes are a beauty in itself .He walks in with virtual fishes swimming around his head,coordinates get punched into minds that slept in every other class...his classes made my days beaitifull for I was just a guest invited on board his research station for an hour and it was a privilege.
Arun and Hope being with them :I have no words to describe.these two fellows are the limit! we go for wildlife trips together with just enough between us to share and somehow scrape through another wildlife trip .We go on journeys and never have we come back empty handed .like I've said once before in an article...."mother nature opened up her jade green arms showing us all she had" I saw the works in the wild beauty everywhere and these two very special people where beautifull in themselves. If you have ever imagined peterpans eyes they where Aruns...it glimmered with an impish smile sprinkled with adventure flavoured with a softness I have never found in anyone else.Hope slowly opened up to both of us like a desert rose,into a beautifull person none of us could comprehend,understanding him little by little changing ourselves for each other.I slowly learnt to become a woman funnily in all my tomboyishness .I found myself through them they taught me that being a woman was not bad as long as it was a strong and determined one that made life fun and yet never lost her tomboyishness, made of finer things .Im having a hard time saying god bye to arun..i found the borther i have been praying for.
I smile to myself I am alone everone is asleep (refer to first para if you are confused) I have a feeling of being so blest! And then suddenly I think of all the ugly parts of my life (which are so many) the hurt ,the lonelyness and I realise that thats what made me appreciate all these lovely moments and remember them so well.I realise that I have become beautifull as a person alone slowly growing out of the pain I had to go through as a child not being to big to protect herself .Then making a fake world with fake people for a cocoon where imaginery friends existed and stories spun into what in reality they called "lies" .Then realising myself and facing life and fighting for a freedom from the fake world I made for myself.then becoming the beautifull person I always wanted to be.The one who is able to stand alone and help others. who can laugh at the storm And fight strong enough to last till tomorrows sunrise.
And suddenly I realise I have come to another stage of beauty and that is realising that I am beautifull in myself,Im not a guest but I am part of that beauty I have been amazed by all this while !
I STAY WIDE AWAKE ,CRYING ,I AM BEAUTIFULL!
Adhi and geeth..if youve met them youre blessed.if you want to make a list of contradictions between both of them: the list will take six A4 size sheets (back to back) .I walked down the road they are walking and I have no words they are simply beautifully in love! I am a guest priviliged to have been walking on the same road.If i could only give them "couple for a day" everyday ...sigh!
Deepak sir .He's a marine bio professor in my college .His classes are a beauty in itself .He walks in with virtual fishes swimming around his head,coordinates get punched into minds that slept in every other class...his classes made my days beaitifull for I was just a guest invited on board his research station for an hour and it was a privilege.
Arun and Hope being with them :I have no words to describe.these two fellows are the limit! we go for wildlife trips together with just enough between us to share and somehow scrape through another wildlife trip .We go on journeys and never have we come back empty handed .like I've said once before in an article...."mother nature opened up her jade green arms showing us all she had" I saw the works in the wild beauty everywhere and these two very special people where beautifull in themselves. If you have ever imagined peterpans eyes they where Aruns...it glimmered with an impish smile sprinkled with adventure flavoured with a softness I have never found in anyone else.Hope slowly opened up to both of us like a desert rose,into a beautifull person none of us could comprehend,understanding him little by little changing ourselves for each other.I slowly learnt to become a woman funnily in all my tomboyishness .I found myself through them they taught me that being a woman was not bad as long as it was a strong and determined one that made life fun and yet never lost her tomboyishness, made of finer things .Im having a hard time saying god bye to arun..i found the borther i have been praying for.
I smile to myself I am alone everone is asleep (refer to first para if you are confused) I have a feeling of being so blest! And then suddenly I think of all the ugly parts of my life (which are so many) the hurt ,the lonelyness and I realise that thats what made me appreciate all these lovely moments and remember them so well.I realise that I have become beautifull as a person alone slowly growing out of the pain I had to go through as a child not being to big to protect herself .Then making a fake world with fake people for a cocoon where imaginery friends existed and stories spun into what in reality they called "lies" .Then realising myself and facing life and fighting for a freedom from the fake world I made for myself.then becoming the beautifull person I always wanted to be.The one who is able to stand alone and help others. who can laugh at the storm And fight strong enough to last till tomorrows sunrise.
And suddenly I realise I have come to another stage of beauty and that is realising that I am beautifull in myself,Im not a guest but I am part of that beauty I have been amazed by all this while !
I STAY WIDE AWAKE ,CRYING ,I AM BEAUTIFULL!
Nightmares That Stay
There are nightmares in the world that we ignore,things we see everyday and choose yet not to see,not to touch,not to listen to.We use sanitisers,flush our toilets,curse when the drain gets blocked,spray every thing under the planet till it (eew thingee)drops dead.There are things that will make your flesh crawl,things that happen to beings just like you ,a girl your age was raped all you do is flip to page and think that being a chauvinist is cool! ,as long as youre safe
SOME NIGHTMARES START ONLY WHEN YOU OPEN YOUR EYES TO THINGS YOU CHOOSE NOT TO SEE
I had to meet someone in the cafeteria in college."will be there in ten min" i replied and half jogged down the road after class."there is a puppy thats hurt and with maggots" said a friend as he walked out "its with paul and hope,they need help" .Maggots..... I had heard of those, they where larvae of flies...metamorphosis,i had studied so much about them,the whole procedure left me amazed when I was young "catterpillar to butterfuly"
I saw the puppy and held it up so i could see the wound and then suddenly a wave of nausea kicked me in the stomach ,a sick smell of rotting fish mixed with a faint smell of coconut oil mixing like two slugs trying to do the tango!.I tried to look away and the oil spilt fron the pocket like wound on to my hands,My spine gave me a shock wave tiny white worms crawled in and around the wound .The flesh was actually a joint from the leg bone.The huge ones peeped desperately trying to gasp breadth above the film of coconut oil in clustered groups squirming in a slow ,nearly liquid fashion like aliens triving rich on the body as their host let out irritated cried as they came out of their holes of rotten flesh derperately gasping for air
Paul took a pair of tweasers and picked fat ,white ,spindle shaped worms out as the small ones escaped with only those in clusters unluckily got pulled out.I looked away and buried my head into my arm as i held the pup with the other hand.I could taste my breakfast alright!
slowly I took the pair of tweasers and plucked at the fatty white bags that wriggled.I got used to it,I felt the sickness within subside.I stank of it.my hand glistened with dirt,blood and coconutoil.In all this what was wierd was I had never felt so human in my life....never so aware of what I would become when they buried my dead body.I put her on my lap .
Paul and I took her to a nearby vet bunking class.The doc put a neem oil based spray that made the mogots tumble out like a waterfall when we were on the bike .they fell out like beads.I felt like scratching all over my body ..imagining they were creeping all over me under my clothes.
She sleeps tonight in alans room.
I scrubbed myself with alot of soap,three teaspoons of dettol,shampooed my hair then nearly burned myself with hot water.
We have got a long way to go ,we have learnt so much about everything nothing really surprises us,inspires us,awakens us to what it really feels like to smell,touch,see and know the real picture.
We have to relearn what ever has been programmed into our systems.We have to search for ourselves.....
strange
I had a dream of someone quarreling with a friend of mine "you should have left space" said the girl "I think I left enough" "did not" "did to" "did not " did to".....it went on.The next day on the train to college I happened to meet him so out of some stupid gut feel I asked him (half heartedly)about the argument.he told me he had designed the service sheet for his church and a girl had a disagreement with him.It was true! I freaked.the next dream not really comfortable :someone sleeping on a bed.I was facing his back he turned over in bed and faced me...it was true.
I was watching a movie today and slowly dosed of to sleep by my mobile phone ringing .It rang again ,It was a junior of mine at college, he asked me if I was going for a turtle walk from Neelangarai .I was tired and I was a little irritated with someone waking me up in the deep vortex of my sleep "no" one word was all my so very patient mind said and dosed back into slumber.I dreamt of him opening a long red box with a tiny dead bat.I woke up and called him at once (he was looking after an injured bat in his room and the coincidence kicked me in the face.I asked him to check on the bat ..it was fine.He asked me why I asked all of a sudden .I tried to avoid the question,he might laugh at my madness.I was wrong
"throw away the red box" I told him .He agreed and I was at peace ,with out the red box my dream would be incomplete.I explained why I called and told him what I dreamt of and why I take my dreams seriously.
Did I do a wrong thing to warn him ?
Was it wrong to intervene with what was to happen? well someone or something was responsible for me getting these broadcasts! they wanted me to know.... did they think I was to handle these dreams with care ?
Were they upset with what i had done ?
Was it wrong to warn him ?
What if the bat died ? (Its changes of dying was greater since its was small and feeding was a whole complicated question mark with a thousand people trying to stuff a thousand thing into its tiny mouth!)
What if this meant something more?
What if there was a reason for me getting these random dreams?
What if all I have dreamt of is all a conicedence?
The option of "none of the above" found in a multiple choice questions made a lot of sense to me now.
I was watching a movie today and slowly dosed of to sleep by my mobile phone ringing .It rang again ,It was a junior of mine at college, he asked me if I was going for a turtle walk from Neelangarai .I was tired and I was a little irritated with someone waking me up in the deep vortex of my sleep "no" one word was all my so very patient mind said and dosed back into slumber.I dreamt of him opening a long red box with a tiny dead bat.I woke up and called him at once (he was looking after an injured bat in his room and the coincidence kicked me in the face.I asked him to check on the bat ..it was fine.He asked me why I asked all of a sudden .I tried to avoid the question,he might laugh at my madness.I was wrong
"throw away the red box" I told him .He agreed and I was at peace ,with out the red box my dream would be incomplete.I explained why I called and told him what I dreamt of and why I take my dreams seriously.
Did I do a wrong thing to warn him ?
Was it wrong to intervene with what was to happen? well someone or something was responsible for me getting these broadcasts! they wanted me to know.... did they think I was to handle these dreams with care ?
Were they upset with what i had done ?
Was it wrong to warn him ?
What if the bat died ? (Its changes of dying was greater since its was small and feeding was a whole complicated question mark with a thousand people trying to stuff a thousand thing into its tiny mouth!)
What if this meant something more?
What if there was a reason for me getting these random dreams?
What if all I have dreamt of is all a conicedence?
The option of "none of the above" found in a multiple choice questions made a lot of sense to me now.
coffee pot
your aura still lingers here
like the smell of coffee
from an old coffee pot
I want to forget but
my mind still lingers here
I lay awake, many more nights to come
I wonder why I need to linger here
why have I lingered for so long?
my fight will be feeble
I have no answer to your reasoning
"hes right ,you fool" my mind says
put on that Armour you have soiled
and bring that bloody battle(life) on
never so alone
"hes wrong you fool" my instinct says
but how does a fool prove him all wrong?
my hands shake Ive never felt so alone
like the smell of coffee
from an old coffee pot
I want to forget but
my mind still lingers here
I lay awake, many more nights to come
I wonder why I need to linger here
why have I lingered for so long?
my fight will be feeble
I have no answer to your reasoning
"hes right ,you fool" my mind says
put on that Armour you have soiled
and bring that bloody battle(life) on
never so alone
"hes wrong you fool" my instinct says
but how does a fool prove him all wrong?
my hands shake Ive never felt so alone
love or is it?
I never knew I felt so strongly about a person .I never knew I had it in me to fall head over heels in love with someone.Hes told me when I was never prepared and whenever he asked me to love him I was always confused....I am confused!I guess I always will be.He faded away and I met another and I thought "this is it, this is love!" I never once questioned, why when ever I was in pain trouble, danger, happiness, celebration ,things of extreme emotion I always felt alone and suddenly his damn face would come back to me for no reason (lets name him Sam)
Like when a strong wind sweeps away the leaves only to show you bare ground damp,and soft,A hurting fell over me every time i felt deep about some silly human thing and the leaves would peel one by one and fly away only to leave me with myself (to goof in the mirror) face to face with rejection and a block of not being able to share this feeling with another.And along with him the hurt was like a extended piece like an ants abdomen .
He said one day "if you love me you will come today" I came and stood beside Sam.Mother would not agree to my behavior,my sister thought he was a creep.I was proud of Sam,I didnt care what they thought .Then one mad mad day, when every sign, pointer, indicator and every thing that had a pointing edge told me not to tell him I repeated the three words again (these word make a knot everytime I say them) .And they made an even bigger knot because I figured out this time my wild ,traveling ,wilderness life style will never match his office cabinet life. My family (a pack of through breds) thats what they thought of themselves! never approved of Sam .I knew they would never understand me,or him or both of us.Was this one of the reasons he always said "no" when I asked him to love me and I always said "no" when he asked me?
"you use the word 'love' very often ,you dont know what love is" he said In reply to my three words .I ended up again waking up to the cool tiled floor of my bathroom it comforted my hot face(different people feel different things comforting.
After a long time I got a message "you deserve better"he said.Dosent he get it? there can be a billion men better than him but 'love' is a very specific word .it specifies only one man and compares with none.I felt hot over my face I didnt know what to say .I didnt reply for very long.Maybe he wanted to get rid of me.I was bad taste in his mouth "you deserve better" maybe he knew I would say this,it was a polished way of saying 'We should move on'.
"And you decided to reply NOW???" said sam after I really couldnt find another reply. hope he was not nieve enough to think that I wouldnt reply to a message just because I was busy!(even the president of india would repy).I needed the time, I needed the question to work out its own solution at the back of my mind.I did not find one .I told him what he wanted to hear. Inside me an acid feeling wanted to scream "I love you" but it was madness.
"there are so many boys in your college" he said .They never came to my mind when I was alone.I like to keep college friendly the mushy thing in college never stayed in my mind.I did not feel comfortable thinking of it either
"its been so long how come your still hanging on...." I dont know I had no reason .I had no defence to that legal art of reasoning.
"you do not know how evil I am and how scheming I can get" did he think I was that dumb? I knew him ,I loved him not liked him.
"move on....forget me....Consider me dead...".how was I to do that !!! how the hell was I going to forget the man who ended up for no reason at all in my mind when I was whooping for joy? how ? my face felt hot .
My room is small and has no windows. I stared I felt drained I held my phone still conected to the charger .I couldnt sleep the whole of yesterday night .why? why? cant he just love me for tonight I dont need any promise .I dont need any future I do not need to be with him.I felt cheap I had nearly begged ! .How do you forget?
Like when a strong wind sweeps away the leaves only to show you bare ground damp,and soft,A hurting fell over me every time i felt deep about some silly human thing and the leaves would peel one by one and fly away only to leave me with myself (to goof in the mirror) face to face with rejection and a block of not being able to share this feeling with another.And along with him the hurt was like a extended piece like an ants abdomen .
He said one day "if you love me you will come today" I came and stood beside Sam.Mother would not agree to my behavior,my sister thought he was a creep.I was proud of Sam,I didnt care what they thought .Then one mad mad day, when every sign, pointer, indicator and every thing that had a pointing edge told me not to tell him I repeated the three words again (these word make a knot everytime I say them) .And they made an even bigger knot because I figured out this time my wild ,traveling ,wilderness life style will never match his office cabinet life. My family (a pack of through breds) thats what they thought of themselves! never approved of Sam .I knew they would never understand me,or him or both of us.Was this one of the reasons he always said "no" when I asked him to love me and I always said "no" when he asked me?
"you use the word 'love' very often ,you dont know what love is" he said In reply to my three words .I ended up again waking up to the cool tiled floor of my bathroom it comforted my hot face(different people feel different things comforting.
After a long time I got a message "you deserve better"he said.Dosent he get it? there can be a billion men better than him but 'love' is a very specific word .it specifies only one man and compares with none.I felt hot over my face I didnt know what to say .I didnt reply for very long.Maybe he wanted to get rid of me.I was bad taste in his mouth "you deserve better" maybe he knew I would say this,it was a polished way of saying 'We should move on'.
"And you decided to reply NOW???" said sam after I really couldnt find another reply. hope he was not nieve enough to think that I wouldnt reply to a message just because I was busy!(even the president of india would repy).I needed the time, I needed the question to work out its own solution at the back of my mind.I did not find one .I told him what he wanted to hear. Inside me an acid feeling wanted to scream "I love you" but it was madness.
"there are so many boys in your college" he said .They never came to my mind when I was alone.I like to keep college friendly the mushy thing in college never stayed in my mind.I did not feel comfortable thinking of it either
"its been so long how come your still hanging on...." I dont know I had no reason .I had no defence to that legal art of reasoning.
"you do not know how evil I am and how scheming I can get" did he think I was that dumb? I knew him ,I loved him not liked him.
"move on....forget me....Consider me dead...".how was I to do that !!! how the hell was I going to forget the man who ended up for no reason at all in my mind when I was whooping for joy? how ? my face felt hot .
My room is small and has no windows. I stared I felt drained I held my phone still conected to the charger .I couldnt sleep the whole of yesterday night .why? why? cant he just love me for tonight I dont need any promise .I dont need any future I do not need to be with him.I felt cheap I had nearly begged ! .How do you forget?
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