yet again ... getting lost ... then enjoying self-discovery ...

From Heaven Lake Travels through Sinkiang and Tibet Vikram Seth A Penguin Book Non-Fiction / Travel ~ ~  Many a line in the book is stunning, share some below  Some of these stayed with me without telling me why, Some had me think if I think and / or could think on these lines, Some made me wonder how he wrote - as in - put these sets of words together, Some had me react “ of course this is it ” ~ * The status of a ‘ foreign friend’ or ‘ foreign guest’ in China is an interesting if unnatural one. Officialdom treats the foreigner as one would a valuable panda given to fits of mischief. On no account must any harm come to the animal. On the other hand, it must be closely watched at all times so that it does not see too much, do too much on its own, or influence the behaivour of the local inhabitants. * John would make, I think, an ideal travelling partner, with his practical manner and his sound core of madness. * I recall dri...

Che in Paona Bazaar Tales of Exile and Belonging from India’s North-east Kishalay Bhattacharjee Macmillan 2013 Question Answers Does author know the place well? Yes. Is the book crisp and interesting? No. Is the book critical of actions in the state? Yes. Would I recommend the book? No. Books on similar lines   Highway39 – Journeys through a fractured land. Acrossthe chicken neck – Travels in Northeast India. Some (unconnected) snippets from the book "Ironically, HIV became a source of livelihood for several people in Manipur and the north-east. International funding was channeled into the drug money nexus and a percentage of that went directly to militant outfits. The failure of the government at every level has allowed the militia to gain control. But if the government has failed to provide, the militants have hardly done any better. Their stringent tax collection bleeds every family, rich or poor." ...

Started getting Mint on Saturdays on a friend’s suggestion and read a piece by Ananda Banerjee ‘ The dhole remains an enigma, even as it struggles for survival’ on 19th April 2014. More than happy on coming across a non-tiger piece on the front-page and positively agree on the species being an enigma. Dictionary.com refers to enigma as ‘ puzzling or inexplicable occurrence or situation’ and ‘ a person of puzzling or contradictory character ’.   However, by the time I folded-up the paper, some questions had propped up. v ‘ It was last seen in north India a full 10 years ago, at Ranthambore in Rajasthan ’ ~ does this refer to tourists? Locals? Published literature? Or else? v ‘ After 35 years of my study there are still lingering questions ’ ~ Would not questions ever exist for each species given the dynamic socio-economic-ecological-climate situation in the landscapes today? v What about the people who share the landscapes with the species? Their views on and...

I love bikes and was keen to get one when we moved to Hyderabad. However, what little I saw of the traffic in the initial days ensures that I am still, 3 odd years down the line, without one. Saiha, my previous base – where people were happy to see other vehicles on the road, and I woke up to clouds coming in through the windows, could also have a role to play in the decision. All this, however, has not come in way of moving around the twin cities. Range of these meanderings makes me glad today. Long walks at the Osmania University Campus with its rocks, trees and that beauty of the ‘unmanaged and untempered’ or along the Hussain Sagar with occasional sprays from the fountain and seemingly unending stream of people clicking images with their phones. Occasional walks along the lanes of Old City and Banjara Hills with many a surprise before and after the bends; these goal-less walks brought forth vivid characters these spaces espouse. Local food pilgrimages – irani chai and sweet r...

Compliment to an unbothered Over the second cup of tea on an affable summer morning, Scratching and pondering over notes – of the day before - I see the orange headed thrush, How stunning you look – I compliment her, Shut up she says, what do you know of us thrushes? How proud (and human) I thought – As she turned - the orange of her nape flashed, Burning shade, as if, of the setting sun, The fiery black lines emerging from near the eyes, Took me to the splendor and gusto of springs in monsoon, Her to and fro walk – under the huge banyan No less stately than the tree itself Glad I saw you, I say - By then, she was away from sight Thrushes, I now know, are bothered not by lowly humans. (image: Sumit Sen) Share links to wikipedia and another lovely image of the species. Many thanks to Sumit Sen. 

My ' recommendation ' in the Lonely Planet : Best Escapes – East and Northeast India published in April 2014. Many thanks to  Lonely Planet . Environment issues of Northeast forests and Wildlife Two factors make the forests of the northeastern India special: a majority of them are owned by local people and its varied wildlife is not restricted to the limits of national parks and sanctuaries. But these rich, gift-laden forests face issues on multiple fronts. Plantations: Mono-culture cropping is fast replacing the earlier biodiversity-rich natural vegetation and local cultivation. This results in loss of habitat for wildlife. Rubber and palm are currently the main culprits; Mizoram, unfortunately, is the latter’s poster-child. Mining : Rat-hole mining for coal and limestone is literally destroying the hills and the forests that carpet them. Meghalaya is infamous for these and boasts of uranium presence too! Dams: A series of dams are planned ...

Share a piece by that finds a place in The Hindu - Sunday Magazine, 1st June 2014. Thanks are due to The Hindu, Samrakshan Trust, Krithika, Ramki and Dharmendra.  How green is your travel? Nimesh Ved and Yaranajit Deka At a recent meeting in Kohima, Nagaland, a senior wildlife biologist asked about the viability of eco-tourism as an income source at multiple locations in places like Nagaland and Meghalaya? The demand is, as of now, low due to remote locations and the way these states are projected in the media. There were other questions too: How many tourists can be expected in these not easily accessible areas? Can wildlife-based tourism take off in places where dense vegetation does not help mammal sightings? At that point, we were discussing Community Conserved Areas ( CCA ) in Nagaland and exploring potential sources of income for the people who are the custodians of the amazingly rich biodiversity in these areas. A few weeks later, we found ourselves rev...

Do not much wonder on what the reason is but the last few days I have been - kind of - talking to self of you. More than a few times, have I told mumi that you would have said this or done that in a particular situation.  One day, out of nowhere, I wondered on how special you made me feel. As I revisit the moment I realize there was no before, no after and no reason; just the thought. The other day mumi prepared a dish which you loved and I felt, no – wanted is the correct word, you to pull it towards your plate for a refill. Chatting with mumi on going out for a walk in what she was wearing then; I told her that while she agreed you would have, in her place, got excited and asked how it would appear! Putting back the Sherlock Holmes Omnibus on the rack, the other day, I was reminded of how you were a tad displeased on my having got the book on my birthday; as opposed to a box of sweets.  I still savour both equally! Around a month ago as I walked along the r...

An edited version of the piece below finds place in SAEVUS; May 2014.  Thanks are due to Saevus, Sree and Sudarshana. Indebted to Dampa Tiger Reserve,  Pu Tlana, Jhony, Joseph and Zakhuma besides many others in the landscape who shared time, awareness and tea. Marauding oil-palms Dampa Tiger Reserve in Mizoram is arguably one of the older and yet lesser-known Tiger Reserves in the region. As you read this, it faces a threat like few others. Is it one of the usual suspects: Hunting? Shifting-cultivation? Dams? No. This time the offender is deceptively green - or should I say - oil that appears green . This comes at a time when camera-trapping exercises have revealed the splendour of its wildlife wealth to be not only intact but also on the rise and the field-director has titled his endearingly drafted piece – Dampa: Out of the Woods? The highly diverse forests in the villages that constitute the Dampa Tiger Reserve and are a crucial habitat for all t...

Grand Delusions A Short biography of Kolkata Indrajit Hazra Aleph Book Company 2013 Me The first 6 years of my life in Calcutta have ensured that I remain positively biased for the rest to follow. To this day I am a Flury’s fan; such that the Flury’s counter in Hyderabad is one reason that encourages me to brave the evening traffic. Some lines we read stay with us; for some reason or for no reason. This I read a long ago, don’t remember where but has stayed on since –‘ During the late 1960’s and early 1970’s in Calcutta we had nothing to do and the whole day to do it in’ . Coming to this book - After a longish while read a book where I was keen to absorb all that the page I was then on had to offer and simultaneously was also anxious to read the next page. I wanted to go quick but ensure that I miss nothing as well. Cover Book reviews Khaleej Times The Indian Express Bookgeeks.in Five interesting and random lines from the book.  ...