I particularly wanted to post a blog about two extraordinary people I have met during my time in Bikaner, in North Western Rajasthan.


Mr Seva Ram (on right in photo) lives and works in Khichan, some 90 or so kilometers south west of Bikaner and about 100 km from the boarder with Pakistan . This area is a semi-arid desert terrain with a few lakes dotted here and there. Khichan is a busy agricultural centre that has a large population of Jain villagers. Jain is a branch of Hinduism that emphasizes that all life is sacrosanct. Consequently when the villagers noticed some eight years ago that the thousands of Demoiselle Cranes, which visit the village for the winter months, were being poisoned by the pesticides being used in the nearby grain fields, they got together to buy millet and grain for the cranes. Led by Seva Ram they walled off a small block in the centre of the village and spread the grain out. The birds now eat some $25 of grain a day, which the villagers collectively donate from their own savings, and which is supplemented in a tiny way by the hand full of international visitors who come every year. Khichan is a poor village community and this generous donation is huge when you consider that the annual average income is 70,000 Rp (approx. $1000). Now some eight years later they are being visited by some 8-10,000 Demoiselle Cranes in the winter months each day, to feed . The birds approach the village, flying low over the houses before landing just outside the walled off feeding area, where they wait for their leader to fly in and signal the start of feeding. This fantastic event is spectacular and the best time to witness this is in the morning, between 8 and 10am.


Whilst this feeding seems to have stopped the steep decline of this visiting population, Mr Seva Ram quickly noticed that the Demoiselle Cranes were falling victim to the unprotected electrical power lines that ringed the village and the feeding area. So he began a protest that captured the imagination of many citizens in India and the Indian wildlife/environmental community. Mr Seva Ram started by petitioning the Indian Electricity Board to insulate the exposed wires that were resulting in up to 30 accidents and deaths of Cranes per week in the winter season. Not only that but he rescued the injured birds, cared for them out of his own pocket, nursing them back to health, taking many days off work unpaid as a result .


Whilst Mr Seva Ram’s dedication to the health and well being of the Demoiselle Cranes is without question, he was certainly unprepared for the response of the Indian Electricity Board to his petition. He was first served with a 40,000 Rp (approx $550) fine for his activities, then his house was regularly cut off and his increasing protests ignored. It was only when he started a hunger strike, that his story came to national prominence and the Indian Electricity Board finally gave in. Now some of the electricity cables have been insulated, but as Mr Seva Ram says there is still work to be done. He is now campaigning for more insulation of the cables in and around Khichan, plus money to fence in the entire village so the Cranes can be protected from feral dogs and the loose cattle that roam free throughout India. His long term dream is to create a reserve for them, educate the local children and train local rangers, whilst constructing environmentally friendly tourist facilities so the Cranes can be watched without disturbing their behaviour .


Mr Seva Ram’s great friend is Mr Jitu Solanki. He lives with his family in Bikaner and has devoted his life to wildlife and environmental issues. After graduating university with a degree in wildlife, he followed that with a Masters Degree also in wildlife, hoping to pursue his dream of becoming a ranger and managing a wildlife reserve in this semi-arid part of Western Rajasthan. Unfortunately he has fallen victim to India’s notorious caste system (a sort of class system), where as he lost out on several ideal ranger positions to individuals with no experience or qualifications, but who belong to the right caste.


Despite many setbacks, Jitu has fallen back on study and his father’s tourist business. Jitu is now in the process of finishing a PhD on snakes, which he reluctantly concedes is unlikely to help him get his dream job. He has also taken on the management of his father’s guesthouse from where he runs eco friendly wildlife and cultural tours, plus eco-camel treks targeted at the enthusiast and independent traveller. Bikaner, Jitu freely admits, is not an area currently associated with bird watching and animal safaris, however Jitu is working hard to change that perception. He has gathered a team of wildlife enthusiasts and professional guides together and is offering professional tours to sanctuaries (Tar Chappal), villages (such as Khichan) and areas of cultural interest (Shekhawati), plus all the sites in Bikaner with prices way below professional market rates .


“We want to reach out to wildlife lovers and travellers interested in cultural experiences to show what this richly diverse and interesting region of Rajasthan can offer.”  Long overlooked by tourists in favour of the major tourist cities of Jaipur, Udaipur and Pushkar, the Bikaner area offers a distinct animal experience. Unheralded areas around Bikaner offer a huge concentration of birdlife and animal life associated with Rajasthan’s semi arid areas, but also some star attractions like the Great Indian Bustard, the Desert Fox, the Yellow Eyed Pigeon, Creamy Crowser, the huge Cinereous Vulture, the Himalayan Griffon Vulture, the Black Billed Sandgrouse, the Indian Gazelle, plus many unique lizards, monitors and snakes.


But Jitu’s work does not stop there, as he constantly campaigning for the environment in this area. Long a supporter of the Bishnoi caste who renovate trees and wildlife creating sanctuaries under their management, Jitu is now a campaigner against what he calls the two biggest threats to this fragile environment. The first is the Acacia bush, which is feral and was introduced by the British, this pest is now endemic and cannot eaten by any animal including the less than picky camel. It is now suffocating the indigenous plants and poses a real threat to this fragile eco-system.


The second is rubbish and especially the plastic bag. Jitu took me to an area outside of Bikaner where cow’s bodies are taken. Here the Untouchables (the lowest caste of people) live in appalling conditions stripping the hides off these holy animals. The resulting bodies are then left on this Bishnoi land to the mercy of thousands of huge vultures. As we drove out to these mounds of rotting flesh and the feasting vultures, we past hundreds of large neatly piled strips of plastic - coloured plastic. “What are these I asked?” I was puzzled as to why piles of plastic were left inside the Bishnoi sanctuaries. “This is what remains of the dead cows,” Jitu answered. “This is one of our holy animals that dies, due to the consumption of many plastic bags and of course this is all that remains.”  He went onto mention that many Indians do not believe or do not know that the cows are amongst several animals dying due to their waste, their plastic waste - which incidentally litters the country. “Nobody comes here to see this. We have a big problem that is getting bigger by the day, but no one is doing anything. Actually no one will do anything until the problem is critical, this is the Indian way.”


Jitu Solanki hopes that one day he will have his own land, so he can create his own eco sanctuary where he can protect his animals, birds and plants from the bad consequences of modern life. He is passionate about preserving these environments for the next generation, so everyone, especially his two young sons can enjoy nature.




Jitu Solanki
Vinayak Guesthouse
Tel:9414430948
Email:vinayakguesthouse@gmail.com
www.vinayakdesertsafari.com


It is best to contact Seva Ram through Jitu Solanki, as he does not speak English