Fighting for the forests and its people

Fighting for the forests and its people

Views: 1740 | September 19, 2018

MEET OUR STAFF: K S LOKESH, Associate Conservationist

Lokesh has been beaten and chased from the forest. But he is one survivor who has learnt how to deal with the rigours of his job and emerged successful.

He has stayed in the tribal settlements deep inside the forest at night, roamed around, to be precise. And he is no forest dweller. He has been chased, not by animals, but by opponents, those who resisted moving the tribal people outside the forest.

"Today, we have done more for the tribals than what those other organisations who opposed did", he notes. The way the people at the relocation centres look up to him is proof of that. He is besieged by requests wherever he goes. Some ask him for facilities for the Ashram school, others seek his (and WCS - India) intervention to get electricity connection to the fields while some ask for money to put up solar fence.

Lokesh listens to all of them patiently, promising help but at times, giving a suggestion or explaining why it can’t be done, at other times.

Lokesh interacting with officials

He can talk and chastise a group of women gathered to demand money for solar fence. So also, he can threaten the local who has set shop outside the new tribal resettlement and sells liquor to the youth there.“You better pack up right now. Better not be here tomorrow,” he warns. He calls up the forest flying squad to ensure the shop will be closed down the next day.

He chides Nisha, a Yerawa youth at Hebbala settlement, for even thinking of joining a fish packing unit after completing computer diploma, but instead advises her to continue studies. “She is a bright student who needs to be encouraged,” he tells us.

At a check post he hails the guard on duty and during the few lines exchanged, he advises the man to contact the DFO and seek his help to be allotted a house. On his part, he seeks the help of a retired forest officer to help the guard. He tells us how it just needs one village to be moved out of the Nagarahole range for the core to be freed of humans. This is a man who cares for the wilderness as much as he does for the tribals eking out a living in the forests.

Lokesh was always sympathetic to the cause of tribals right from his childhood days in his native village Ranga Samudra of Kodagu district, he tells us, and remembers coming home one day from school shirtless. He had given it away to some poor tribal kid. “I just couldn’t bear to see their plight.” It was this need to help them that saw him join the relocation efforts of WCS - India.

Lokesh distributing maize seeds in Hebbala relocation centre

The first resettlement site for those seeking voluntary relocation from Nagarahole tiger reserve, Nagapura, was named by him, Lokesh says proudly.

From 1997 when he joined the organization he has stayed for three years at a stretch in the forest, just to meet the tribals when they returned from work and to talk to them about the advantages of relocation. Many NGOs/ politicians/ farmers opposed the idea of moving tribals out, “but today we have made possible what none of them could – a school in the settlements,” he says.

He has been beaten up too many times, Lokesh recalls. Sometimes by the organisations working against relocation and at times by the tribals too. Many of the latter now sing his praise,having moved out of the forest. Rajappa J T ( who was nominated as non-official member of National Tiger Conservation Authority - NTCA) who heads the Shettahalli centre is one, as also J K Prakash who now works with Lokesh at WCS - India.

But eventually, the relentless opposition did get to him and Lokesh left Hunsur to take up a living as a driver in Bangalore. Five years later, the persuasion of conservation activist Thammu Poovaiah saw him come back to work for WCS - India, the tribes and the forest. The leopard doesn’t change its spots as they say.

Lokesh listening to villagers' problems

He has been working tirelessly, persuading people to shift, liasoning with the forest and social welfare departments to ensure the people get their dues, ensuring help for those at resettlement centres, etc.

He has won many awards for his work and these include the Jumbo award from the Kumble Foundation for Wildlife; Karanth Conservation award; etc. To what motivates him, he replies in a mix of helplessness and dedication, “What else is there to do. If the forests, wildlife and people can be helped, that is enough.”

Written by Jayalakshmi K

Photo credits: Rujan Sarkar (Cover)

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