Of all the reviews that I have written for the India International Centre’s website, this one was a blessed gift. It wasn’t meant to be but, by luck of the draw, it was and I am a much better human being for the fact. My wife, an avid fledgling birder, had read the notice in the lobby outside the library of this upcoming program about the photographic aspects of bird watching and we made it a point to be present. If I am attending a program with the intent of writing about it, I come armed with writing material and a mindset that is different from attending for the sheer pleasure of it. So on Friday night we presented ourselves at 5 PM for the always welcome tea and the chance to just mingle. If the program is one that I am going to write about I always take the trouble to meet those responsible for the program, not only to tell them why I am there but to also pick their brains a bit beforehand.
We admired the truly amazing collection of close-up photographs of birds that were arrayed on tables outside the Lecture Hall. Because I have had experience taking a lot of photographs, I could appreciate the meticulous details that were captured in the many images that Bhagat Singh had on display. It is noteworthy that, at the end of the extraordinary talk he delivered, he announced that this collection was to be gifted for the appreciation of others to the Nature Group!
We filed into the lecture hall, taking a back row seat, which is the exact opposite of where I sit when I am writing about a program. I was pleased to find a 7-page handout on my chair entitled “The World of Birds” that summed up one part of the program that was about to begin but not the important part. I was just reading the first sentence when my wife nudged me pointing out my website editor making writing motions with her hand while pointing to the stage. “She wants you to cover the program,” said my wife, handing me her-never-ever-lent-to-anyone spiffy Cross pen and I made my way to the front row seat with the thankfully provided handout on which to take notes.
Bhagat Singh’s compatriot, Samar Singh, was making the introduction, talking about how they had both had prior careers with the government as I settled in and began taking notes. He mentioned the two books that had resulted from Bhagat Singh’s retirement pastime, which turned out to be more of an adventure in life understanding.
Singh began reading from his carefully wrought text that dwelt with the joyful and beneficial pastime of coming to terms with the multitude of avian species found in India. Worldwide attention has been focused on India as being an unrivalled place where a vast number of different birds thrive. His tales of male birds having muted plumage when they shared the duties with their mate was an eye opener because I never knew that occupational stratification existed in our fine-feathered chums; ditto for the bird that not only is monogamous but also cares for its parents, i.e. the Hoopoe. The fact that it is revered by Muslims is not surprising although being from the United States where people have stop caring for their parents means that my countrymen have more to learn for birds than they bargained for.
But it was only when he laid the text aside could he begin to narrate the real story behind his mission. He told of years ago taking his two young children to Corbett Park where he left his daughter while seeking to photograph an elephant at a nearby stream. He didn’t realize that the child was in the middle of a tiger path. No harm came, supporting his contention that man is really the more dangerous beast. For him, the plea of birds is: “Live and let live” which were the same words emblazoned on a sign I saw in downtown Srinagar.
Bhagat Singh’s retirement has been a joyful voyage of discovery where he has found the longed-for solace in the solitary splendour at the end of the road in Garhwal. He has a 7 by 9 room in the last village where he spends long periods alone with none of the amenities of city life. Cooking simple food with only a wood fuelled fire and armed with only a digital camera, he avoids man, “the worst beast.” His basic contention is that “man is strongest alone.” His wardrobe consists of two shirts and two pairs of pants and a van that doubles as a living space.
What I took away from this memorable evening was the knowledge that nature is always beautiful and that man needs activities. He spoke flawlessly, fluently and error free and his words and thoughts were delivered with passion and discipline. He is a man who has come to terms with himself and his world and I am the better for having had the opportunity to listen to what he said.