Dr. Salim Ali, the Bird Man of India

The Bird Man of India , Dr. Salim Ali

….S. Balakrishnan

‘Nowadays killing birds even for the sake of research pains me’, so said a person who, as an eight-year-old, hunted down birds just for the fun of it with an air gun. Once, not knowing what kind of sparrow he had shot down was directed to the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS). Enamoured by the vast collection and encouraged by the Society, his interest in birds took wings and, later, took his name to the nooks and corners of the world as a famous ornithologist. That was Dr. Salim Ali , the Grand Old Bird Man of India!

It was sheer chance that I met him at 'Chidiatappu' (chidia in Hindi means bird)! It is a coastal village in South Andaman Island , near Port Blair, famous for bird watching. Dr. Salim Ali was camping there at the PWD Inspection Bungalow for his research work. He, along with his associate, was on the lawn, deeply involved in his work. With his permission, I captured him with my old-fashioned Agfa Click III box-type camera.

After the photo session, Dr. Salim Ali had a small talk with me. As I took leave of him not wanting to disturb his research work, he said he would be eagerly expecting copies of the snapshots. His eyes shone with expectation like an innocent child's. Later, he had promptly acknowledged them in his own handwriting. This was the first and also the last merit certificate for my photographic skill! It was a plesant surprise that such a great personality freely mingled with an ordinary person and took pains to acknowledge.

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Born on November 12, 1896 in Bombay (sorry, Mumbai) Dr. Sálim Moizuddin Abdul Ali , had struggled a lot initially. It was not an easy success for him. He was unemployed for some time and found unfit for a job for want of higher educational qualification. Later, he volunteered to undertake research on the birds of princely states. This led him to various parts of India and he slowly gained name and fame. He was honoured with Padma Vibhushan award by the Indian government; he has also won many international awards for his work in his chosen field of ornithology. He was nominated as a Member of Parliament ( Rajya Sabha ). He has written numerous books on the subject, particularly about the birds of India . Dr Salim Ali passed away on July 27, 1987 at the age of 91.

It was sheer coincidence that the same eight-year-old boy later wrote to the then Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, and saved BNHS from closure for want of funds. He also headed it for some years.

While stressing the important role the owls play, he had jovially remarked thus: `On an average, an owl hunts two or three rats in a night. This amounts to controlling the birth of 880 rats. Just imagine … working non-stop for 365 nights in a year without salary and without any holiday …and just not one owl but so many owls ...!'

The compassionate words of Dr. Salim Ali that "killing birds even for the sake of research pains" him, still ring in my ears. That is true ornithologist!

S. Balakrishnan

e-mail: krishnanbala2004@yahoo.co.in

Orcha & Gwalior

Report on the Study Tour to Orchha & Gwalior

Dec. 07 – 09 2007

…. S. Balakrishnan

Intro: As part of the 2-week 45^th Refresher Course for PAs, ISTM, New Delhi, organized a 3-day Study Tour to Orchha & Gwalior in M.P. from Dec, 07 to 09 2007. All the participants, except two, joined the study tour, conducted by Mr. AJK Menon, Asst. Director & Course Coordinator.

Objectives: I could realize the objectives of the tour, about which I was quite apprehensive at the beginning, as the tour progressed from day 1 to 2, to 3 and as we landed back finally at ISTM. They were, as I could visualize, – 1. to improve inter-personal relationship among the participants, 2. coordination/cooperation among the participants, 3. to gain knowledge about the socio-economic conditions and progress of our nation, 4. working of NGOs and 5. functioning of national-level institutions.

Working of NGOs: A visit to Technical Aid for Rural Advancement (TARA), an NGO working in Orchha, was our first programme on the first day of our study trip on 07/12/07 (Friday). This NGO has set up a unit where waste wood is converted into pulp to generate power; also, waste cotton from the far off Tiruppur (Tamil Nadu), the hosiery town, is converted into various handmade paper products, using non-toxic and natural vegetable dyes. These products are not only eco-friendly but also longer lasting. Such a venture has provided the rural people of this dry region (someone commented it had not rained there during the last four years) permanent alternative jobs with steady income, without solely depending on the unreliable and seasonal agriculture/farming jobs alone.

Other site seeing at Orchha:

* White water rafting in Betwa & Jamni rivers was a refreshing experience. It taught us coordination/cooperation among the rowers as well as to obey the commands (of the head boatman) to attain our goal.

* We worshipped at the Ram Temple, whose rule is still supreme in that town. Guard of Honour is given only to Lord Ram and none else, not even to President!

* The trip to the Orchha palace on the second day (Saturday, 08/12/07) gave a glimpse of the rich architectural heritage of Bundhelkhand Rulers. It was a mixture of Hindu (Rajput) and Muslim/Persian styles of architecture and interior designs/patterns.

* Shopping: Orchha is a rich source for antique/curio shopping and I could not resist indulging in some, with my money purse becoming thinner and thinner.

Rani Lakshmibhai National Institute of Physical Education (NIPE): After winding our trip in Orchha, we visited NIPE, Gwalior, in the afternoon of the second day of our tour. A top institute to train physical educators, it has all facilities for providing overall training in various sports, games (both indoor and outdoor), track events, gymnasium, martial arts like judo, body-building, swimming, etc. It has to be pointed out that the facilities are of the highest standard also. The fee for these fully residential courses is highly subsidized by the Union Government, which shows the importance the Government attaches to developing physical education in the country. It has courses at Diploma, UG, PG, M. Phil levels.

* To conclude the second day’s programme, we enjoyed the Sound-&-Light show organized at the Gwalior Fort, describing the history of the fort and its rulers.

Other site seeing at Gwalior:

* Sunday began with an appropriate visit to Sun Temple in Gwalior (Vivasan Mandir). It is said to be a replica of the world famous Sun Temple of Konark in Orissa, which I felt was not at all true. The Konark Temple cannot be replicated; because, even in ruins it is a master piece, more beautiful than Taj Mahal itself!

* We paid homage at the tomb of Tansen, one of the Nine Gems of Akbar’s court. Musician Tansen was buried in Gwalior, his native district, adjacent to his Muslim guru’s tomb. The annual Tansen Samroah was being organized there.

* A trip within the Jaivilas Palace of the Scindia royal family gave us an idea of the rich life style of our ex-rulers. The most striking piece was the massive chandeliers in the gold-plated assembly hall and artifacts from China.

* The last item in our schedule was a visit to the Gwalior Fort atop a hill, the Saas-Bahu temples and Guru Hargobind Saheb Gurudwara. Though in a hurry to catch the train back to Delhi, the guide took us around the important places within the fort. The intricate stone works, ventilation/lighting even in the underground chambers, decorations, etc. of the Maan Singh Palace attracted us very much.

Experience: The study trip offered some unique first-time experiences to me, like white water rafting, visit to a Gurudwara, etc. I felt proud to roam in the land of the brave Lakshmibhai, Jhansi ki Rani, who fought against the British and sowed the seed for our independence. It gave a close-up view of the working of an NGO and a national-level educational institution. My desire to travel by Shatabdhi Express also got fulfilled (both ways!). The tourism potential of the area was unbelievable. Like the squirrel that played its small role in building of the Ram Sethu, I carried out my minor role in the smooth conduct of the trip.

Conclusion: Our sincere thanks to ISTM for planning such a wonderful trip as part of the course, to Mr. Menon, for the flawless execution, to MP Tourism for the excellent planning of the visits, transport, and board & lodge both at Orchha and Gwalior. Last but not the least (to use the unavoidable cliché) to all my friends for making the tip a memorable one.

S. Balakrishnan

PA to ADG

(45^th PAR Course)

Press Information Bureau

Min. of I&B, Govt. of India

Shastri Bhawan, Chennai – 600 006

krishnanbala2004@yahoo.co.in