august 2011 vana premi

August 2011 VANA PREMI

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AUGUST - 2011Vol .12 No. 8

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 Navratan Singh,

: Tel : 233405854. Member : A.H. Qureshi, IFS (Retd.)5. Convenor : Ex-officio Secy.of Assn

VANA PREMI

Vol : 12 No. 8August 2011

Editor : Qamar Mohd. Khan Associate Editor : Sardar Navratan 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. 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 44

1. Editorial ..................... QMK 22. letters to the Editor...... 43. Thought for The Day 44. My Dabbling In Experiments

,............................M. Kamal Naidu 65. Did you Know?.......... 86. The tale of two four horned

Antelopes Ram and Sita .......................B. Jagannath Shetty 9

7. Cabinet Reshuffle : What is inStore for MoEF? ....... J.V. Sharma 11

8. Eight Gifts That Do Not CostA Single Penny. ......... 13

9. Creating ProsperityConsciousness .....Surendra K.Bali 14

10. Getting Sandwiched.......................V. Santhaseela Babu 15

11. News and Notes ....... 2012. 'Leave alone tiger, today people

are even saving sparrows' 2513. Tigers ........................ 2814. Tum Ko Na Bhula Payenge

.................................... Moqeem Syed 2915. Our M.Ps ................... Pritish Nandy 3116. Kidney Stones .......... 3317. Legal Notes .............. K.B.R. 3518. Invitation .................. 3619. Appeal to Members .. Secretary 3620. Birthday Greetings .. S.S.S. 3721. Nature, Here we Come 3822. Minutes of 60th General Body

Meeting of the Association 43


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India’s Independence Day :- We all know that

the British East India Company arrived in India in

the early 1600s, struggling and nearly begging

for the right to trade and do business. By the late

1700s the firm of British merchants, backed by

its own army, ruled India. The Mogul Empire had

been established in India in the early 1500s,

when Babur invaded India from Afghanistan. The

Moguls conquered most of northern India, and

by the time the British arrived the Mogul Empire

was immensely powerful.The Mogul Empire was

in a state of collapse by the 1720s.The East India

Company gradually strengthened its hold, even

instituting a court system. British citizens began

building an "Anglo-Indian" society within India,

and English customs were adapted to the

climate of India.The British rule in India became

known as "The British Raj," which was derived

from the Sanskrit term raja meaning king.The

Indian Rebellion of 1857, which was also called

the Indian Mutiny, or the Sepoy Mutiny, was a

turning point in the history of Britain in India.The

Indian Mutiny erupted in May 1857, when sepoys

rose up against the British in Meerut and then

massacred all the British they could find in Delhi.

Following the Indian Mutiny, the East India

Company was abolished and the British crown

assumed full rule of India.

On April 12, 1919, General R E H Dyer who had

taken over the troops in Punjab the day before

prohibited all meetings and gatherings. When a

EDITORIALgroup of unarmed people congregated at the

Jallianwala Bagh, a walled park with only a single

narrow entrance, on April 13, 1919 to celebrate

the festival of Baisakhi. What followed was to

blight the pages of Indian History and its

peoples’ minds for a very long time to come. A

peaceful congregation had been transformed

into an unmitigated blood bath.Later, during the

court martial, General Dyer coldly observed that

he had fired only 1600 rounds of ammunition

on the crowd as that was all he had. He added

that he would have fired more had he so deemed

fit.

The brutality of the Jallianwallah Bagh massacre

shocked the country. Under the leadership of

Mahatma Gandhi, the Indian National Congress

launched the first movement of protest – the

Non-Cooperation Movement. It involved

surrendering all titles, honorary offices and

nominated posts in local bodies. Government

functions and darbars were to be boycotted.

Parents were requested to withdraw their

children from government schools and colleges.

Indians stayed away from the British courts and

army, and were to stand for elections to

government and legislative bodies. Ahimsa or

non-violence was to be observed strictly.

However, there were too many emotional ties –

the British and the Indians went too far back

together for the British to just pack up and leave.

Mountbatten was entrusted with the


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responsibility of transferring power to the

Indians, safeguarding British interests and

prestige for future interaction with independent

India and Pakistan.

In March of 1947 Lord Mountbatten came to

India and recommended a partition of Punjab

and Bengal. But this was not acceptable to many

nationalist leaders, including Nehru. In July

Britain's Parliament passed the Indian

Independence Act. According to it August 14 and

15 were set for partition of India. Thus came into

existence two independent entities- India and

Pakistan. About 190 years old rule of British

(British East India Company: 1757-1858, and

British Government: 1858-1947)came to an end

and we got independence.

A few days before India gained its freedom in

August 1947, the Constituent Assembly was

formed. To select a flag for independent India, on

23 June 1947, the assembly set up an ad hoc

committee headed by Rajendra Prasad and

including Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Sarojini

Naidu, C. Rajagopalachari, K. M. Munshi and B.R.

Ambedkar as its members. On 14 July 1947, the

committee recommended that the flag of the

Indian National Congress be adopted as the

National Flag of India with suitable

modifications, so as to make it acceptable to all

parties and communities. The spinning wheel of

the Congress flag was replaced by the Chakra

(wheel)of Ashoka. The flag was proposed by

Nehru at the Constituent Assembly on 22 July

1947 as a horizontal tricolor of deep saffron,

white and dark green in equal proportions, with

the Ashoka wheel in blue in the centre of the

white band. Saffron represents courage, sacrifice,

and the spirit of renunciation; white signifies

purity and truth; green stands for faith and fertility;

the blue chakra symbolizes the wheel of life in

movement and death in stagnation The

resolution was approved unanimously and has

served as the flag of the Republic of India since

then.At the stroke of mid-night on August 14,

1947, the first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru

had hoisted the first tricolour in the Central Hall

of Parliament amid the presence of august

audience including Lord Mountbatten.The next

day a crowd witnessed the lowering of the Union

Jack and the hoisting of Indian national flag amid

thunderous applause at India Gate at 8.30 in the

morning.

Large number of leaders and common Indians

sacrificed their today for our better tomorrow.

Thousands and thousands of ordinary and extra

ordinary Indians sacrificed their lives, freedom,

and careers to see that we live in free India today.

We owe a lot to the people who sacrificed their

lives in the past so that we could live free today.

Let us not forget their sacrifices, remember

them, and pay homage to the people who are

behind the India’s Independence. Let us be

united let us help each other and see a

developed strong and powerful India. Together

definitely we can achieve this. QMK


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1.Sir,

Hats off to you for bringing out VanaPremi every month regularly with beautiful pictures on the

front cover page. Your choice of editorials is timely and is welcome. But think of making it short and

sweet.

The contents of the journal are very attractive and make it more popular day by day for the readers

in the country as reflected in the letters you received last month and before. Regular contributors

like J.V, Sharma, S.D. Mukherji, M. Kamal Naidu etc. have done well in writing articles on varied

subjects.

The contributions received from R. Rajamani and Shivakumar were of special interest. Sri Rajamani,

besides being an able administrator, is an environmentalist of international repute.He is a lifetime

subscriber of the VanaPremi. It would be of great service if he can set apart some time to contribute

articles now and then for the benefit of the readers.Shivakumar was a birdwatcher in Hyderabad

presently a journalist in North India. As he is a nature lover I will request him to write articles for our

journal.

Biston MA K.B.R. Reddy

July 21, 2011

LETTERS TO EDITOR

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

When I Asked God for Strength

He Gave Me Difficult Situations to Face

When I Asked God for Brain & Brown

He Gave Me Puzzles in Life to Solve

When I Asked God for Happiness

He Showed Me Some Unhappy People

When I Asked God for Wealth

He Showed Me How to Work Hard

When I Asked God for Favours

He Showed Me Opportunities to Work Hard

When I Asked God for Peace

He Showed Me How to Help Others

God Gave Me Nothing I Wanted

He Gave Me Everything I Needed


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VanaPremi, It’s subscribers,Writers, Retired, And In Service

Foresters Pay Rich Homageand Tributes To All Those Who

Sacrificed Their Lives,Freedom, And Careers To

Achieve India’s Independence,Who Gave Up Their Today For

Our Better Tomorrow, Andwanted us To Live In Free

India Today.The Association Of Retired Forest Officers,

Andhra Pradesh.


6

It was in June 1966 that the rains started in great

torrents for 3-4 days, the ground was adequately

soaked, the heat in the soil subsided, it seemed

ideal for planting. It was my second year in

service as DFO Atmakur. I was overjoyed and

thrilled to complete the 300 acres of planting

with teak. Soon thereafter the stumps started to

sprout, but the rains deserted Atmakur from

around the 25th June, and never rained till the

3rd August. Most of the sprouted stumps

withered, barely 5% survived. I was crestfallen.

My maiden effort was thwarted. However we

replanted in August, but the results at the

commencement of monsoons in 1967 was

about 20-25%. I was sad, how can I overcome

the truants of nature. I was bent on defeating the

black-mailing Nature by application of science.

I remember the experiments and pot culture

studies done by me for my Masters in Soil

Science. I remembered Mr. Mumtaz Ali, CF at

Kurnool when I first joined, snide at me, and my

M. Sc. (Agri.), if I cannot solve the regional

occurrence of Red Sanders. As I was under

training at Cuddapah, I was asked to seek the

help of Prof. in geology known to him at

TirupathiUniversity. He gave me a six months’

time frame. It was like the ticklish problem given

to the Greek scientist Archimedes by the King

MY DABBLING IN EXPERIMENTSBy

M. Kamal Naiduto solve the problem of purity of gold. His finding

resulted in the “Principle of Archimedes”. But

thankfully for me, CF was transferred within 3

months, and Mr. MunawarHussain took over, and

so also the Herculean problem shelved. I was

saved.

I therefore wanted to find a solution ‘to speed

up rooting of the stumps’ so that they become

active while moisture remained in the soil, so

that if drought sets in, the roots can go seeking

moisture at the deeper levels. Wow! A great idea

and a great finding it would be I thought. I later

presented the results of my experiments at the

“Silviculture Conference” at Dehra Dun in 1973

titled as “Use of Hormones in Teak Plantations”,

hoping it would be a great contribution after

ChatuMenon, more than a century back.

Having studied about Auxins and Hormones in

depth in Horticulture, and having written an

article ‘Role of Hormones in Agriculture’ to the

Agriculture College Magazine in 1959, I was

prompted to try the ‘hormones magic’ in

practice with teak stumps.

I planned out experimental plots at Bairluty and

Pechuru over quarter acre plots with adequate

controls. I used ‘Seradix’ for rooting of hard

stumps. The experiment was straight and


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simple---treated and not treated stumps---were

planted in alternate rows.

The rainfall in 1967 was fairly normal, did not

ditch me as it happened in 1966. So I planted

the selected stumps, seeing that all the stumps

were of almost same spindle shaped, and same

length. The site was given same treatment as the

plantation, with no special treatment as an

experimental plot. The general result of

plantation was good to start with.

I dug out every tenth stump from each category

at every ten days interval, trying very carefully

not to disturb nor destroy the roots and rootlets,

thanks to the luxury of ordering around by a

young DFO, when things get done with

enthusiasm by the staff. I studied the vigor of

growth of roots in the two categories. As I

believed, the treated stumps had a better and

sturdier root growth. I found the success rate

better in the treated stumps at the beginning of

the monsoon in July 1968. Lo! I could not go

ahead in my study further as I was transferred to

Nizamabad in September 1968. However I got

an idea of the success, though it would be a costly

venture. Then I wondered, which would be a

better proposition, a higher success rate in year

of planting, or replacement of casualties in the

second, and maybe third year.

At Nizamabad it was too late to try out, rather

repeat the experiment in 1968. Here teak was

being raised on a small scale of 50 acres

between Nizamabad and Armoor. However

taking advantage of the plantation plot, I

continued the experiment in 1969 as done at

Atmakur. In addition to above field trial, I

requested JV Sharma, then an enterprising RO

Nizamabad for obtaining 40 medium sized pots,

filled with normal soil from the plantation site,

well before the planting season. The pot culture

was done to study the root growth with least

damage to the root system.

When the planting operation was commenced

in the field as per design with and without

‘Seradix hormone by Mr JV Sharma (I wonder if

he remembers the exercise, not being too much

research oriented, but a good field officer). I

planted the identical shaped and sized stumps

in the pots at my residence. The stumps at my

residence were watered if it did not rain, once

every five days till they were taken out for study

of root system.

I took out ten pots---five treated and five not

treated--- at every 10 days interval to see the

root formation. It was seen that the treated

stumps had more vigorous callous formation at

root tip compared to the untreated stumps, at

the first tenth day observation. Thereafter the

shoot sprouting and root sprouting was more

vigorous and denser in the treated stumps as

compared to control. After extracting the

sprouted stumps after breaking the pots, I


8

washed the stumps under tap water so the roots

are not damaged. Then I counted as to how many

roots developed from each of the stump, and

measured their individual lengths. Yet later at

the end of the month the density of roots was

assessed by counting and measuring some of

the tertiary roots developed as well. It was a very

laborious exercise as the roots got lengthier and

denser, but it was a great satisfaction to me as a

practical forester in trying to find solutions to

plantation problems.

Now in retrospect I realized that my findings lay

deeply buried in the Silviculture Conference files

of 1973. The results were neither of interest to

the research scholars of IGNFA, nor to the field

foresters, for the results were not transmitted

down to the grass root levels. As R & D conservator

I tried to get some field officers interested in the

findings, but found no takers. This reminds me of

finding a single solitary Casuarina standing erect

after the cyclone in Nov.1996 in a plantation off

Amlapuram in Kakinada division. I passed on the

photo of the destroyed plantations and the

single erect tree which looked different in shape,

to be propagated for future coastal plantations.

My several future enquiries about the tree

revealed that it was sadly forgotten, and lost as a

savior.

Ants Problem: Ants hate cucumbers. Keep the skin of cucumbers near the place or ant hole.

To get pure and clean ice: Boil water first before freezing.

To make the mirror shine: Clean with alcohol

To remove chewing gum from clothes: Keep the cloth in the freezer for an hour.

To whiten white clothes: Soak white clothes in hot water with a slice of lemon for 10 minutes

To give a shine to hair: Add one teaspoon of vinegar to hair, then wash hair.

To avoid tears while cutting onions: Chew gum.

To remove ink from clothes: Put toothpaste on the ink spots generously and let it dry completely,

then wash.

To get rid of mice or rats: sprinkle black pepper in places where you find mice or rats. They will

run away.

DID YOU KNOW?


9

The four horned antelope ( Tetraceros

quadricornis) – in Hindi ‘Chou singha’ and in Tamil

‘NariKombu man’ is unique in certain respects.

It is the only animal with four horns (though the

front pair may sometimes be nothing more than

horn covered studs or mere bony knobs under

the skin) and India is its only home Its traditional

habitat extends over the whole of peninsular

south of Himalayas barring the west coast. Its

population has declined over the years and it

has become a rare animal confined to small

pockets of areas in its wide habitat. In Orissa it is

said to occur in the dry sal forests up to

Singbhoom bordering the north. In Tamil Nadu

it is found in the Javadis confined to the thinly

wooded undulating country containing tall grass

striking the plains. As the grass cutting season

coincides with the fawning season many a young

one of the species fall in to the hands of the grass

cutters. Even in the few places where it may be

found, its shy nature keeps it away from public

eye.

The Vellore forest division has a pair of these

animals Ram and Sita in the small zoo maintained

by it at a place called Amardhi, 24 kilometres

from Vellore. Ram and Sita are three and half and

three years old respectively. On 24-3-1973 Sita

THE TALE OF TWO FOUR HORNED

ANTELOPES RAM AND SITABy

B. Jagannath Shetty

made history for herself and the zoo by

performing a rare feat of delivering 2 male fawns.

This zoo is located in a well wooded natural forest

and the resultant homely environment has been

conducive to breeding in captivity of this and

other species in the zoo.

It is only a small animal withy narrow muzzle.

The male measures about 63 cm at the shoulder,

and the female being only 2 to 3 cm shorter.

The female is hornless. The male may have one

or two pairs of straight horns. The longer pair

which measures about 8 to 10 cm are always

present in mature males and placed in the usual

position between the ears. The shorter one

which are a mere apology for horns may vary

somtimes between 1 to 2.5 cm and when

present are placed between the eyes. An animal

with a fore horn of 7.60 cm and hind one of 18.40

cm was recorded in the Bombay Natural History

Society journal in 1929.

Stern dale has observed that “The fore horns may

be absent in fully adult animals in the Madras

Presidency.”This statement is borne out by Ram

the male antelope in our zoo referred to above.

Hence it may be noted that the name four

horned antelope may sometimes seem to be


10

misnomer. But in judging on this point,

allowance has to be made for the fact that there

may be a time lag of one year between the

development of the anterior and the posterior

horns which may make their appearance in the

3rd and 2nd year respectively of the animal life.

However the animal when provoked can use

even its small horns to good advantage by

attacking with spring.

The period of gestation fawning season of the

animal have been variously estimated by

experts. According to Prater the period of

gestation is 8 to 8and half months, and the young

are born from October to February. Hodgson has

put down the gestation period at 6 months.

Thanks to the Forest Guard in charge of the

above stated pair in the zoo, for having written

on the corner of the rest house wall the date of

their mating as 26-6-72. It provides for a check

on the above said observations of experts. As

already noted earlier, the young ones were born

on 24th March 1973. Hence the period of

gestation exceeds the above estimates and

extends to nearly 9 months and the young may

be born beyond February too. It was further

observed at the time of birth, the young ones

measured about 16 cm each at the shoulder.

It was touching site to see Sita, the mother put

in a separate enclosure after delivery, insisting

by means of persistent calls that her mate Ram

should share the same enclosure with her and

the young ones; she quieted down only after he

was brought and tied in her enclosure.

Sita suffered bereavement by losing one of the

twins on the 5th day after the birth. After the

tragedy struck her, she was more insistent than

ever before (as would be guessed perhaps more

subjectively) by the frequent and intensity of her

calls that Ram should be by her side almost

always.

Insufficiency of the mother’s milk for two might

have been the cause of the mortality though one

cannot be too sure of it.

(Editor’s Note: This article was first published in

Indian Forester of September 1973 issue, and

the author is from Indian Forest Service, officer

originally of the Tamil Nadu Cadre, transferred

in 1975 to Karnataka in which state he retired as

Chief conservator of Forest and Chief Wild Life

Warden in - 1982. He worked as Instructor in

Southern Forests Rangers College Coimbatore

from 1961 to 1970”.)

Nothing is more destructive of respect for theGovernment and the law of the land thanpassing laws which cannot be enforced.

(Albert Einstein)


11

Long awaited cabinet reshuffle is now over. Given

the beating the earlier team had taken, the

people hoped that the Prime Minister would go

in for a major surgery and induct some new blood

and the experience of known integrity, to boost

up the image of the Government during the run

up to elections due in 2014. Nothing of the sort

happened except a few changes which hold no

great promise or hope.

The change which caught the attention of all

political analysts alike is the elevation of

Mr.Jairam Ramesh to cabinet rank and his shift

from Ministry of Environment & Forests to Rural

Development. Near unanimous view is that his

performance in MoEF was refreshingly good and

he brought a great deal of importance and

respectability to the Ministry it deserved but

denied all these years due to lacklustre

performance of his predecessors in office.

Informed sources say that he was objective,

frank, vocal and assertive in performance, some

amount of tentativeness in early stages

notwithstanding. While his elevation to cabinet

rank thoroughly deserves, some political

commentators doubt whether his shift from

MoEF is warranted at all. They argue that the no-

nonsense attitude of the Minister in

environmental matters earned him a handsome

CABINET RESHUFFLE: WHAT IS IN

STORE FOR MoEF?By

J V Sharma

number of detractors who include some cabinet

colleagues. Powerful and influential lobbies have

been keen to see his back from the ministry. He

was bold enough to write to the Chief Minister

of a State like Andhra Pradesh, the State which

sent him to RajyaSabha, that certain actions

taken by his government in respect of an Eco-

Tourism Project of Kothaguda RF in RR District

are not only unacceptable but would also invite

punitive action. With his uncanny knack to

understand complicated issues, he made the

seasoned bureaucrats and professional forest

officers look pigmies to prove that they are too

small for the shoes they wear. Aadarsh, Lavasa,

Vedanta, Eco-Tourism Project in Botanical

Garden in Hyderabad are mere examples where

Mr.Jairam Ramesh had taken tough and

principled stand antagonizing powerful lobbies

including political heavyweights of his own

party. So, there is ample reason to suspect the

hand of the vested interests in squeezing him

out of MoEF. Kicking one up (in the name of

elevation and shift) is one of the standard

practices of getting rid of an uncomfortable

person. One journalist remarked that Mr.Jairam

had rather ‘over-performed’. General opinion

among the informed public is that Mr.Jairam

Ramesh is penalised for his commitment and


12

efficiency, however cosmetic the elevation is

made to look. His insistence on good

environment is construed and dubbed as ‘anti-

development’ by the vested interests and their

lobbyists in Government.

The change means Mr.Jairam Ramesh is going

to preside over the Ministry of Rural

Development controlling an annual budget to a

tune of one lakh crore rupees. Despite the fact

his area of operation will extend to over 69% of

the country’s population, the pitfalls he has to

contend with are too many. Unlike in MoEF

where the subjects dealt are on the Concurrent

List and the Ministry has some superintending

role, Rural Development is a State subject and

the Centre’s role in implementing the schemes

on field is extremely limited. Given the inherent

weaknesses of the system in place and the

interference of the unscrupulous politicians and

people’s representatives at various levels, it is

next to impossible for the Central Minister to

be effective as to ensure satisfactory

performance. Thus Mr.Jairam Ramesh who had

been a master of his area of operation, with this

change, is reduced to be a privileged ring-side

spectator in a circus show.

Ms.JayanthiNatarajan is the new Minister of

State in independent charge of MoEF. Her views

on environment and commitment thereto, are

yet to be known. She has been one of the official

spokespersons of the Congress Party the job she

performed reasonably well. It is no easy task to

be a spokesperson of an important political

party, particularly if it is a ruling party. The job

involves a lot of fire-fighting and the person will

be often required defend the indefensible. The

job becomes that much more difficult when

there are too many chinks in the armour when

the spokespersons have to be extra-insensitive.

They had to be, brave to face bitter truth, bold to

not buckle, be unreasonable in argument,

dogged in defence and shameless when

exposed. To be fair, Ms.JayanthiNatarajan had

been civil and composed in her task while some

of her colleagues were brash and aggressive. It

can be assumed that the PM and Soniaji have

rewarded her for steadfast loyalty.

Like the quality of pudding is in its eating, the

new Minister needs to be judged by her

performance. The outgoing minister set some

standards and she will be keenly watched

whether she will honour these benchmarks. The

acid test will be the stand she is going to take on

issues which Mr.Jairam Ramesh considered vital

for good environment but his distracters painted

as an obstruction to development. Her initial

observations that she would care for

development as well as environment, do not

infuse the needed confidence among

environmentalists in as much as everyone knows

to what extent the meaning of ‘development’

can be stretched and abused. Case in point is

the numerous populist programmes and

unviable irrigation projects undertaken in

Andhra Pradesh in the name of development.


13

1. THE GIFT OF LISTENING...But, you must REALLYlisten.No interrupting, no daydreaming,No planning

your response.Just a good listening.

2. THE GIFT OF AFFECTION...Be generous with appropriate hugs,kisses, pats on the back, and

handholds.Let these small actions demonstrate theLove you have for your family, friends and

associates

3. THE GIFT OF LAUGHTER...Clip cartoons, share articles and funny stories / jokes.

Your gift will say, "I love to laugh with you"!

4. THE GIFT OF A WRITTEN NOTE...It can be a simple,"Thanks for the help" note or a full sonnet.A brief,

handwritten note may be rememberedfor a lifetime, and may even change a life!

5. THE GIFT OF A COMPLIMENT...A simple and sincere,"You look great in red,"

"You did a super job,"Or, "That was a wonderful meal," A mere expression can make some one's day.

6. THE GIFT OF A FAVOUR...Every day, go out of your wayto do something kind to some one.

7. THE GIFT OF SOLITUDE...There are times when we want nothing better

than to be left alone.Be sensitive to those times and givethe gift of solitude to others.

8. THE GIFT OF A CHEERFUL DISPOSITION. ..The easiest way to feel good isto extend a kind word to

someone.Really, it's not that hard to say,Hello or Long Time.

EIGHT GIFTS THAT DO NOT COST

A SINGLE PENNY.

A word needs to be said about the Prime

Minister in this context. All said and done, it is

PM’s prerogative to choose his team of ministers

and assign portfolios to them. While no one

questions his integrity, his managerial skills are

being increasingly called to question in recent

times. Compulsions of coalition and pressures

from within or outside cannot be credible

explanations for administrative lapses. The

overall responsibility for good governance rests

upon the Prime Minister and he should convince

the Nation that the change in MoEF is not made

to please the vested interests. As one senior

journalist said, the PM has also to be a good

butcher. He should not hesitate to weed out

people who have no commitment to the job

entrusted to them. People will not be prepared

to accept hemlock even if it is offered by honest

person.


14

(Nine Spiritual Principles for activating the Law

of Abundance to Supply Your Needs in Good

times and Bad times")

1.Know that God's plans for the world are

abundance and joy: All people are of one blood.

By potent good thought, and actions rouse to

create positive prosperity wherever you grow.

2. Apply your knowledge that consciousness is

the creator: By strengthening your thoughts, you

can reach whatever good you want to attain. You

remember "God helps him who helps himself".

3. Use the Law of cause and effect to create

prosperity: A man's success depends not only

upon his intelligence and efficiency but upon

the nature of his past actions. However there is a

way to overcome the unfavorable results of the

past actions.

4. Contact the super conscious source of success

and prosperity: Attune your mind to GOD, sure

of success. More time should be given to art of

controlling the mind, in order to achieve

scientifically all-round success.

5. Exercise the Manifesting powers of

affirmations: when you do your part and rely on

God to do his, you will find that the mysterious

CREATING PROSPERITY

CONSCIOUSNESSBy

SurendraK.Bali

forces come to your aid and your constructive

wishes soon are materialized. Change your

thoughts if you wish to change your

circumstances.

6. Create the right balance between needs &

wont's: Know the difference between needs &

wants. If perception of needs is boiled down

then necessity for a happy life can be easily met.

7. Activate the Law through generosity &

unselfish service, start with this thought: "My life

duties are to make others happy...."

8. Tune with infinite sustaining power of God: One

should seek God first, last and all the time, not

for his gift but as once ultimate aim. Have him

who is the source of all things. Have Him!! "If you

have in your consciousness the desire to reach

God above all else, he will look after you"

9. Practice gratitude and thanks giving: Thanks

giving and praise opens in your consciousness

the way for spiritual growth and supply to come

to you-Great source of all supply. He is with you

always and nothing can interfere with success if

you acknowledge the divine power within you.

Wisdom Legacy of Sri. Sri. Parmanhnansa

Yogadanda


15

Between 1989 and 1992 I worked as Divisional

Forest Officer, Flying Squad Division Cuddapah.

One day at about 8 PM there was a Phone call

from M.L.A, Jammalamadugu, (Late) Mr. P. Siva

Reddy (Known as Bambula Siva Reddy who was

later killed in a Bomb attack by his rivals at

‘SathyaSaiNigamagamam’ at Hyderabad). He said

“Mr. Babu! I am calling from my native place

Gundlakunta. If you come to my village

immediately I will see that you get a good case.”

I told him that it would take minimum two hours

for me to reach his place and asked him whether

it was OK? He said “it is alright; till you reach

here I shall take care of the situation”.

Immediately I summoned my staff and the Jeep

Driver and left to Proddatur and thence to

Jammalamadugu and reached Gundlakunta by

about 10.30 PM. I was surprised to see the MLA

himself on the road along with about hundreds

of his men who blocked the road completely

with stones and boulders. As soon as I reached

there and met the MLA, he gave a warm welcome

to me and said that some people were resorting

to smuggling of timbers from Nandyal Division

and recently he came to know about this and

that today they have gone to indulge in the same

activity and they are expected to come back in

GETTING SANDWICHEDBy

V. SANTHASEELA BABU

this route at any time tonight and so he had

informed me about this.

Then I told him that since I am on the spot I shall

take care of the situation and requested him to

go and relax at his home. He said that there is no

question of going home till they are caught and

said that he would also remain with me. I told

him that so many people are on the road and if

the smugglers get the information about this,

they may Changed the route. He said that there

are his people watching the movement of the

lorry well ahead of his village and as soon as the

lorry passes that area, he would get telephonic

information from them.

He made his men to bring some cots and chairs

on to the road and settled down on a cot. I was

sitting in a chair near him and we were discussing

about smuggling activity from forests about Red

sanders smuggling and so many other topics.

After some time he fell asleep and I was sitting

there only. After some time my staff came and

informed that they found some country bombs,

big sickles and knives kept in a nearby hut and

some people are sitting there guarding them. I

found majority of the people assembled there,

were under the influence of alcohol. Here these

people are equipped with bombs and deadly


16

weapons and are in highly charged moods. I do

not know how the other party which is coming

with the smuggled produce is armed and

equipped to guard themselves. I was in a

dilemma as to what would happen if the vehicle

comes during that night and was unable to guess

the resultant consequences. I was praying God

that the vehicle should not come at that dead of

night. Entire night all of us were on the road and,

thank God, nothing transpired.

It was dawn and the M.L.A woke up and said that

he would come back after refreshing himself and

requested me to be there till he returns.

Accordingly he came back within half an hour

and asked me to go to his house and get myself

refreshed. I went with some staff to his house

leaving the other staff on the road; refreshed

myself and Mrs. Siva Reddy fed us with

sumptuous breakfast. I was alone sitting in the

drawing room looking at the newspaper, sipping

coffee and suddenly the telephone rang up. As

none were available in the vicinity, I answered

the call. The person from the other side shouted

at the pitch of his voice that lorry with load

covered with a tarpaulin has just crossed an

adjoining village about 15 Kms away from

Gundlakunta village. I thought over the situation

for some time. Since the emotions of all the

people at Gundlakunta were in a highly charged

state and if I intercept the lorry here it is likely

that some untoward incident may occur which

would be beyond anybody’s control. So I felt it

is better to go in the opposite direction and

intercept the vehicle far away from this place.

After taking this decision in my mind I

immediately came running to the road and got

in to my jeep with my staff.

Seeing me getting in to my jeep, the MLA asked

me where I was going. I told him that the lorry is

coming in that route and if they come to know

that we are waiting here they may stop in

between or divert to some other route and so I

am going to intercept them en route. He said he

would come along with me and I told him that it

is not necessary and dissuaded him from his

attempt. Then he asked me to be careful while

intercepting them. I nodded my head and

proceeded on my way in the opposite direction

of the expected vehicle.

After going for about 10 kms.or so we noticed a

Lorry coming opposite to us and we stopped

the lorry. The body was covered with a tarpaulin

and the contents of the lorry were not visible.

The driver and the inmates of the lorry got down

from the lorry and my Range Officer told them

that I am the Flying Squad DFO. When I asked

them as to what was the load in the lorry, one

person replied that it is paddy husk. I went

behind the lorry and opened a portion of the

tarpaulin cover and found timber in the body of

the lorry. There were lofty NallaMaddi (Terminalia

tomentosa) timber which was neatly rough


17

dressed. I was furious after seeing the timbers

and shouted at the person why he was telling

lies and caught his wrist and twisted his hand

pretending as if I was about to beat him. He said

“Sir, kindly do not beat me I am a saw mill owner

and a close relative of Mr. xxxxx MLA.” Then I left

him and asked him to show me the transit permit

for the transport of the timber and he failed to

produce any permit. Then I got in to the lorry

and sat by his side. I asked the driver to move the

lorry leaving instructions to my staff to follow

the lorry.

When we reached Gundlakunta, Mr. Sivareddy

came to the lorry and asked me to complete

the formalities of booking the case there itself. I

was in no mood to get down and expose the

accused to the mercy of Mr. Reddy’s men and I

politely told him that I shall deal the case after

taking the lorry to my office at Cuddapah. Then

he told me in a strong voice “Mr. Babu !Please

remember that you have seized the lorry with

illegal timbers right before a People’s

Representative. If anything goes wrong, I shall

be constrained to raise the matter in the

Legislative Assembly. Please note that.” I assured

him that stern action would be initiated against

the accused and the illegal produce and left the

place.

After reaching Cuddapah, there were a host of

Telephone calls from so many responsible

persons enquiring me about the seizure and

requesting me to take a lenient action. Some

people came to me personally also and

requested to see that the lorry is released. I went

ahead with drafting of the connected records

meticulously and booking the case. I released

all the accused on bail by obtaining personal

bonds from them. In the meanwhile the

Conservator of Forests, Kurnool, on his return

journey from Rajampet camp came to my office

at Cuddapah and after seeing the timbers

instructed me to initiate confiscation

proceedings in this case.

Next day in the evening while I was in my office,

Mr.xxxxx, MLA, said to be the relative of the

accused caught by me in the lorry, came to me

along with his men in two cars and the owner of

the lorry. I invited him courteously and made him

to be seated. He started shouting at me for

booking the case on the initiative of an

opposition M.L.A. He said “You did not book the

case on your own and booked it at the instance

of somebody else. Better you leave the lorry and

the timbers immediately.” I expressed my

inability stating that it is a pucca case of illegal

transport of timbers from the reserved forest

and that I cannot take a lenient view and I have

decided to initiate confiscation proceedings

against the lorry along with timbers. When I

offered him Tea, the MLA refused to have it and

got up saying “ I am giving you three days’ time

to settle the matter as directed by me.


18

Otherwise I shall not be responsible for the

resultant consequences.” By saying these words

he left my office.

After thinking over for some time, I thought it is

better that I inform the District Collector about

this and went to his residence to meet and

appraise him of the happenings that took place

in these three days. He was in a meeting with

Officials at his camp office. When he saw me

entering in to the meeting room, he asked me

“What is the matter Mr. Babu?” I told him that it is

confidential. He abruptly left the meeting room

and took me in to his drawing room and asked

me to tell him as to what happened.

I narrated the entire incident to the Collector

including the threatening made by the MLA. He

said that the same person had earlier

misbehaved with some of the District Officers

also and that he would ask the Superintendent

of Police to post ‘Armed Guard’ at my office. I

said that it is not necessary and told him that I

shall keep my staff with ‘Arms’ for protecting the

lorry. But however, the Collector asked me not to

hesitate to contact him by giving a ring during

any time in the night if any exigency is there and

he said that he would ask his night duty staff to

connect my call to him.

Next day in the early morning around 5 AM, there

was a Telephone call from Mr. Siva Reddy. He said

“ Mr. Babu ! I am calling from Hyderabad. I came

to know that the fellow came to you and

threatened you of dire consequences. Please tell

me as to how I could help you? Shall I send my

men to you and keep them guarding you at your

bungalow?” Then I replied him not to resort to

any such type of actions as I am capable of

guarding myself. I told him that ‘come what may’

I am ready to face the situation. Finally he

requested me to call him whenever the situation

demands his intervention. In the morning

newspapers the news of threat made by the MLA

Mr.xxxxx has appeared as a headline in the

District Editions with a caption “Seize the timbers

of an MLA and face Suspension.” Some of my

relatives and well-wishers, who were local

politicians at Cuddapah, after reading the

newspapers came to me and enquired about

the incident. After coming to know the details,

they assured me that they would meet the MLA

and tell him in his language about me and my

relationship with them so that he would

understand as to whom he was dealing with.

Subsequently I was informed by the same

people that the MLA Mr.xxxxx told them that he

did not know about my relationship with them

and assured them that he would not resort to

any untoward action.

One more day passed on peacefully and there

was a call in which the person on the other side

introduced himself as Chief Minister’s P.A and

said the PS desires to speak to me. The person


19

said to be the PS of Chief Minister enquired me,

about the seizure of the lorry and wanted me to

impose some nominal fine and release the lorry.

I replied him that the case is under investigation

and that I shall go by the merits of the case and

take appropriate action and that I cannot assure

anything in this matter. However he again

advised me to release the lorry. Pressure was

mounting upon me for the release of the lorry

and at the same time Mr. Siva Reddy was

pressurizing me to take severe action in this case

and thereby I was literally sandwiched between

the two politicians.

After two days or so again there was a call stating

that it was from Chief Minister’s Peshi and I was

instructed to come to Hyderabad on a date fixed

after 2 days along with the connected file of the

case in which the lorry was booked and meet

the Chief Minister. I told them politely that until

I receive orders from my Prl. Chief Conservator

of Forests, I cannot come and meet the Minister.

I was informed that directions would be issued

to the Prl. CCF to give necessary instructions to

me.

On the next day in the afternoon the Chief

Conservator of Forests, Vigilance telephoned to

me and enquired me about the case. I informed

him all the details of the case. The CCF, Vigilance

asked me to consider for compounding of the

case to the maximum extent and release the

lorry stating that there is lot of pressures on Prl.

CCF from many circles for this. I agreed for the

same and informed the Conservator of Forests

about this who asked me to follow the

instructions received from higher ups.

Then I initiated compounding proceedings and

ordered for payment of one plus four times the

value of the produce which I remember must

have been around Rs. One Lakh or so in those

days. I informed Mr. Siva Reddy about my action

of penalizing the accused so heavily and he was

also satisfied with my decision. Thus I was

sandwiched between the politicians belonging

to two rival groups while discharging my duties

and could come out of the same successfully by

satisfying both the parties and meeting the ends

of justice.

In forest community each member plays a uniquerole assigned to it, by nature, in the continuingcycle of life, death, and regeneration. All other

species except humans have remainedtrue to this role.


20

1.The law of the wild says kill only when you

are hungry!! :-! Photographer Michel Denis-

Huot, who captured these amazing pictures on

safari in Kenya's Masai Mara in Octoberlast year,

said he was astounded by what he saw

"These three brothers (cheetahs) have been

living together since they left their mother at

about 18 months old,' he said. 'On the morning

we saw them, they seemed not to be hungry,

walking quickly but stopping sometimes to play

together. 'At one point, they met a group of

impala who ran away. But one youngster was not

quick enough and the brothers caught it easily'".

(Please see photo on front cover page)

2.The Ten Most Live-able Cities in the World:-

In an annual survey conducted by the Economist

Intelligence Unit, four Australian cities are listed

in the top ten of the most liveable cities in the

world. Living conditions in these cities were

analysed according to several factors like

political stability, environment, health care,

culture, education, and infrastructure.

In this beauty contest for cities of some sort,

Vancouver emerged as the world’s most liveable

city in 2011. If you are looking to find a perfect

place to live at Odusee then it would make sense

to choose the world’s most live able city.

1. Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada)

NEWS AND NOTES

The 2010 Winter Olympics host grabbed the

gold medal for an unprecedented fifth straight

time by beating other cities as the world’s most

liveable city. Despite having murder rate higher

than the national average, the hosting of the

Olympics may have provided the big boost in

the city’s infrastructure and tourism thereby

helping Vancouver retains the title.

2. Melbourne, Victoria (Australia)

Melbourne, the most liveable city in Australia

for the second straight year, has edged out rival

Sydney for the top spot. From politics to sports,

both cities have vied for Australia’s best but the

city still managed to cling into its Marvellous

Melbourne heritage by becoming one of the

“best” cities in the world.

3. Vienna (Austria)

Vienna is the top European city to be included

in the list because of its old-world charm and

sophistication. If you take a walk into the city’s

fairy tale streets and buildings, not to mention

the unforgettable sights and sounds, then you

will know why Vienna is one good place to live.

4. Toronto, Ontario (Canada)

Being one of the most ethnically diverse urban

centres in the world, Toronto has emerged as one

of the favourite places to live. Unlike their

American counterparts, Canadian cities like


21

Toronto have vibrant downtown communities

that encourage people to live peacefully.

5. Calgary, Alberta (Canada)

Calgary may not a typical large North American

metropolitan city but it is the most favoured

tourist destination for people who are into

winter sports and ecotourism. With a number of,

Major Mountain resorts in the city and suburbs.

6. Helsinki (Finland)

The picturesque city of Helsinki made it to the

top ten most liveable cities in 2011 because of

its friendly and hardworking people that made

it an interesting place to live. It is a modern city

that pride itself for its rich cultural heritage

7. Sydney, New South Wales (Australia)

Despite being Australia’s largest city, Sydney has

fallen behind Melbourne in the rankings.

Unfortunately, the city’s growth was hampered

by the policies of the New South Wales

government such as the restrictions imposed on

land release for housing.

8. Perth, Western Australia (Australia)

Being the most populous city in the western end

of Australia, Perth has emerged as a surprising

entry in the list. It is the country’s fastest growing

city brought about its growing tourism sector

and music and performance arts scene.

9. Adelaide, South Australia (Australia)

Adelaide is a new entry in the list because of its

notable festivals and sporting events. Famous

for its food and wine, the city remains one of the

most liveable cities in the region according to

the Property Council of Australia in 2011. Aside

from being home to numerous educational

institutions and research centres, it is also has

leading defence industry complexes.

10. Auckland (New Zealand)

Auckland, New Zealand’s capital has been a

favourable destination for people who live the

peace and serenity of the countryside and the

wild and breathtaking outdoor attractions of

nature.

3. National Board for Wild life Accepts Panel’s

Report On Kolleru :- In a swift move,the

National Board for Wild life accepted the Azeez

Committee recommendations on retaining the

Kolleru Wild life sanctuary area at plus five feet

contour. The move comes as a blow to the State

Wild Life Board as it is learnt that it was planning

to meet, discuss and reject the proposal.

According to source thinking the State

Government perturbed over the committee

report had wanted to call for a meeting of the

SWLB and declare that the recommendations, if

accepted would go against the interest of the

aqua farmers in the area.

Meanwhile unaware of the State Government

the NBW which met earlier this week decided

to accept the committee recommendations.


22

The NBW had set up the seven member

committee headed by Dr.Azeez of Coimbatore

on April 29, 2010 to study the conditions related

to the Kolleru Lake and recommend whether its

contours could be reduced to plus three feet

from the existing plus five feet. The committee

which visited the lake, con ducted intervi9ews

with a large cross section of the population of,

studied material available on the subject and

submitted its report last week (third week of

April) The committee concluded that the villages

around the lake are facing frequent floods owing

to human intervention that is interfering with

the hydrological regimes and flow pattern (From

‘Times of India’ daily, with thanks)

4. Burning issue: NGO plans turning dry

leaves into compost:- OIDA: A group of

environmentalists has launched a campaign

against burning of fallen leaves by sweepers,

gardeners and residents. The Citizens'

Environment Improvement Society, an NGO, has

roped in Noida Authority officials to support their

movement and create awareness about the

hazard that are caused by open burning of leaves.

An interactive session on 'Harmful effects of

burning leaves and its solution' was held by the

RWA of ArunVihar, sector 29 after which a decision

was taken to seek the assistance of schools,

residents and the Authority to put an end to the

problem. The solution offered included creating

vermi-compost from the waste.

"Burning leaves is a practice that goes unnoticed

for its environmental hazards. The world over, this

practice has been banned by most governments.

Why should leaves be brunt when they can be

fruitfully used to make garden compost that adds

vital organic matter to build up the soil and

retain more moisture," said one of the activists.

"Composting is the most eco-friendly

alternative to burning. Dry leaves take a long

time to break down, but mixing them in

materials such as grass trimmings and organic

kitchen waste from households will speed up

the process. All this can be collected by the

Authority and mixed with rich sources of

nitrogen, such as livestock manure, besides a

handful of earthworms, to make Noida greener

and healthier," said Cdr VK Nagpal, who heads

the society.

Taking the initiative of converting the green

waste into vermi-compost, sector 29 residents

harvested the first lot of compost weighing 20kg

on Friday. Nagpal said, "All one needs is to invest

20 minutes a day for making the vermi-compost,

a handful of worms and a 20ft x 3ft area. It saves

water, energy, landfills, and helps rebuild the soil.

The worms' ability to convert organic waste into

nutrient-rich material reduces the need for

synthetic fertilizers."

Leaf burning is banned because it leads to air

pollution, health problems and fire hazards. Leaf


23

smoke may also contain hazardous chemicals

such as carbon monoxide, which can bind with

haemoglobin and reduce the amount of oxygen

in the blood and lungs. "While breathing in leaf

smoke can irritate the eyes, nose and throat of

adults, it can wreak havoc on small children, the

elderly and people with asthma or other lung or

heart diseases," said R K Chopra, another

resident.

5.Definition of "forest" still being thought by

Ministry:- New Delhi, July 3 (PTI) What

constitutes a forest in India?There is no answer

for this simple and plain question even 62 years

after independence if one goes by a RTI reply

from the Ministry of Environment and Forests.

The reason cited by the ministry in its reply is

that "definition" of forests is under active

consideration and it is yet to be "finalised".

"Definition of forests is under active

consideration and yet to be finalised. However

regarding definition of Forest, we may like to

refer to the judgement of Honourable Supreme

Court dated December 12, 1996 in the case of

TN Godavarman versus Union of India and others

in Writ Petition civil No. 202/1995," an official of

the Forest Policy Division with the ministry said.

Ajay Marathe, a resident of Mumbai, had filed a

Right To Information (RTI) application asking for

state-wise and area-wise comparison statement

showing increase in forest area and the forest

cover in the last decade.

Marathe said, "It’s surprising that in the report

on ''Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and

Forest Degradation'' updated on 30 March 2011

they talk in length and breadth on how 3 million

hectares of forest cover have been added over

the last decade.

"This too when we get to read news reports of

encroachment on forest area by builders,

chopping off trees in other places leading to

forest being completely erased in many states.

This is why I asked them to provide what was

the definition of forests for preparing the

report."

Marathe also said he sought a definition of the

quality of forests.

"The report speaks of shifting focus from

increasing the quantity of forest towards

increasing its quality and improving provision

of ecosystem goods and services. That is why I

have asked them to define quality of forest and

how it is measured." (Contributed by Sri

.S.Reddy)

6. AP Govt. to approach Centre over

pollution due to Vedanta plant:- Hyderabad,

Jul 1 (PTI) Andhra Pradesh government has

decided to approach the Centre with regard to

the pollution of river Vamsadhara in Srikakulam

district due to effluents from Vedanta aluminium


24

factory in the neighbouring Orissa. Government

sources said Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy

today directed the AP Pollution Control Board to

survey the affected areas. The report would be

forwarded to the Centre. "The Chief Minister has

taken a serious view of the pollution as people

in many mandals of Srikakulam district are facing

health hazards due to contaminated drinking

water. He has directed the APPCB officials to

probe this and submit a report," sources said.

7. WHEN A SWALLOW FALLS: - Here a female

mate is injured and the condition is soon fatal.

She was hit by a car as she swooped low across

the road.Here he brought her food and attended

to her with love and compassion. He brought

her food again, but was shocked to find her dead.

He tried to move her ... a rarely-seen effort for

swallows! Aware that his sweetheart is dead and

will never come back to him again, He cries with

adoring love.He stood beside her, saddened of

her death. Finally aware she would never return

to him, he stayed beside her body chirping out

his sadness and sorrow.Millions of people cried

after seeing these photos in America, Europe,

Australia, and even India..The photographer sold

these pictures for a nominal fee to the most

famous newspaper in France. All copies of that

edition were sold out on the day these pictures

were published.And many people think animals

don't have brains or feelings?You have just

witnessed Love and Sorrow felt by God's

creatures.Live simply, love generously, care

deeply and speak kindly. (Please see photos on

last cover page)

8. Leopard mauls six in Siliguri:- In a horrifying

moment, a fully grown leopard pounced on a

forest guard in Siliguri. A leopard was shot dead

after it attacked and injured six people in a slum

in West Bengal's Darjeeling district Tuesday. The

leopard attacked a woman in Lumbu slum near

Siliguri town Tuesday afternoon and then

pounced upon two men, including a forest

department employee, saidMr. V.K. Sood,

conservator of forest (wildlife), north

Bengal.Hearing the news, forest and wildlife

officers reached the spot, but the animal took

refuge in a bush, as thousands of locals gathered

in the area - some to see the fun, and others

terrified.In the evening, the leopard emerged

again and attacked three people, including a

policeman. 'The police and forest officials then

fired in self-defence. The injured leopard was

taken to the Sukna forest office, where it died,'

said Mr.sood.(For photographs please see last

cover page)

Until lions have their historians, tale of the huntshall always glorify the hunters.

(African proverb)


25

People from all walks of life will come together

today to observe the World Environment Day by

talking about a cleaner, greener and brighter

outlook about environment. But, more than the

frenzied and mere propaganda, some action is

needed on the ground for sustainable forest

management, conservation and sustainable

development of forests for the benefit of current

and future generations. With forest and wildlife

conservation getting a new meaning amid

development vs. sustenance debate, AK Joshi,

head of the state forest force (HoFF), explains how

Maharashtra has shifted its focus to new

approaches that involve cross-sectoral

coordination and integration of environmental

and social concerns into all development

processes.

Excerpts

Q. Why do people and leaders have a negative

image about the forest department and consider

it as a hurdle in development

A. Forests and wildlife are bound to be

controversial subjects as there is no other public

interest area that underlines so strongly the

trade-off between development and

conservation, with formidable stakes weighed

against the latter. Conservation of forests and

wildlife is not a politically popular concept as

'LEAVE ALONE TIGER, TODAY

PEOPLE ARE EVEN SAVING

SPARROWS'matters like grazing and discouraging people

from not collecting fire wood are very

sympathetic issues related to daily lives of the

people. Despite working against all odds, the

department is playing its role in economic

development. Roughly speaking, per day we

have been diverting 10 hectare forest land for

various projects, after the Forest Conservation

Act (FCA) came into force in 1980. We diverted

over 1.05 lakh hectares through 1,732 proposals

till now. It is imperative that activities related to

forest conservation are not looked upon merely

as a mechanical way to meet requirements of

FCA

Q. Forest Rights Act (FRA) is considered as threat

to forests. Can you tell us about its success and

implications?

A. The FRA has defined a new role for the

department vis-A -vis the gram sabha for forest

conservation and regeneration. Since its

implementation in 2008, of the, 3.34 lakh

individual claims, 1.04 have been finally

accepted and 82,310 titles were issued for over

1.49 lakh acre land till February 2011. Besides,

under the community rights, of the 4,062 claims,

814 have been accepted and title were issued

in 727 cases involving over 2.50 lakh acre land.

Of this, 99% cases pertain to Gadchiroli. In some

districts like Dhule, Jalgaon, Nandurbar and


26

Nashik, illicit felling and clearing of forest have

been reported. This is despite the fact that as

per provisions, people encroaching upon forest

land after December 13, 2005, are not qualified.

I feel, the FRA should be understood in right

spirit.

Q. If huge tracts of forest land have been

recognized under FRA, how do you justify to

increase the state forest cover to the mandatory

33% under the 1988 National Forest Policy?

A. Recognizing forest rights doesn't mean loss of

forest cover. Rights have been granted to

cultivate the land. As per the 2009 Forest Survey

of India (FSI) report, state's forest cover is 61,939

sq km. The government is serious about

increasing the forest cover. A state-level steering

committee headed by chief secretary has also

been constituted involving all departments. The

land revenue code which allows felling in non-

forest areas is also being looked into. Increasing

forest cover should not be left to the department

but all departments need to contribute. There is

huge biotic pressure on state forests. Firewood

needs to be replaced with biogas and eco-

friendly 'chulas' in villages. We also need to

rework grazing policy which is in force since

1967. Unproductive cattle need to be

discouraged. All this will surely lead to increase

in green cover.

Q. With environment, forests and tigers getting

global attention, why does the forest department

get less importance in the form of a meagre

budget?

A: The funding for the department has been

slowly but surely increasing which is reflecting

in the state plan outlays. This year, our budget is

pegged at Rs 372 crore, which is 0.89% of the

plan outlay. Last year, it was Rs 243 crore (0.64%).

Apart from this, Rs 89 crore was received in 2010-

11 under compensatory afforestation fund

management and planning authority (CAMPA).

Besides, the state’s Rs 1,160, crore money is lying

with the Centre, of which 10% can be withdrawn.

Thus, we will get about another Rs 100 crore in

2011-12. The allocation under NREGA is

expected to go up. For ecotourism, Rs 32 crore

has been proposed in 2011-12.

Q. You were PCCF (wildlife) earlier. Have seen

any change anywhere?

A. You can't expect any short-term success, but,

yes, I see there is huge awareness about wildlife

and forest protection. Awareness and a sense of

responsibility for protection of wildlife and its

habitats are not only growing among officials

and field staff but also among people. Media,

NGOs, courts, stakeholders etc have played their

bit. Amendment to various wildlife and

environment laws is also contributing. Earlier,

even the death of a tiger went unnoticed. Today

people are coming forward to save even

sparrows.

Q. Tigers protection vs man-animal conflict. What

steps are the department taking?

A. It is true that man-animal conflict is at its peak

and 51 lives have been lost in 2010-11 in the

state owing to conflict. Of this, 21 deaths were

reported from Chandrapur alone. Of the 1,736

villages in Chandrapur district, 839 are


27

surrounded by forests. Like wildlife, villagers also

depend on forests for MFP and fuel wood. In such

a situation conflict is inherent. There is need to

reduce huge biotic pressure on forest to reduce

conflict and combined efforts are needed to

meet the challenge.

Q. The 2010 estimation of tigers by the NTCA

shows increase in state tiger population. How

far has the department been successful in

sustaining tiger population?

A. Overall, reproduction of tigers and leopard

population in the state is a positive indication.

Tiger numbers show an increase by 66 as

compared to 2006, when there were 103 tigers.

Now the reported number is 169. You can't

expect any short-term success in wildlife

management as you are dealing with a system

that is very vulnerable to any kind of damage

and yet responds slowly to restorative

intervention. However, even as the number game

hardly matters, several steps have been taken to

save tigers and wildlife. Notifying buffer zones

around tiger reserves; declaring Mansingdeo

area a sanctuary; tiger conservation foundations

for three tiger reserves are some of the

progressive steps that we have taken.

Q. What about relocation of villages in protected

areas (Pas)?

A. To ensure that (PAs) are made inviolate,

relocation of villages is being taken up on priority.

Till now we have relocated 34 villages (2,195

families) from 17 PAs. Efforts are now on to

relocate 93 villages (12,559 families) with

preference to tiger reserves. Recently, three

villages - Nagartas, Amona and Barukheda were

relocated from Melghat in record time.

Q. Nagpur (Waghpur) has been declared as the

'gateway to tiger capital'. The forest department

always talks of boosting ecotourism in the region

but results are not so forthcoming. Why?

A. There is tremendous potential for

development of ecotourism here not only for

domestic tourists but for international visitors

too, many of whom come to Central India to have

a glimpse of the majestic tiger. However, entire

ecotourism development has to be done within

the given legal framework and the fact that

tourism development is subservient to wildlife

conservation and hence no activity is taken up

which is non-compatible to the needs of tiger

and wildlife conservation. A non-recurring

budget of Rs 50 crore and recurring budget of Rs

2 crore has been proposed to boost ecotourism.

Q. What is your message on 'World Environment

Day'?

A. Every individual is now better aware about

forests. A large area is there outside the forest.

For example, in Sindhudurg district, the official

forest area is about 10%, whereas forest cover is

50% of the district. Our endeavour should be to

conserve forest cover whether it is forest land or

not. We should be conscious and think positively

as small efforts matter.

Enjoy the little things, for one day you may lookback and realize they were the big things.

(Robert Brault.)


28

The tiger is the largest of the four big cats (lions,

jaguars, leopard and tigers) and is an apex

predator, meaning it resides at the top of their

food chain with no predators of their own.

The larger tiger subspecies can reach up to 3.3

metres (11 ft) in total length, weighing up to 300

kilograms (660 pounds), with canines up to 4

inches long.Tigers are obligate carnivores,

meaning they depend solely on the nutrients

found in animal flesh.Tigers are territorial and

generally requiring large contiguous areas of

habitat that support their prey demands.

Coupled with the fact that they are indigenous

to some of the more densely populated places

on earth, has caused significant conflicts with

humans.

Three of the nine subspecies of modern tiger

have gone extinct, and the remaining six are

classified as endangered, some critically so. The

primary direct causes are habitat destruction,

fragmentation, and hunting. The remaining sub-

species of tigers are: Bengal, Indochinese,

Malayan, Sumatran, Siberian, and South China.The

largest sub-species of tiger is the Siberian Tiger,

while the most numerous is the Bengal tiger.

Among the big cats, only the tiger and jaguar are

strong swimmers; tigers are often found bathing

in ponds, lakes, and rivers. During the extreme

heat of the day, they often cool off in pools. Tigers

are excellent swimmers, and are able to carry

prey through the water.

Hybridisation among the big cats, including the

TIGERStiger, was first conceptualised in the 19th

century, when zoos were particularly interested

in the pursuit of finding oddities to display for

financial gain. Lions have been known to breed

with tigers to create hybrids called ligers and

tigons.Like other big cats; tigers have a white

spot on the backs of their ears. These spots, called

ocelli, serve a social function, by communicating

the animal’s mental state to other tigers in the

gloom of dense forest or in tall grass.

There is a well-known mutation that produces

the white tiger, technically known a chinchilla

albinistic, an animal which is rare in the wild,

but widely bred in zoos due to its popularity.

Breeding of white tigers will often lead to

inbreeding (as the trait is recessive).

Mating can occur all year round, but is generally

more common between November and April.

The gestation period is 16 weeks and the litter

size usually consists of around 3-4 cubs of about

1 kilogram (2.2 lb) each, which are born blind

and helpless.

The females rear the cubs alone, sheltering

them in dens such as thickets and rocky crevices.

The father of the cubs generally takes no part in

rearing them.

Tigers appear on many flags and coats of arms,

as mascots for sporting teams, and as the national

animal of several Asian nations, including India.

(Contd. on page No. 32 )


29

After an association of fourteen years it is difficult

to break a relationship. A bond developed and

cemented over this long tends to be a strong

one and breaking that union is painful, if not

excruciating. Recently I had to go through the

agonizing experience of severing a productive

relationship that at times gave me warmth and

comfort. I had become so close to her that my

wife deemed her a Chipkoo. This is when the

trouble started. Aankh me khatakna in other

words. I was told to get rid of her. Alas, it had to

end.

With looming threat of the relationship turning

sour, memories flooded in a flashback. It all

started fourteen years ago. I saw her in a parking

lot; it was love at first sight. She was small, could

be considered petite and khush rang or

Gehonkemafiqsawonli. I preferred to call her

"Choti" lovingly. My wife, considering her origins,

nicknamed her Chapti. Whenever I went out with

her alone, my wife used to snidely quip

PhirChaptikesaathjaaraheho?

Initially, all was well. She was an integral part of

our household. We were newly married then and

spent quite a bit of time with her. I would spend

some time with her most mornings after I saw

my wife off. On my way back home from work, I

would pour out my heart to her about all the

stress and dreadful things at work. She always

listened to me in silence letting me vent out my

frustrations before I went to the house to spend

TUM KO NA BHULA PAYENGEBy

Moqeem Syed

the evening with my lovely wife. She had

become a part and parcel of the family and was

present for almost all the wonderful and sad

happenings in my life. She was there with us

when we brought home our daughters from the

hospital, our graduations, first day of our kid's

school, when we became US citizens, Eids, etc.

Over the years, my fascination for her grew. She

never asked for anything special in return for all

she did for us. We did our basic duty towards her,

providing the bare necessities with sometimes

a bit extra. I had come to depend on her too

much and missed her when she was not around.

I remember an evening when she had gone out

with my wife, and while awaiting them on the

porch, I started serenading, "Suhaaniraat dhal

chuki, najaane tum kabaaoge." I was not sure who

I was singing the ballad for; my wife or her?

Tenacity of our relationship was put to test

starting a year back. My wife was slowly

developing an aversion for her. I could not

understand why. The one who had been so

faithful to us suddenly fell out of my wife's favour

and she wanted her out of our lives, specifically

mine. I was devastated. Fourteen years in my life;

I just could not throw her out. She was getting

old for sure and did not look as pretty as she did

years ago. Her Sawonla colour was fading, skin of

her face cracking, spots and disfigurement due

to age and abuse showed on her body.


30

My wife stopped accompanying me whenever I

went out with her. When all of us did go out

together, people stared at us judgingly, as if

suggesting, "How could you, are not you

ashamed?" At my wife "How could you let him"

or "Pity you have to deal with this scrap?" My

wife persisted to get rid of her citing people

talking about me and her behind our back;

Kuchtoh log kahenge, logon kakaamhaikehnahai.

Loyalty will not let me abandon her, she was not

a cat or dog to be put to sleep as she got old or

discard her if I got bored. My wife wailed

"Gaironpekaram, apnopesitam. Aeijanawafa, ye

zulmnakar."

Seeing my reluctance to give her up, my wife

gave me an ultimatum. Going out with her was

beneath me and not befitting my status

"Acchegharke log aisenaiphirtekisikebhisaath."

My wife opted out of vacations this summer, if I

decide to take her along too. Decide soon, it is

either her or me. I was tormented. Understanding

my dilemma, my wife assured me that if I get rid

of her now, she will think about allowing me to

have a new one in my life later again.

My friends were bewildered and jealous hearing

this. They could not believe that I was not taking

up my wife on this offer. They urged me to go for

it. In their opinion, going by the "7 year Itch rule,"

instead of being stuck with just one old haggard,

I could have gone through two new ones if I had

only listened to my astute wife.

For the sake of maintaining sanity, I finally

decided to make peace. Keeping in line with my

wife's wishes, I decided to give her up. Strangely,

it was the saddest day in my life. Deep down, I

knew that it was the right thing to do. That night

I could not sleep while my wife was ecstatic. I

kept tossing in the bed. My wife felt my anguish

but snickered at my sensitivities.

The next morning, I got up early and went out to

do the inevitable. One look at me and she sensed

something wrong. I was not jolly and cheerful as

usual. In fourteen years, we had come to

understand each other well. Without me saying

anything, everything was said. I reached out to

her for comfort; she was cold, quiet and

indifferent. We spent a long time staring at each

other; she with a hurt look whiles mine guilty.

I made the call and they came to get her. My

guts wrenched as they rolled her on the back of

a tow truck and wheeled her away. As the tow

truck with my "Choti" on top of it faded into the

distant, tears rolled down my face. In that

moment of shattering silence, I could only think

of Jaanewalaykabhi lout karnahiaate,

unkiyaataatihai.

Choti, Chapti or our Small Imported Car finally

had a good resting place. This was a place where

nobody judged her for the looks or age. She had

all the freedom to do what she liked, nobody to

tell her where to go or who to take. A huge place,

with acres of play area full of her compatriots.

Dignity intactfor when, I let her go, I had filled

her tank up and doubled her value. I shudder for

the moment when the chop man from the

junkyard goes for her and destroys the beauty

and grace. Strangers touching and handling her

felt repulsive. Now, when I think about her, I do a

sigh and a silent prayer; ‘Tum ko na bhoola

payenge’


31

The below article is taken from blog of

PritishNandy. PritishNandy (born 15 January

1951) is an Indian poet, painter, journalist,

politician, media and television personality,

animal activist and film producer. He is Bengali

by ethnicity. He was member of RajyaSabha (for

6 years from 1998 to 2004), the upper house of

the Indian parliament representing Maharashtra

based party Shiv Sena.

I was an MP not very long ago. I loved those six

years. Everyone called me sir, not because of my

age but because I was an MP. And even though I

never travelled anywhere by train during those

years, I revealed in the fact that I could have gone

anywhere I liked, on any train, first class with a

bogey reserved for my family. Whenever I flew,

there were always people around to pick up my

baggage, not because I was travelling business

class but because I was a MP. And yes, whenever

I wrote to any Government officer to help

someone in need, it was done. No, not because I

was a journalist but because I was an MP.

The job had many perquisites, apart from the

tax free wage of Rs 4,000. Then the wages were

suddenly quadrupled to Rs 16,000, with office

expenses of Rs 20,000 and a constituency

allowance of Rs 20,000 thrown in. I could borrow

interest free money to buy a car, get my petrol

paid, and make as many free phone calls as I

OUR M.PSBy

PritishNandywanted. My home came free. So did the furniture,

the electricity, the water, the gardeners, the

plants. There were also allowances to wash

curtains and sofa covers and a rather funny

allowance of Rs 1,000 per day to attend

Parliament, which I always thought was a MP's

job in the first place! And, O yes, we also got Rs 1

crore a year (now enhanced to Rs 2 crore) to

spend on our constituencies. More enterprising

MPs enjoyed many more perquisites best left

to your imagination. While I was embarrassed

being vastly overpaid for the job I was doing,

they kept demanding more.

Today, out of 543 MPs in LokSabha, 315 are

crorepatis. That's 60%. 43 out of the 54 newly

elected RajyaSabha MPs are also millionaires.

Their average declared assets are over Rs 25

crore each. That's an awfully wealthy lot of people

in whose hands we have vested out destiny. The

assets of your average LokSabha MP have grown

from Rs 1.86 crore in the last house to Rs 5.33

crore. That's 200% more. And, as we all know, not

all our MPs are known to always declare all their

assets. Much of these exist in a colour not

recognised by our tax laws. That's fine, I guess.

Being a MP gives you certain immunities, not all

of them meant to be discussed in a public forum.

If you think it pays to be in the ruling party, you

are dead right: 7 out of 10 MPs from the Congress


32

are crorepatis. The BJP have 5. MPs from some of

the smaller parties like SAD, TRS and JD (Secular)

are all crorepatis while the NCP, DMK, RLD, BSP,

Shiv Sena, National Conference and Samajwadi

Party have more crorepatis than the 60%

average. Only the CPM and the Trinamool, the

two Bengal based parties, don't field crorepatis.

The CPM has 1 crorepati out of 16 MPs; the

Trinamool has 7 out of 19. This shows in the state-

wise average. West Bengal and Kerala have few

crorepati MPs while Punjab and Delhi have only

crorepati MPs and Haryana narrowly misses out

on this distinction with one MP, poor guy, who's

not a crorepati.

Do MPs become richer in office? Sure they do.

Statistics show that the average assets of 304

MPs who contested in 2004 and then re-

contested last year grew 300%. And, yes, we're

only talking about declared assets here. But then,

we can't complain. We are the ones who vote for

the rich. Over 33% of those with assets above Rs

5 crore won the last elections while 99.5% of

those with assets below Rs 10 lakhs lost! Apart

from West Bengal and the North East, every other

state voted for crorepati MPs. Haryana grabbed

first place with its average MP worth Rs 18 crore.

Andhra is not far behind at 16.

But no, this is not enough for our MPs. It's not

enough that they are rich, infinitely richer than

those who they represent, and every term

makes them even richer. It's not enough that they

openly perpetuate their families in power. It's

not enough that all their vulgar indulgences and

more are paid for by you and me through back

breaking taxes. It's not enough that the numbers

of days they actually work in Parliament are

barely 60 in a year. The rest of the time goes in

squabbling and ranting. Now they want a 500%

pay hike and perquisites quadrupled. The

Government, to buy peace, has already agreed

to a 300% raise but that's not good enough for

our MPs. They want more, much more.

And no, I'm not even mentioning that 150 MPs

elected last year have criminal cases against

them, with 73 serious, very serious cases ranging

from rape to murder. Do you really think these

people deserve to earn 104 times what the

average Indian earns?

The size of a tiger's home range mainly

depends on prey abundance, and, in the case

of male tigers, on access to females. A tigress

may have a territory of 20 square kilometres,

while the territories of males are much larger,

covering 60 t0100 sq km. The range of a male

tends to overlap those of several females.

India is home to the world's largest

population of tigers in the wild. According to

the World Wildlife Fund, of the 3,500 tigers

around the world, 1,400 are found in India.

(Contd. from page No. 28)


33

A kidney stone is a hard mass developed from

crystals that separate from the urine and build

up on the inner surfaces of the kidney.

What are kidney stones?

Kidney stones are made of salts and minerals in

the urine that stick together, creating small

"pebbles" formed within the kidney or urinary

tract. They can be as small as grains of sand or as

large as golf balls. Kidney stones are a common

cause of blood in the urine and often severe pain

in the abdomen, flank, or groin. One in every 20

people develops a kidney stone at some point

in their life.The most common cause of kidney

stones is not drinking enough water.

What causes kidney stones?

Kidney stones form when a change occurs in the

normal balance of water, salts, minerals, and other

substances found in urine. Other chemical

compounds that can form stones in the urinary

tract include uric acid and the amino acid

cysteine. Dehydration through reduced fluid

intake and strenuous exercise without adequate

fluid replacement increase the risk of kidney

stones. Some people are more likely to get

kidney stones because of a medical condition or

family history, as the tendency to form kidney

stones may also be inherited. If other people in

your family have had them, you may have them

too.The number of people in the United States

with kidney stones has been increasing over the

past 30 years.

Who is likely to develop a kidney stone?

For unknown reasons, the number of people in

the United States with kidney stones has been

KIDNEY STONESincreasing over the past 30 years. The prevalence

of stone-forming disease rose from 3.8% in the

late 1970s to 5.2% in the late 1980s and early

1990s. White Americans are more prone to

develop kidney stones than African Americans,

and they occur more frequently in men. The

prevalence of kidney stones rises dramatically

as men enter their 40s, and it continues to rise

into their 70s. For women, the prevalence of

kidney stones peaks in their 50s. Once a person

gets more than one stone, others are more likely

to develop.Symptoms and signs of a kidney

stone include excruciating, cramping pain in the

lower back and/or side, groin, or abdomen as well

as blood in the urine.

What are symptoms of kidney stones?

Kidney stones often cause no pain while they

are in the kidneys, but they can cause sudden,

severe pain as they travel from the kidneys to

the bladder. Symptoms and signs include

excruciating, cramping pain in the lower back

and/or side, groin, or abdomen as well as blood

in the urine. If infection is present in the urinary

tract along with the stones, there may be fever

and chills. A doctor should be called

immediately.A helical CT scan without contrast

material is the most common test to detect

stones or obstruction within the urinary tract.

How are kidney stones diagnosed?

The diagnosis of kidney stones is suspected by

the typical pattern of symptoms when other

possible causes of the abdominal or flank pain

are excluded. Imaging tests are usually done to

confirm the diagnosis. A helical CT scan without


34

contrast material is the most common test to

detect stones or obstruction within the urinary

tract. In pregnant women or those who should

avoid radiation exposure, an ultrasound

examination may be done to help establish the

diagnosis.Depending on the size, most stones

eventually pass on their own within 48 hours.

What is the treatment for kidney stones?

Most kidney stones eventually pass through the

urinary tract on their own within 48 hours, with

ample fluid intake. Pain medications can be

prescribed for symptom relief. There are several

factors which influence the ability to pass a

stone. These include the size of the person, prior

stone passage, prostate enlargement,

pregnancy, and the size of the stone. A 4 mm

stone has an 80% chance of passage, while a 5

mm stone has a 20% chance. Stones larger than

9-10 mm rarely pass on their own and usually

require treatment.

What is the treatment for stones that do not

pass on their own?

For kidney stones that do not pass on their own,

a procedure called lithotripsy is often used. In

this procedure, shock waves are used to break

up a large stone into smaller pieces that can then

pass through the urinary system. Surgical

techniques have also been developed to remove

kidney stones. This may be done through a small

incision in the skin (percutaneous

nephrolithotomy) or through an instrument

known as a ureter scope that is passed through

the urethra and bladder up into the ureter.To

help prevent kidney stones, drink enough water

to keep your urine clear.

How can kidney stones be prevented?

The most common cause of kidney stones is not

drinking enough water. Try to drink enough water

to keep your urine clear (about eight to 10

glasses of water a day). Drinking grapefruit juice

may increase your risk for developing kidney

stones.

Dietary choices can affect kidney stone

development.

What are risk factors you can control?

If you think that your diet may be a problem,

schedule an appointment with a dietitian and

review your food choices. Vitamins C and D can

increase your risk of kidney stones when you take

more than the daily recommendations. Levels

of calcium in the diet may also affect your risk of

kidney stones. Getting the recommended

amounts of calcium combined with a low-

sodium, low-protein diet may decrease your risk

of kidney stones. Diets high in protein, sodium,

and oxalate-rich foods, such as dark green

vegetables, also increase your risk for

developing kidney stones.

Learn about additional risk factors you can

control.

Weight gain can result in both insulin resistance

and increased calcium in the urine, which can

result in a greater risk for kidney stones. In one

study, weight gain since early adulthood, a high

body mass index (BMI), and a large waist size

increased a person's risk for kidney stones.

People who are not very active may also have

problems with kidney stones. Additionally, some

medicines, such as acetazolamide (Diamox) or

indinavir (Crixivan), can cause kidney stones to

form.


35

D.F.O., Eluruvs. District Judge, West Godavari

The facts of the case are that Bhogolu was an

estate where there was a forest land of an extent

of 4900 acs. Consequent upon the abolition of

estates, the forest land was handed over to the

forest department in 1952 for its management.

The area was notified as protected land under

the Madras Forest Act, 1882. The notification was

published in the West Godavari District Gazette

dated 06.07. 1953. Survey of the land was

undertaken in the year 1959.

In the course of survey of the forest land some

patta lands and land required for communal

purpose was excluded and the rest of the area of

4100 acs. was proposed to be constituted as

reserved forest.

A notification to that effect was issued under

section 4 of the Andhra Pradesh Forest Act, 1967

in G.O.Ms.No. 3 dated 03.01.1970, published in

the Andhra Pradesh Gazette dated 29.01.1970.

The same notification was also published in the

W.G. District Gazette dated 07.08.1976. The

Government appointed Forest Settlement

Officer, Nellore to enquire into any claims

relating to the area included in the proposed

reserved forest. The F.S.O. issued a notification

dated 06.05.1977 inviting objections and to

prefer claims, if any.

LEGAL NOTESTwo persons viz. Inuganti Rama Krishna Ranga

Rao and Inuganti Papa Rao filed Claim petitions

before the F.S.O. The F.S.O. after enquiry allowed

the claims, as he was satisfied that the claimed

land was sub-divided in the year 1969, even

before Sec. 4 notification was issued. The claimed

land has an extent of 342.50 acs.

Since the area in question was a forest land, the

F.S.O. considered that it requires clearance from

the Government of India under the Forest

Conservation Act. He therefore addressed a letter

to the Secretary to Government in F. & A.

Department to obtain the necessary permission

from the Central Government in terms of section

of the Forest Convservation Act so as to exclude

the land from the proposed reserved forest.

The D.F.O., Eluru preferred an appeal against the

decision of the F.S.O. before the District Judge,

West Godavari on the ground that no

opportunity was given to him to put up his claim.

It was therefore requested to remand the matter

to the F.S.O. for disposal of the matter afresh. The

appeal was dismissed on 17.10.1988.

The order of the District Judge was assailed in

Writ Petition No. 12394 of 1989. It was urged

that the letter dated 18.12.1984 is not an award

under the Forest Act. But the High Court

comprising S.R. Nayak and S.R.K. Prasad,JJ were

of the opinion that the claims allowed by the


36

F.S.O. are well founded. The scope and meaning

of an order, decision and judgment was

explained and these words are said to be

interchangeable. In the result, the writ petition

was dismissed.

The F.S.O. addressed a letter to the Registrar

stating that he has not passed an award. It was

condemned and held as illegal and improper.

K.B.R. A.I.R.

2002 A.P. 224

Note:- After lapse of considerable time it was found

that the decision of the F.S.O. was the result of a

fraud by the claimants in collusion with the F.S.O. It

is by ingenuity and skillful investigation the fraud

was unearthed. A review petition challenging the

judgment in W.P. No. 12394 of 1989 filed by the

D.F.O., Eluru was allowed and the order of the

District Judge, West Godavari which confirmed the

decision of the F.S.O. is set aside. The latter

judgment by a Division Bench of the High Court is

reported in ‘2011 (2) A.L.T. at Page 130’ Vide

VanaPremiVol 12 No.5.

INVITATION

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

Forest Officers, who are retiring from service 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 occupied.

For further details they may contact the following –

Sri. K. Santokh Singh, Secretary Mobile Number…. 9848808101

Sri. P. Upender Reddy, Jt.Secretary Mobile Number….9848754778

1. P.Rajendranath 31-08-2011, 2. L.R.Sekher 31-08-2011

XII SFRC ALUMNI MEET AT MYSOREThe XII SFRC Alumni Meet will be held in Mysore from 25-11-2011 to 28-11-2011. Last date for

receiving Bio-Data with D.Ds is 10-08-2011 and the subscription fee is fixed at Rs.6000/= for single

person & Rs.12000/= for couple. The members who need travel arrangements may contact the

undersigned by 15th August 2011 without fail. -P.Upender Reddy (Mobile No. 9848754778 )

APPEAL TO MEMBERS

The attendance at General Body Meetings is depleting gradually leading to adjournment,

reconvening and the food is wasted due to members absence. All the members are requested to

attend the meetings. Due to any reasons if the member is not attending the meeting he is requested

to inform the Secretary at least (3) days in advance. -SECRETARY


37

We wish the following born on the dates mentioned

“ A very Happy Birth Day”

Birth Day Greetings

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

Sarva Sri

1. S.AppaRao 18-08-1925

2. M.Kamal Naidu 21-08-1939

3. A.Sudhakar 24-08-1948

4. P.Vishweshwaraiah 27-08-1951

5. K.PapaRao 28-08-1941

6. C.MuralidharRao 28-08-1941

7. T.V.RangaRajan 31-08-1935

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

Sarva Sri

1. Prashanth Kumar Jha 07-07-1959

1. Smt.M.Revathi 09-08-1970

2. A.A.RamaRaoChoudhary 10-08-1952

3. R.VenkateshwarRao 10-08-1954

4. P.S.SrinivasaSastry 14-08-1962

5. A.Bharath Kumar 15-08-1959

6. Sunil Kumar Gupta 19-08-1958

7. Dr.BhaskaraRamana Murthy 24-08-1961

8. Smt.Sunita Mahesh Bhagwat 26-08-1970

9. P.SatyanarayanRao 27-08-1953

10. B.Srinivas 02-09-1962

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

Sarva Sri

1. B.N.Rajendran 06-08-1954

2. S.V.G.M.S.RamaRao 09-08-1954

3. S.Venkatesh 09-08-1969

4. P.Rajendranath 10-08-1953

5. L.R.Sekhar 13-08-1953

6. P.Anjaneyulu 15-08-1955

7. B.NageshwaraRao 15-08-1955

8. Venkatesh 15-08-1977

9. S.Rajasekhar 20-08-1970

10. KasiVishwanadhamRaju 20-08-1967

11. S.M.Hussainy 20-08-1961

12. M.Pradyumna Reddy 23-08-1955

13. S.Srikantanatha Reddy 25-08-1974

14. P.Anil Kumar 30-08-1965

15. K.Ashok Kumar 31-08-1976

16. M.Narasimha Reddy 02-09-1954

17. M.Ravi Prasad 04-09-1966

S.S.S.


38

The occasion of World Environment Day seems

like the perfect time to embrace our ability to

see glory in nature and make this earth a better

place to live in, says Melanie P Kumar, even as

she recounts the damage inflicted on Mother

Nature.

Another World Environment Day has come

around and I am wondering whether the world

has got a lot worse since the last one, or is it

status quo? Hard to say because, unfortunately,

Mother Nature does not speak with a human

voice to tell us whether we have been kinder to

her in the past one year or whether we have just

carried on regardless.

I think what poses the greatest challenge to

environmentalists is to convince non-believers

about the grave consequences of human actions

on nature. I, for one, am convinced that there is a

threat to the world’s resources, which in turn is

having an impact on the climate, natural

resources and plant and animal species. Most of

us would remember seeing the public service

advertisement, which keeps reiterating, “If there

are no tigers, there will be no us.” Surely, this is

reflected in the concept of Vasudhaiva

Kutumbakam or the inter-connectedness of

living things and nature. But, how many of us are

seriously convinced about the need to maintain

this delicate balance? To complicate matters is

the school of scientists called the Climate

Sceptics who have a huge following.

These would have us believe that the changes

that are happening to the earth are only

negligible and do not pose a serious threat.

Perhaps it is more comfortable to accept this

theory so that I can carry on with my carefree

lifestyle. Future generations be damned! Let’s

worry about Climate Doomsday when it comes

upon us!

Looking ahead

It strikes me as funny that we live in a country

filled with astrologers, palmists and soothsayers.

Buildings are constructed, demolished or re-

designed based on VaasthuShastra. If a Vaasthu

expert decrees that in its present state, a

particular house will hamper the prosperity or

peace of mind of the family living within its

precincts, the family will go to any length to

make the changes, never mind the cost. Even

offices are not spared the influences of FengShui

or Vaasthu. I remember working in an office

where the position of the managing director’s

table and chair were repositioned to improve

the business at the behest of an employee, a

self-anointed Vaasthu expert. I do not know

whether the shift really did help because the

tenure of the MD was not renewed and I did not

stay long enough to find out if it brought any

NATURE, HERE WE COME


39

benefit to his successor or the company!

Similarly, weddings, house-warming or other

auspicious functions simply cannot go ahead in

many Indian homes without the customary

meetings with an astrologer and his trusted

almanac. I am told that even scientists in India

are not above looking at RahuKalam before

deciding to send a satellite into space.

The latest prediction to spread fear is the

Discovery Channel’s publicity to the Mayan

Calendar, which is said to end in 2012. When I

entered my dentist’s office for an appointment,

the receptionist anxiously asked me if I thought

that the world was going to end in 2012! Since I

watch very little television, I had no clue as to

what she was speaking about but suggested that

she not worry too much, as there were far bigger

threats looming at our doorstep. Of course, I was

speaking about global warming and climate

change.

It is strange to think that people will go to any

extent in terms of paying for consultations and

offering up oblations to ward off supernatural

threats to family, jobs, homes and the like, but

will hardly wonder how we will all survive if

Mother Nature turns against us for the abuse that

we are heaping upon her. It is not that

newspapers and the electronic media are not

speaking about the threats to the environment.

But, if 100 column centimetres of newspaper

space speaking of the threats from fossil fuels

are flanked by 1,000 column centimetres

extolling the virtues of a man-made creation that

is greatly responsible for the creation of fossil

fuels, there is definitely going to be confusion

created in the minds of people.

I am a regular shopper at a chain of departmental

stores, run by a leading Rajasthani industrial

group. Every one of their outlets carries a huge

poster saying, “Use less plastic. Save the

environment.” The first time I saw this poster, I

looked around and realised that many of the

things up for sale in the store are wrapped in

plastic. Even vegetables have to be placed in

plastic covers before they are weighed. Many a

time, I have tried to skip placing the vegetables

in plastic, but not all the employees co-operate,

even when I point to their poster. It doesn’t take

rocket science to figure that the poster is but

paying lip sympathy to a cause that the company

is not seriously committed to. So those who walk

into the shop, whether they are well or ill-

informed on climate issues, will be receiving a

dichotomous message on the issue of plastic.

Such conflicting messages certainly do

contribute to a lack of awareness on

environment issues. If someone felt strongly

about plastics, they would offer an alternative

to them rather than just putting up posters!

It is very clear to me that Bangalore has

completely moved from being an air-

conditioned city to a city that is facing acute

summers. Every year, we hear people saying that


40

Bangalore is hotter than last year. But, it would

be good to find out the statistics of how many

are truly worrying about it and linking it to the

cutting down of trees; the disappearance of lakes,

in other words, man’s over-consumption of

natural resources.

Every year, during the monsoons, there is water-

logging in areas where there has been

encroachment into storm-water drains.

Sometimes, these drains are clogged because

of the dumping of plastics and other waste like

the debris from construction sites. Publicity is

given to all these issues, but the following year,

we are again back to square one!

One of the greatest risks from changes in climate

is food security. In India, we have already seen

the rise in food prices of essential commodities,

starting with the humble dals, all varieties of

which are nearing the Rs 100 mark per kilogram

since the past one year. In recent times,

unpredictable weather conditions have played

havoc with food crops, sometimes leading to

their destruction. Who can forget the crisis with

onions last year when untimely rains destroyed

local crops resulting in the price of these

vegetable touching crazy figures!

Climate change

Undoubtedly, it is the poor farmers who are the

worst affected. They plant according to weather

patterns and incur heavy losses if unseasonal

rains or too much of heat damage their crops.

Farmer suicides have been on the increase in

the last decade but those of us who are relatively

well-fed have perhaps not yet been touched by

the tragedies of climate change. World Bank

estimates reveal that an additional 44 million

people have been pushed into poverty because

of a rise in food prices. Unfortunately, it is always

the poor who bear the brunt of any natural or

man-made disaster. But it might be wise not to

be too complacent, for from a situation of an

increase in food prices, we will be reaching a

situation of food shortages. Equally worrying is

the fear of diminishing water resources because

of changing climactic conditions. Predictions are

that the next world war will be fought over food

and water, as they become scarce. A chilling

thought indeed!

Having just returned from a trip to the land of

milk and honey, namely the United States of

America, I have come back educated on what

consumption is all about! Everything goes into

the ubiquitous garbage bin, which occupies

pride of place in this country.

People pay obeisance to this “deity”, as they

dump all their waste, which is cleaned out every

half an hour in all public places like airports,

shopping areas and tourist attractions. From the

huge vehicles that people drive (invariably one

family will certainly have more than one car and

quite often, each member of the family will own


41

one!) to the tons of food that are dumped into

trash cans (as they are called there), to the

amount of tissues that an average person uses

and throws in a given day, there is no concept of

conservation. I despaired wondering whether

anybody could ever think of adopting a

sustainable lifestyle in the US of A. But I was glad

to be driven past Amish country and see the men

drive buggies that do not consume petrol whilst

the women use brooms to sweep their yards,

just as it is done back home.

But I came back and realised that there is no

point in feeling smug about the wastage there

when I see how little concern there is for the

environment in my own city of Bangalore. From

the rotting garbage dumps where plastic flirts

with leftover food, to leaky public taps all over

the city. Here, people use hose pipes to fill the

water into their sumps for which they are not

charged. Unfortunately, the notion most people

have is that one need not have to worry about

what one does not have to pay for. So even if the

public tap drips the whole day and night, it is no

concern of mine because it will not be attached

to my water bill. When planning a rainwater

harvesting connection, we were told we were

being foolish as “in Bangalore, there is no dearth

of water!” This pretty much sums up our attitude

towards Mother Nature. She is the bountiful one

with unlimited resources, which we, with our

anthropocentric world view, can dip into

limitlessly. Why speak of the USA and its

consumption patterns when we in a globally

inter-connected world are all hurtling towards

an environmental disaster of our own making?

It’s just that the developed world is ahead of us

by a few paces, but India with its new found

economic success, is not far behind.

Conservation is key

I keep wondering when tissues became a part

of the Indian household. We know that trees are

cut for the purpose. So, why are we shifting from

the humble handkerchief which can be washed

and re-used to the paper towels that are very

often hardly left in a state to be recycled? I also

find glass bottles being replaced by plastic ones

for foodstuffs like health drinks and pickles.

Once at a seminar on water conservation, there

was a discussion on bottled water. The lead

speaker, MedhaPatkar, spoke about how the

bottled water industry was an assault on the

commons and leading to environmental

degradation. She made a fervent plea to people

to shun bottled water. At many of these water

conservation talks, people raise the same old

issue. In the absence of potable water, there is

no choice but to buy water.

have only one response to people who have

such problems. Please carry your own bottle

with you and perhaps a small filter to plug on to


42

a tap from which you are refilling the bottle.

There was a time when I was growing up where

the word “recycle” was built into one’s

constitution even before it became a part of one’s

vocabulary. Books and clothes went down to the

next in the family or to younger cousins. Nothing

was wasted. I recall with nostalgia the times

when I helped my mother shift brown paper

bags filled with provisions into containers.

Sometimes, the paper bags broke and we had

to pick up the spilt item from the table or kitchen

counter, without leaving a single grain behind.

But, there was never a dilemma of what to do

with the empty plastic bag, as those were just

not in existence. Now the mantra to save the

environment is “Reduce, Re-use and Re-cycle”. It

is a pity that many of us are being forced to learn

and relearn what was so much a part of our

sustainable culture.

Indian weddings and parties are places where

one sees a huge drain on the resources of

families, first with the lavish spreads that are

expected. The other tragedy is to see the amount

of food that is wasted on people’s leaves and

plates. Why not take just what one needs? Also, if

the organisers of these parties could have an

understanding with orphanages or homes for

the abandoned, a lot of food would go where it is

really needed and appreciated, rather than being

served to people who will walk out saying, “The

salt was too much” or “I did not like the burfi!” In

a country where there are people who die from

starvation, lavish weddings are a misnomer. With

the increase in food shortages, it might be a good

idea for the government to bring in Guest

Control to restrict the number of people who

can be fed at one go.

With 2011 seeing the start of World Bio-Diversity,

this World Environment Day may be a good time

for us to take an oath and say, “I solemnly pledge

to extend every effort to conserve the rich

biological heritage of Mother Earth, and promise

practical action in my sphere of study, work as

well as at home. I will also make efforts to

educate myself and others about the

importance of biodiversity. I will promote global

awareness of the value of different species and

do my utmost to generate momentum towards

their conservation.” Let us all unite and work

towards making our Mother Earth a better place

to live in.

APPEAL

We would like to hear from our readers. If readers have any comments about any

article, published in VanaPremi or have some information to share with our readers

please do write to the Editor.


43

At the outset Sri K.Santokh Singh, Secretary of

the Association, welcomed the Members &

Ladies to the 60th General Body meeting, and

placed the agenda before the President with a

request to preside over the function.

1. SHRADDANJALI – Before taking upany subject

the members stood in silence for Two minutes

to pay homage to the departed souls of Sri

T.Ramakrishna, who expired on 11/04/2011 & Sri

G.Shankar Rao, who expired on 25/05/2011

2.ACTION TAKEN REPORT of the SECRETARY- The

Secretary in his report explained to the General

Body, the action taken on the decisions of 59th

GBM held on 13/03/2011 and 71st E.C.meeting

held on 15/05/2011 and there upon the General

Body has taken the following decisions on various

issues.

3. Welfare Fund - The Secretary informed the

members that an amount of Rs126889/= has

been collected and the response for the future

collections is very poor. Sri C.SubbaRao,

E.C.member, strongly felt that this amount is too

meager to take up any welfare activity from the

interest accrued from this amount and desired

to wind up this activity. Reacting to this

suggestion, the President also felt that this

amount is too small to take up any welfare

MINUTES OF 60TH GENERAL BODY MEETING OF THE

ASSOCIATION OF RETIRED FOREST OFFICERSHELD

ON 26-06-2011 AT KBR PARK, JUBILEE HILLS, HYDERABAD

activity and sought the opinion of the General

Body. The General Body unanimously agreed to

drop this activity. There upon the President

announced the winding up of welfare Fund

programme and sought the opinion of the

members on the amount collected so far. While

the opinion of the members was unanimous in

winding up the Welfare Fund Programme, the

opinion on the collected money was divided.

Some members suggested adding this amount

with the Association’s account and some others

suggested to return the money to the Donors.

Since the opinion was divided it was decided to

seek the option of each Donor in writing by

publishing a notice in VanaPremi, for the

knowledge of the members who have not

attended the meeting. The Secretary was asked

to publish a notice in VanaPremi fixing a time

limit for sending their option letters and to place

them before the Executive Committee which

will meet in August 2011, for taking final action.

4. Internal Auditing:- The General Body

unanimously appointed Sri K.Mohan Reddy as

the internal auditor to audit the accounts of the

Association before they are audited by the

regular Chartered Accountant.


44

5.Adoption of Forest Fringe Villages:- The

President desired that some interested

members of the Association may come forward

to adopt One or Two forest fringe villages for their

overall development on one hand and

protecting and improving the forests with the

cooperation of villagers on the other hand. He

further stated that this activity is purely

independent of Association and the members

have to equally contribute for this work. In all (6)

members came forward for this Social work. Any

other member who wants to participate in this

Social work may contact Sri S.D.Mukherji.

6. Adoption of Slums in G.H.M.C.:- Sri

Padmanabha Reddy invited the members to join

his Organization in adopting some Slums in

Greater Hyderabad limits for their development.

Any member interested in this activity may

contact Sri Padmanabha Reddy.

7. Election of E.C. member:- Sri Sultan Mohiuddin

has been unanimously elected as E.C. member

in place of Sri T.Ramakrishna, who expired

recently.

8. Attendance of members:-The attendance of

members is found quite discouraging as the

meetings are regularly getting adjourned and

reconvened for want of Quorum. Since the

members are not intimating their presence or

absence it is becoming difficult in making food

arrangements resulting in wastage. It is decided

to appeal the members to attend the meetings

regularly and also to take little trouble to

indicate their presence or absence through SMS

to the Secretary, at least three days in advance,

for making correct food arrangements.

9.Vote of Thanks- Sri P.Upender Reddy,

Jt.Secretary cum Treasurer proposed vote of

thanks to ladies and members who attended the

meeting. Thanks were extended to the Wild Life

Division staff for providing meeting hall and also

for making necessary arrangements. On behalf

of all the members, special thanks were

extended to Sri ChIyalaiah, Sri A.V.GovindaRajulu

and Sri V.RangaRao who hosted LUNCH to the

members. Sri K.S.Raogaru agreed to be the host

for the next General Body Meeting.

Secretary

Notice to Claim Welfare Fund Donations

During the discussion in the General Body

meeting held on 26th June, 2011, it was

unanimously decided to wind up WELFARE FUND.

All the members who have paid towards welfare

fund are requested to claim the amount paid by

them on or before 20th August 2011.

THE CLAIMS RECEIVED AFTER THE DUE DATE WILL

NOT BE ENTERTAINED FOR RETURN OF MONEY.

K.Santokh SinghH.No. 11-38/2, Golnaka, Alwal,

Secunderabad- 500 010

-President


45

Registered with RNI R.No. Apeng/2002.2185Postal Regn. No.HSE-743/2009-11

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. 24

For details please see page no. 24

august 2011 vana premi

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