In one instant of random chaos, a carefree schoolgirl and an enraged elephant crossed paths. This is their story
Man and elephants confront each other in the farms and forests of Karnataka. Attitudes harden, battle lines are drawn, and there is no drawing back
As conflict escalates in Hassan and the toll of humans and elephants mounts, an activist court and a dedicated task force come together to find a solution
Dhangars are nomadic migratory shepherds spread across the dry habitats of peninsular India. Constantly on the move, they travel with thousands of sheep and share the landscape with other wildlife
For rural India, sharing space with wildlife is second nature. But as development gets fast-tracked, the delicate, value-based balance of man and nature is tilting; coexistence is giving way to conflict. This year-long project explores the complex inter-relationships between Man and Nature.
The Sundarbans is the largest unbroken stand of mangroves in the world. This richly biodiverse delta, home to endangered creatures and nearly a million people, protects Bangladesh against the devastation of a rising sea. Damaged by an oil spill, at risk from increasing salinity, and threatened by a coal plant at its mouth, the ‘Beautiful Forest’ is engaged in a last-ditch fight for survival
A country decides what to give its people and what to take from them; what to make and sell, what to buy and distribute. In making these decisions, it arrives at a definition of development. The path has weight, for it forges the character of its citizens, leaving them with hope, or fear, or an upheaval felt for generations. The Noble Mansion will chronicle this development through the lived experiences of businessmen and bureaucrats, and villagers and city dwellers across India as it renews itself.
Dear Mr.Varma, am waiting to read the next instalment. I didn’t realise until now how journalism, investigative journalism, with deep research and compelling writing actually has the power to influence. Keep at it. I want to know what people think of this man vs.beast argument and if it’s a unsolvable conundrum that us at an impasse. Thank you for this.
Thank you Renuka. This project is not just to influence people, but to lay out the ground realities of the conflict which very few people sitting in urban areas understand, yet these are the people who make the decisions for these rural landscapes.
:'(
Good Job Kalyan, Printing it to read it on my way back home form office…by Train
Regards and good luck-Vinod Nair
Deeply moving. Thank you for opening a window into a reality of living in an area where human vs animal conflict is something people deal with on a daily basis and every so often pay the price with their own life or the life of a loved one.
This is heartbreaking. My partner was once saved by his motorbike which was between him and an elephant he was trying to photograph. He still feels afraid when he remembers the angry subject of a picture that he couldn’t take.
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On a different note, this is very well written and I love the illustrations. Will there be a compilation of these narratives as a book?
Kavita, eventually yes. But this is a long narrative and over the next few weeks, we will be posting more detailed account of how these things play out.
Kalyan, the recollection of the account and it’s writing is as influential as your photographs. Keep at it.
I am so impressed by this tory. But I am also scared that people who are not sensitive to the issue of man-animal conflicts (as you say, urban dwellers nd those who suffer due to dangerously faulty policies) and do not see them as resultant to bad planning, faulty policies and environmental degradation – will use a story like this precisely to destroy our natural wildlife habitations. would love to use this story in a children’s workshop on environment and nature.
Very descriptive writing Kalyan and very evocative.
Varma, Hello!
I am an IISc alumnus. I think we met when you worked for IISc in Mudumalai forests.
Keep writing.
Regards
Thank you so very much for this story. I live in British Columbia, far away from interactions with elephants, and yet your words took me to another world.
With much anticipation I await more stories. Again, thank you!
My heart broke at the young girl’s plight. You are doing a fabulous job with the blog. I had absolutely no idea about the man-animal conflicts until I came across your blog. Thank you for spreading the awareness. Keep up the good work !
Powerful narrative. A story of man-animal conflict – hard to tell who the victim is but easy to say who the offenders are. Keep up the good work!
Exciting writing and beautifully illustrated….also terribly sad…thanks for this Kalyan..
Dear Mr Varma,
You write beautifully, recreating each and every scene through your words. While the ending is not necessarily a cliffhanger (a term we’ve grown to use ad nauseam), it creates a certain sense of shock and awe — and that familiar lump in the throat.
Thank you so much for writing this, Sir.
Warm regards,
Shreya
very tragic story indeed. for they are worshiped as Gods.moods do sometimes change, very hard to predict on the face of predicament.
Everytime i go to our beautiful forests – Western ghats, i always thought how do these tribes manage their lives every single day. As we have seen some images of tribes encountering these mammals while doing their day to day activity. Sometimes, i used to get this endless loop of dreams where i never could imagine nor i could complete the dream how it would be… after feeling your narration, now i can get through a part of it… great work and wish to meet you sometime..
The story is very well written… I have been wondering though. .is there any way a person facing such an angry elephant can help himself or the excited animal? ?
Not since R.K. Narayan did my world stop as I was transported…. You are not just a nature lover, but a writer with tremendous skills. I’m waiting for your next..
Thanks Tara..