Tokalo : Day Nine
Day Nine is some exciting sightings and a dramatic stopping of a hunting party ~
Morning starts to a chatter which is by now both friendly and
familiar. I have half a dozen éclairs today before food. If I was in a city
these would have been avoided as fakes. Here they are a luxury. Relativity at
work.
Some walk over trunks ~
We start at 10.30 with a new addition to our post putting team. He
is the MTP president from Lomasu and for some reason is referred to as
president and not by his name. We reach post 17 that we had put up last evening
and being to walk ahead. After a while we stop at NT’s suggestion to discuss our
route. We discuss for a while but somewhere in our hearts we know that none of
us has a clear picture of the route! I understand this is one of the not many
locations in our country that offer this luxury and feel privileged.
And what a walk! While we have been tracking the Kumai river over
last 3 days (a la Mark
Shands over Brahmaputra)! Today was by far the toughest. I climbed rocks, I
bumped my legs into rocks and how it hurt, I scrambled over sleeping and clung
to their hanging branches as if they were my friends’ hands. I swing a couple
of times like tarzan and smile at my success. At the 3rd branch I smartly add shouting
as well. The branch unfortunately turns out to be thorny. No smiles this time.
Following a river is amazing, especially in these parts that are
untouched, not spoilt by human smartness. I recall Chesteron in A Piece of Chalk state ‘virtue is not absence of vice, it is strong
positive quality in itself’. But in today’s time a forest without dams, roads,
mines and ilk is akin to a nations virtue.
Some peacefully lie in water ~
Two of the team members suddenly want to leave. They have to be cajoled
to continue to the next village. I don’t blame either these two or NT but feel
glad am away from finances, negotiations and logistics.
After fresh fish I sit to chat with Ra on National Rural Employment
Guarantee Act at Tokalo. He says actions are finalized by Junior Engineer at
Block Development Office. The Block Development Officer sends the concerned order.
7 people in the village (the village council) manage the implementation. They
allow even those employed as Forest Guards and teachers to work and pocket half
a day’s pay. Some of this money is put to use in procuring pork and beef for
dinner when government officers pay Tokalo a visit. The current VCP is a
young, elected for a year, and like others primarily interested in feathering
his nest.
In terms of sightings today was fun. At post 20 we saw the great
indian hornbill twice and heard the royal sound of wings flapping. I saw
the black stripe on its stark white tail clearly; this was around 1.00 pm. Gosh
what a sound! I recalled coming across it earlier – in Shekar’s movie, at Balpakram
and else. At post 21 at 2.00 pm we saw a yellow
bellied weasel scampering near the river. Having seen the picture many
times during the recent past I recognized it - easy and from a distance. For a couple of others with me it was the foul
smelling sarivaithun. These made my day.
Some wonder how to proceed ~
On reaching the camp; 4th of our current adventure I was told of
mother and baby gibbon having been spotted a little while earlier. This is the
3rd confirmed presence of the hoolock gibbon in the current exercise.
Today the sleeping is in compartments and Ja has readied what he
refers to as a bedroom; slippers too are not allowed inside. The bed sheet has
changed; in place of banana leaves we have round and happy looking leaves. We
have all got used to each other’s continued presence now.
While writing besides the camp fire I hear a sound that for me is
new. I notice movement in the bamboo but not enough to identify the species clearly. The
cutting of bamboo for fire wood disturbed it. This is a distress call. There are 2 of them. I
share the description and show the image in the field guide; all nod – no
confusion; a phayres leaf monkey. It would soon rush away to a safer location.
Some of these fellows then decide to go on a hunt. This is crazy and I am lost on what to do. I tell them of my not only leaving the
survey but also complaining to their superiors in Saiha and Aizawl. I name the Deputy
Conservation of Forests, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and nothing seemed
to work. Their argument – too many days of dal and vegetables! Finally, the Chief
Wildlife Warden’s mention came to rescue. I have never met him but it he (his name) helped tide over the crisis
then. No idea what I would have done had they said ok go on and leave! The phayres
leaf monkey escaped but there are times when one suddenly plunges into despair and loses
hope. This is one of it.
I discuss with NT the
possibility of staying at one camp for more than a night. We seem to be in the
current practice of setting camp daily putting in less time on the move. He
agrees before going high on select Burmese liquids and starts calling me Sir.
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