A small weavers' village on the Chhotanagpur plateau of the new state of Jharkhand in India......Jipsudih....... near village Torankel, six kms from Khunti in the district of Ranchi......
During the first three years of petroleum engineering education, one of the friends I made was Jipsu..... never knew him by that name until it was too late. He was studying Mineral Engineering but had the traits of a CEO! I am sure he would have done lots more in life..... if fate had allowed him to.
Mr. Abhas Chatterjee was an IAS topper of the 60's...... joined the Bihar cadre...... left it when he couldn't stand Laloo tactics..... one of the handful of IAS guys who had the courage to do so! He dedicated his life after IAS to helping the Sawansis, the endogamous weaver clan of the Munda society, in developing their villages and society.
That evening I was roaming the college campus, as usual, with my pals when the dean stopped his two-wheeler to inform us that two students were missing from a mineral engg excursion.... "swept away"..... the students wanted to stop near the damodar river to take a dip....... it was the post-monsoon season...... water levels were high..... We spent days at the lodge nearest to the site where this incident took place. Jipsu and the younger student were never to be found.
Jipsudih was a tribute by the weaver clan to the efforts of Mr. Chatterjee..... Jipsu or Pathikrit, as he was formally known as, was his and Mrs. Milicent Chatterjee's only child.......
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Saturday, January 14, 2006
The Kosgoda Turtle Hatchery
Were in Sri Lanka for the new years eve, ushering in 2006 from a hotel room and then a dance floor nearby..... but the trip was highlighted by two places we really loved visiting!
The first was the Elephant Orphanage..... it was an amazing experience about which I could write dozens of pages, but the other place was a much much smaller local effort which, although quite known, isn't as well funded as the elephant project.
This was the Kosgoda Turtle Hatchery which, despite being completely obliterated by the tsunami, is trying to get back to its feet. The main guy is one Mr. Chandrasiri Abrew who started this all on his own. After his escape from the tsunami ( http://www.montessori-intl.org/tsunami/kosgoda-20050106.html ) he is back doing what he loves to do..... save the turtle eggs and ensure that they hatch trouble-free.
Their website was:
http://www.turtlehatcherykosgoda.com/
however I think they forgot to pay their bills so it is not working these days!
But there are numerous links about them including a Hindu article:
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2004/06/07/stories/2004060700241400.htm
Mr. Abrew also featured in a four-page article in the Reader's Digest!
Google for "kosgoda turtle" and you'll get more info about them. They might seem quite well-funded judging by the number of links but that's becoz people visit the place and are amazed by it so they write about it BUT then they forget. The guy's email is: chandrasiriabbrew@yahoo.com
We met him personally and found him to be a very down-to-earth and simple individual. I think it is quite impressive that he is willing to spend his life trying to save turtles.
The way they operate is like this:
They pay Rs.5 (sri lankan) for each egg anybody can give them from the beach. This ensures that the poor kids give them the eggs instead of eating them. Then they put the eggs in a large incubator sand section from where they are collected and put in cemented water tanks where they are fed and cared for till they are large enough to be released.
Their current source of income is:
- tourists (they charge an entry fee and have a small shop)
- local help
Hopefully they will survive and thrive again..........
The first was the Elephant Orphanage..... it was an amazing experience about which I could write dozens of pages, but the other place was a much much smaller local effort which, although quite known, isn't as well funded as the elephant project.
This was the Kosgoda Turtle Hatchery which, despite being completely obliterated by the tsunami, is trying to get back to its feet. The main guy is one Mr. Chandrasiri Abrew who started this all on his own. After his escape from the tsunami ( http://www.montessori-intl.org/tsunami/kosgoda-20050106.html ) he is back doing what he loves to do..... save the turtle eggs and ensure that they hatch trouble-free.
Their website was:
http://www.turtlehatcherykosgoda.com/
however I think they forgot to pay their bills so it is not working these days!
But there are numerous links about them including a Hindu article:
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2004/06/07/stories/2004060700241400.htm
Mr. Abrew also featured in a four-page article in the Reader's Digest!
Google for "kosgoda turtle" and you'll get more info about them. They might seem quite well-funded judging by the number of links but that's becoz people visit the place and are amazed by it so they write about it BUT then they forget. The guy's email is: chandrasiriabbrew@yahoo.com
We met him personally and found him to be a very down-to-earth and simple individual. I think it is quite impressive that he is willing to spend his life trying to save turtles.
The way they operate is like this:
They pay Rs.5 (sri lankan) for each egg anybody can give them from the beach. This ensures that the poor kids give them the eggs instead of eating them. Then they put the eggs in a large incubator sand section from where they are collected and put in cemented water tanks where they are fed and cared for till they are large enough to be released.
Their current source of income is:
- tourists (they charge an entry fee and have a small shop)
- local help
Hopefully they will survive and thrive again..........
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