Sanctuary |People
A watchful tiger and her cub in the Sundarban Tiger Reserve, which Vinod Rishi has worked extensively to protect over the years.Locals in the Sundarban landscape, donning
face masks backwards in a futile attempt to
‘fool’ the tiger.Our planet cannot function without the
biodiverse life forms it supports, nor can
it function without diverse strategies
to protect the biosphere. You are a
communicator and Sanctuary has played
a huge role in changing the mindset of
a generation over the last four decades.
While I have been a fi eld man all my
life, I have almost continuously believed
in and propagated the need for nature
communication to ordinary people who are,
at the end of the day, the foundation of
support for policies and practices that may
not always be popular.
Could you give us a few examples?
Apart from the many wildlife management
papers published, I have steadfastly
delivered talks on women and children
as the ultimate people’s medium, All India
Radio. I also jump at the chance to deliver
audio-visual presentations for people at
varied venues and institutions. One of
the joys of my life is art, a medium I use
to convey my feelings and values about
nature that are not easy to capture in
words. I also translate texts and passages
into languages and have written and
illustrated books.
Do you recall any hair-raising wildlife
experiences?
My close encounters have been with
poachers and natural elements. In some
instances, I thought my time was up. But
seldom have I felt truly threatened by
wildlife as I always give wildlife their space.
Do you have any regrets?
None! I have lived the best life possible and
if I were born again, I would like to live out
my life as a forester. I have never felt a
twinge of sadness for the system did not
aff ect me or my family the way many get
aff ected. As I have said, I am fortunate
that my wife, Romeen and my children
Vibhu and Ruchika also share my passion
for wildlife. They were even actively
involved in the hand rearing of Badal, a
clouded leopard, from baby to adulthood.
Would you like to share a message with
the generations that will take over
from us?
Just one simple message: Learn to love,
respect and protect nature because it is
likely to be the only constant in your life.
Do not follow the poor example set by
much of my generation, which consumes
nature greedily to the point wherethe annadata (giver of life) becomes a
yamdoot (taker of life).
What are your plans for the future?
You are seeing my plans unfold right now
in real time. My passion for wildlife and
forests is undiminished. I live at the edge of
a sal forest in a village in Dehradun. I have
found my heaven right here on Earth. tCOURTESY: VINOD RISHISANDEEP DUTTA