A Little Crazy

I most heartedly welcome any sort of comment to my writings or photographs. I consider all to be constructive inputs – none are destructive comments or criticisms. A crit is a crit. I always take the opportunity to open debate – it is healthy.

Even if what you say is the truth, which it is not, it makes no difference to a nesting whistling thrush. The only thing that matters to this bird is having a forest in which to nest. This forest might not be there were it left to the critics and faint-hearted long on wind and short on commitment.

I have your support and we know it. But more than the colour of our agenda, its success depends on the character of its membership, who should be opinionated, stubborn, tough, thick skinned, stiff-nosed, mud-smeared, rain soaked, fatigue-clad, masochists committed to wildlife and environment protection.

This is the solid base on which AnWel-Animal Welfare is founded. However, there should never be any doubts that wildlife enthusiasts are a little crazy. How else can we possibly explain them? But what fine madness it is! And what an insipid, spiritless world this would be without such craziness, and minus the flights of birds, foraging wildfowl and prowling wild creatures that it has so graciously bestowed upon us.

DELHI KENNEL CLUB 68th & 69th CHAMPIONSHIP DOG SHOW 31st JANUARY, 2010

DKC’s Banner up at the Show.

It was quite a joy to be at the DKC Dog Show and to see the grand success of the happening. Special for me was to see many of my juniors in the game, my admirers of the 80’s officiating as judges, Ring Stewards and on the Panel of Committee Members.

I couldn’t help but reminiscence about one of my first dog shows in Delhi, held at the Zoo grounds, beside the Purana Qila. I remember walking up naively to the Late H.H. Maharaja Jaideep Singh Baria, who was relaxing where his Salukis were benched, waiting for their turn in the show ring.

I asked him his name. “Mujhe Jaideep Khete Hai.” He was then Chairman of the Kennel Club of India (K.C.I.). His humble mention of his illustrious name, without his royal prefixes, made an impression on me.

We grew to be good friends and I was a right hand to him in popularising dog shows in Delhi.

Also remembered is Pratap Singh Shandilya, founder of the Delhi Kennel Club. S. S. Bedi, Shandilaya and I would get together to collect entries for the shows. As I was connected with members of the U.S. Embassy and others at that time, I would get entries from a number of foreigners in the Capital. At one show Maharaja Baria singled me out for a special award for promoting the show with the most entries.

Mukul Vaid, Show Judge, K.C.I. Panel of Judges.

Sharad Sharma, Show Judge, K.C.I. Panel of Judges.

Both Sharad and Mukul have become sound judges on the K.C.I. panel. I photographed Mukul while he was judging and he posed for this handsome portrait to do credit for himself!

As for Sharad, he was my most enthusiastic of followers when I was dominating the show ring in the 80s. I could see a passion for the game in his eyes whenever we met.

“When are you coming over?” He asked me on that sunny winter morning on the show grounds. He is definitely an upcoming pride in the dog world.

Rotwieler judging in progress.

Warm greetings from friends of the past made me feel appreciated at the meet.

I felt the loss of N. Thiagarajan at the Show. He was one of the best show organizers I have ever known.

I was glad to meet (and vice versa) Khemchand Shrivastava, Rajiv Shandilya, Anjali Vaid, Vikas Sharma and many others who greeted me warmly on the grounds; it also hurt in a bitter-sweet way.

"When is my turn coming?"

Gentle Giants

"I'll sleep through it all."

"Stack your dog Number 42."

N. Radhakrishnan, Show Judge.

Founder Patron, Mumbai Cannine Club.

You always take the best dog home.

PROTECT WILDLIFE

Stop Forest Fires in the Mountains this Summer.

(3 km wide forest fire, at night, in the Almora Hills, Kumaon, India.)
With the approaching summers, the Forest Departments in the hills are gearing up to tackle forest fires.



(A fire getting out of control near a village close to Mukteshwar in Kumaon Hills, India.)
Careless hikers, campers & local villagers could spark a menacing, life threatening situation to wildlife and humans. Precious trees and vegetation are lost in the blaze.




(Hikers looking at a distant forest fire near Shimla, India.)
The sight has become common in and around pine forests, where careless sparks from a campfire or cigarette-butts could ignite fallen pine-cones, pine-needles and bark saturated with combustible resin.




This leopard cub was rescued by Forest Officials when he was separated from his mother by a massive forest fire.



An animal welfare supporter cradles the rescued cub with permission from the wildlife wardens.



If you are going hiking, trekking and camping this summer, play your part in keeping fires out of the forest. Enjoy yourself — good hunting (with your camera!) – tread gently and NO FOREST FIRES PLEASE.
Remember : “Wilderness made man but man cannot make wilderness. He can only spare it.” David Brower.