Miao Diary
July- 2010,
Butterfly India Meet 2010,
Namdapha, Arunachal
A big hello to all the participants of The Butterfly Meet 2010, held at Miao in
Arunachal Pradesh. As I write this, I cannot believe I actually managed to go
to
the last frontier (one of them for sure!) and am back safe and sound in sultry
Chennai. This being one of my first visits to the north-east, left me
spellbound. Everything was so different – the place, the people, the landscape,
the culture (now I can relate to the unity in diversity theme!). And if that
was
not all, I got to interact with folks from all over India, who boasted diverse
professions but with an unflinching passion for nature and wildlife and all
united towards one aim – to conserve the beauty of nature. Naturally, my
curiosity was piqued and I started to observe as well as interact with all the
members of this group and just as the butterflies have been classified, I too
came up with my own classification for us Homo sapiens. And so I begin but
before I do, the words of Abraham Lincoln, comes to mind…”With malice towards
none, charity towards all….”
1. The Frogmen (Abhishek and Siddharth)
Clearly, these two depicted nocturnal characteristics for night was the time
when they were at their active best. Not that they remained inactive during
daytime but they kept their eyes peeled for frogs and snakes all the time Alas!
They did not have much success although according to one of them, the habitat
appeared very promising. In fact, on the day we were headed to M’Penn Nala, I
saw Abhishek overturning every stone and Siddharth peering through every
crevice
in the hope of sighting something. As they say, both left no stone unturned…..
Both shared an easy camaraderie and were not without trading insults, friendly
as they might have been. PS: Siddharth kept us well-entertained with his
singing.
2. Beginner No. 1 (Dhananjay Rao)
Dhananjay was a novice unlike his very informed sibling but he too displayed a
great passion towards not only butterflies but birds and dragonflies as well.
Perhaps, the next time round, names like Dragontail, Jezebel, Monarch,
Punchinello, etc will roll off easily from his tongue as he begins sighting
them!
3. Beginner No. 2 (Suresh)
Just as the Monarch during its migration traverses thousands of kilometers
(from
Canada to Mexico), similarly Suresh too was the one who traveled the maximum
number of hours to get to Miao (close to around 83 hours). Looking after a
family business which includes running a school, he felt that what he learned
from this meet could be passed on to the students. Perhaps, this is what
osmosis
is all about!
4. Busybee (Arjan)
Wonder how 'dada' started looking out for butterflies, thought he might be more
interested in the birds and the bees – that's how industrious he is! Well check
this – he has authored a book, started an NGO called Nature Mates Nature Club,
has butterfly gardens to his credit with wanting to launch a chain of butterfly
gardens in the future, looks after his printing business, while also managing
to
spend time with his wife in Japan. Whew! A truly wonderful person I have ever
met!
5. The mentor (Bikram)
When not actively participating in photographing butterflies, he was out
looking
for amphibians and reptiles. Many an animal in distress has he helped and his
childhood stories about how he got attracted to nature and wildlife are worth
listening to. (When his mom scolded him for instance, he would climb a tree and
refuse to come down!) And of course as the days went by, we got a glimpse of
his
many other talents such as singing and song-writing. And of course, we wait
with
baited breath for his book – Backyard wildlife. Perhaps it will be as engaging
as Gerald Durrell's.
6. Our very own Angulimala (Sejal)
Well, what do you expect when this veterinarian killed any
bird/amphibian/mammal
that crossed his path and probably ate it as well. And today the very same
person cares for animals and even performs surgeries on them. That he conducts
surgeries on himself too is another matter! And is he enlightened or what?
Check
the halo shining on his head – (the torch-like contraption that he sometimes
affixes to his forehead).
7. The mentor's wife (Mahua)
She stayed close to her husband and probably helped him discover some more
butterflies and other creatures. Sweet and charming!
8. Spiderwoman (Rakhi)
Sam Raimi, the director of Spiderman movies can now shift focus to Spiderwoman
aka Rakhi. I saw her meticulously searching for these arthropods. And perhaps
this is what she told them - “Will you walk into my parlour, it is the
prettiest
little parlour that ever you did spy....” PS: I only heard snatches of her
singing which was very good indeed.
9. Der Herr (Kirti)
He was one of the most voluble persons in the group with a dedicated approach.
His ability to laugh was matched only by a certain another individual. And his
Hindi kept us grinning throughout.
10. Knowledge bush (Minhas)
I was a little skeptical when he introduced himself as an environment educator
or something to that effect. But the moment I saw him on stage interacting with
the students, all my doubts disappeared. Here, I knew was a young man who was
very passionate about what he did. May his tribe increase!
11. Mr. Introspective (Varun)
The youngest of the lot and yet I felt as if he was blessed with an innate
wisdom. Ummm, let’s see – the guy belongs to that hallowed institution called
IIT, Madras and is now embarking on a PhD in Aeronautical Engineering. Seems
totally at odds with his interest towards butterflies and nature!
1. Knowledge Tree (Dr. Alfred)
The rather modest gentleman sitting next to me, I knew was a fount of
knowledge.
And what gems he did share with me – of seeing tigers on the banks of the
Kodaikanal Lake. And what an inspiring speech he gave – his words still echo in
my ears…..By an oversight, when I was talking to our group, I referred to him
as
Dr. Albert. Well, close to the truth was I!
13. Mr. Dapper (Kalluri Srinivasan)
Well-dressed, smiling and a picture of fitness, Kalluriji always seemed to be
quick on his toes. Photography was what got him interested in nature. Much as
he
liked butterflies, he loved the dragonflies as well. And when he asked me to
identify a dragonfly for him, I all but laughed and then pointed him in the
direction of Raghu. And through him, I was made aware that Andhra Pradesh
boasted great forests as well.
14. Footloose at 60 (Subramaniam)
The oldest of the group and one who could give anybody a run for their money
when it came to fitness! I should definitely like to be able to emulate him
when
I get on in years. And what passion he displayed. Just like Kalluriji, it was
photography that sparked his interest towards nature. Has advised me to trek in
the Himalayas and I will do so, in due course.
15. Mr. Taciturn (Suresh)
A very reticent kind of a person, I was flabbergasted when he told me he was a
scientist working for ZSI. And his area of expertise: grasshoppers.
16. The Kolkata Konnection! (Somnath and Anurag)
Both seemed quite content to mix with their own group. Until I spoke to Somnath
and discovered he had many things to say and could be a jolly good sort.
Although graphic designing is what they dabble in, I knew they too were very
interested in nature when I heard they belonged to Nature Mates (venture
started
by Arjan).
17. Mr. Zealous (J M Garg)
Don Quixote and Sancho Panza; Sherlock Homes and Dr. Watson; Phantom and Hero
and Garg Sir and his tripod! Both were never seen without each other. Birds,
butterflies, bees and trees – he captured whatever came in his line of vision.
A
very remarkable gentleman indeed!
18. The High Priestess (Vidya Rao)
Never have I met such a cheery, happy, committed individual, although I
seriously believed she had inhaled copious amounts of nitrous oxide (laughing
gas). And boy was it infectious! Of course, her passion towards butterflies was
no laughing matter. She could identify the fluttering beauties in a jiffy. And
she proved she could hold her own when in the midst of another very excellent
speaker, Minhas.
19. Mr. Creator (with due apologies to God!) (Vijay Barve)
It if wasn’t for his vision and enterprising nature, perhaps we would all have
never met. His interest towards these winged beauties came about when very
young, started rearing butterflies as he was when still in the fifth standard.
He shares his wealth of knowledge with all and sundry. A very unassuming,
friendly and jovial personality, he is witty as ever and his one-liners are
very
entertaining. Like the Brits would say, “A smashing ole chap”….
20. The Organisers (Arif and Phupla)
Everything was shipshape thanks to our wonderful organisers. Both, I discovered
were committed to the conservation of nature. And kudos to both of them for
making Butterfly Meet 2010, the much talked about event in the land of the
rising sun.
PS: If you guys have anything to say about Raghu and me, you are most welcome!
Regards
- Sunita Raghu
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Enjoy
