'A novel perspective'

"Come Saab, let me show you around. After all, you have to be here for a while and should know the place well..." said the man in his late thirties, informally dressed in his normal khaki uniform, as he walked past me reaching for his double barrel Santokhoo 12 bore gun. A bare look and it was anyone's guess that the gun was unused for a very long time. The specs of rust on its barrel yelled for maintenance and the lack of oiling left me wondering if I was safe under the protection of such guns, in a place I knew so little about.

"Hurry up Saab, I do not have the whole day. I have to head towards the school also." he said as I shot an intense stare at him reminding him of who was in command.

"My daughter is scared to walk home alone in the evening. A herd of elephants was sighted nearby a couple of weeks ago. The people in our haadi do not feel safe anymore. It's all our fate. Nobody cares about us" he grumbled.

"Enough of it. Let's leave" I commanded as I picked my camera, considering the possibility of a siting by chance as the sun was already on its the descending routine.

A couple of miles into our walk, the serene environment had already changed my mood. The lush greenary coupled with the peace of the forest had brought a smile on my face. As I tried to keep pace with my escort who was very quick in his steps, courtesy the several miles he walked on a regular basis, I asked him about life in the forest, his experiences serving in the forest department and the various adventures he had encountered in the forests.

"It's tough. We have our difficult times. You city folks enjoy all the facilities that are available so easily there. For us, reaching home after six is in itself an achievement."

Still under influence of the tranquility of the forest, I immediately responded, "C'mon... It's not that bad. I have been around so many sanctuaries and national parks now. Though people complain about the lack of facilities, I still don't understand the fear surrounding your stories. Sometimes, I feel its all an exaggeration." 

By the end of this statement, I could see his nostrils flare up and his face turing red. "All you people are the same.You guys don't even want to see the flip side of the coin. You are so selfish that you are concerned only about your posh lives. You don't give a rat's ass about our problems, our fears and our losses... Bloody insensitive imbeciles." he retorted as his steps quickened with every rant. By this time, I could sense his ears letting out steam with the anger evident in his eyes.

Struggling to keep pace with my infuriated escort who by now looked like the danger he was supposed to save me from, I decided to slow down the process. My legs were starting to hurt. I was mentally getting myself ready to literally run behind him, should he decide to walk faster. Exercising my authority, I ordered him to stop. "Let's rest for a while" I said. Though it sounded more like a request than an order in the midst of my pantings, it did work and he decided to give me a breather. 

As we sat under a tree, I tried to make amends for my previous statement.

"I didn't mean any harm. I was just referring to the surroundings you live in. We yearn to move out of the traffic jams, the honkings, the shor-sharabha of the city into the peace of the forests. This place feels like heaven once you live in the cities." I said trying to calm his temper.

"Ohh.. we are used to such comments now. You talk about the traffic and the honkings. I'm talking about survival Saab, I'm talking about our life. Let me give you a glimpse of it. A couple of years ago, I was a watcher. I was posted at night to check for any illegal activities in the area. When I returned home the next morning, I found the banana plants outside my house uprooted and destroyed to shreds. I panicked at the very sight of the extent to which my courtyard was ravaged. The firewood I had collected the previous evening was lying all over the place. The temporary fence of bamboo sticks was completely demolished. There were huge footprints everywhere which mimicked elephant prints. Fearing the worst, I ran inside the house, tears rolling down with every movement. I frantically kicked open the main door of the house, at the same time begging the Almighty for the safety of my family. I couldn't find them anywhere. I could feel my heart pounding out of my chest. I felt like I would collapse any moment. I ran out of the house towards our shed. And, there they were, my wife and daughter, tightly holding each other as they hid in the midst of the haystack. I felt like I had just dodged a headshot. Only after I shook them up from their panic and comforted them with some water did I get to know about what had actually happened. I painfully heard the whole story about how a lone tusker, probably searching for food, had turned towards our house the previous night and my wife and daughter had, out of fear, hid themselves in the shed. It had done all the damage it could, before heading towards the lake for its morning bath. I still kick myself for not being there for my family at the time of l danger. This is the nature of my job. They do not know if I'll return alive from work everyday neither do I know if I'll find them alive when I return home from work. But still, we go about life as if nothing is at stake. Now tell me Saab, am I still exaggerating our problems?"

This narration was a mirror of reality. With so many discussions on caste, creed, gender and religion taking most of the allotted time on any platform, this man sitting next to me, was fighting for his survival, so insignificant for us that we do not even bother mentioning about it in our day to day talks. The danger in his story neither concentrated on his caste nor on his religion. It just ended up in front of his doorstep just like any other obstacle in life. 

Another important question it raised was that of, presence of mind and survival skill set. His family was comparitatively well equipped with both of these much required basic qualities, as they knew the surroundings better than anyone. What about our education system that focusses mostly on marks and not on such basic skillsets? Is it enough to sit in a cosy room in a metropolitan city and shout one's lungs out to make a point? Or discuss about gender equality all the time while crying victimhood on the sidelines?

Suddenly, I found his voice having an edge over mine. I had unconsciously developed a newly found respect for this man who had battled life in ways I had never imagined. Though I was in a position of power in our professional space, his scales tilted heavily towards a better and deeper understanding of life. I could feel his eyes commanding me now. His stare was genuine. His questions, real. His concerns, valid. I guess it was time for me to develop a new 'PERSPECTIVE' once again...