Bala Devi, Girl-Child Avatar - Book Two - Holiday in Kodaikanal

Chapter Eighteen - Goodbye Goodbye

Chapter Eighteen

Goodbye Goodbye

The tunnel, secret-room and even the basement were completely filled in, and a twelve-foot stone wall was built all around the compound of the service center. It interfered with the view of the plains below, from the rose garden, but it kept out the gold prospectors who were there illegally.

The Kodai Service Center was open in a record time. A day-care faculty was added to the free services it provided to the villagers, and various professional helping personnel were to be engaged by Uma. Judge Trishul Sharma and Ramanathan formed the Kodai Institutional Trust, which would administer the funds.

The government conducted a public auction to lease plots in the goldfields and Kodai Instructional Trust won the right to start mining for gold. The money from the sale of the gold would more than pay for the service center.

It was at this time that the Government of the State invited Trishul and Ramanathan to come to Chennai for high-level talks.

The two men were ushered into the Governor’s office and, after opening pleasantries, the Governor said, “We wish to convert Kodai hill resort into a sanctuary and phase out industrial plantations, such as eucalyptus, waddle and pine trees.”

“This is very exciting news,” said Trishul

“Yes, indeed,” answered the Governor. “Nearly 775 square kilometers, including Kodai, Theni and Dindigual forests divisions, will be converted.

“I wonder why you are doing this at this point?” asked Trishul.

“Because at last people are beginning to value environment.”

The Governor looked meaningfully at Ramanathan. “And because the Kodai area has a high degree of bio-diversity and vast habitat continuity which is vital for any major wildlife species to survive.

Ramanathan smiled broadly, “I must say that my nephew, Ravi, will be delighted and pleased as anything. He has taken a higher degree in environment management in the USA, but is returning to India next week for an extended stay.”

“Very good!” exclaimed the Governor. “I hope he will consider taking a permanent position here. According to our Deputy Conservator, the conversion of this region will create a natural vegetation structure that will, in turn, help wildlife population.”

“I must confess here and now that, at one time in my life, my one aim was to deforest the mountains,” said Ramanathan. “As you know well, I made a great deal of money from the forest, and 68

now I am anxious to give back. So, along with the forest, I have also been converted to management of my own life. At one time, my one aim was to deforest the mountains. Now, I am converted to the

protection of the ecology of our mountains and streams. This was due to my nephew, who has made a believer out of me.”

“Excellent, excellent,” applauded the Governor.

“Your Excellency,” continued Ramanathan, “we have brought an entire village of tribals to live in our part of the woods to do reforestation work. Unfortunately, the tribals kill the wildlife, including the endangered species and, of course, they collect wood for their fires. Right now, we have them living in pucca houses with gas stoves but, ordinarily, what is to be done? When questioned they say it is their right because this was all their land to begin with. What can be done about these attitudes?”

“With education, their attitudes will change, just as ours have,” replied the Governor. “They are happy to be indigenous people living in India. In another large country they simply rounded up the aboriginals and shot most of them, and sent a few orphans to school; and, in USA, tens of thousands were forced to leave their land and to walk all across the country to land which was sparse and uninhabitable. So many died; it was called the March of Tears. So, our tribals have been treated better than most. It is again the law to buy their land, you know. Tribals are dependent now on the forest, mainly for fuel wood and minor forest produce. A strong buffer zone would be created, and it would take care of the fuel wood requirements of these people until other arrangements can be made for their cooking.”