My title is Santosh Kunwar and I work as a forest guard in Rajasthan’s Udaipur district. Each forest guard is chargeable for overseeing one forest block; mine is Kargate. Earlier, I used to be posted on the Mewar Biodiversity Park close to Chirwa village, the place I labored from 2016 to 2024.
I used to be married off once I was simply 14 years outdated, at which period I used to be at school 6. After marriage, I used to be compelled to go away my research and bought caught in a routine. Then I had my daughters. My husband, who used to do odd jobs, handed away quickly afterwards. I lived with my in-laws for 12 years. Throughout this time, I adopted their guidelines–I stayed inside the home and kept away from going out, and didn’t examine both.
This vastly impacted my self-confidence in addition to my capacity to assume. My household believed that my life started and ended with my in-laws. To boost my kids, who have been very younger then, I began working in folks’s houses. In 2005, I joined an organisation known as Seva Mandir. Initially, I used to carry out cleansing and kitchen duties there. After a while, a couple of of my feminine colleagues who understood my scenario pushed me to finish my training. However I lacked the arrogance and would inform them, “I don’t know the way folks examine. I’ve forgotten every thing.”
Ultimately, below their steering, I began learning. Regardless of failing initially, I stored making an attempt. I began with maths after which studied different topics equivalent to English. I nonetheless bear in mind how I used to handle my time between elevating kids, working, and learning.
After finishing my training, I began making use of for presidency jobs, and took the examination and interview for the forest guard place. Once I got here to know that I had been chosen, it was a really blissful second for me. In 2016, a brand new chapter of my journey started.
7 AM: I get up early, end family chores, and put together breakfast. After years of shouldering a number of tasks, I now hold the mornings for myself. Often, I go away dwelling by 9 am and my first process is to patrol my space. After this, I work together with the native villagers. I really feel that common interplay with them is a crucial a part of my job. Except I speak to folks, I will be unable to grasp them. Typically, it’s by them that I discover out about encroachments or fires within the forest. Then I attain the spot and confirm the information myself.
Every season brings its personal challenges, and my schedule additionally adjustments accordingly.
Many occasions I hear folks saying, “You’re a lady so it will likely be tough so that you can do that work.” However I at all times clarify to them that I do know my duties, and that if I’ll positively attain out if I need assistance. Typically folks perceive the place I’m coming from, however generally it additionally results in conflicts. Just lately, a couple of people entered the forest at round 3 am to extract sandalwood (which requires permission from the forest division). Once I acquired the information, I needed to go to the spot alone and assess the scenario. Whereas dealing with such incidents improves one’s stature within the division, being a lady additionally signifies that the challenges you face develop into much more intense.
Every season brings its personal challenges, and my schedule additionally adjustments accordingly. For instance, in the summertime we have now to stop and extinguish forest fires, whereas through the wet season we work to create consciousness amongst girls within the village for tree plantation. Within the winter months, there are restrictions on chopping moist wooden, so we hold a watch out for that.
12 PM: I return from patrolling and share all the small print I’ve gathered with the supervisor. This contains any difficulties that I’m going through in my work, or necessities equivalent to the necessity for extra workers. Any points which have arisen are addressed appropriately. For instance, if a wild animal harms somebody someplace, I make a report about it; if an area’s goat is killed by a leopard, we provoke the method of compensation; if an animal enters a village space, we put up a fence after which go away it safely within the forest. On this manner, I wouldn’t have a set set of duties as a result of the scope of my work fluctuates day by day.
When forest fires escape through the summer time season, there’s no retaining monitor of day or evening and even meals. Our complete focus is on saving the forest. Nevertheless, there’s not a lot we are able to do instantly. Animals and birds get injured as a result of fires, so I additionally attempt to assist in their remedy.
Whereas doing this work, I’ve discovered that, together with authorities departments, the native communities can play a vital position throughout such disasters. They’re extra attuned to those forests than us. That’s the reason I at all times attempt to join with the folks dwelling within the areas surrounding the biodiversity park. I go to the houses of girls from the native communities, and I train their ladies each time I get time. Initially, I taught them counting with pebbles after which the Hindi alphabet. Such actions assist construct belief with the neighborhood, so we really feel snug with one another.
My interactions with folks have helped me perceive the issues they’re going through. What do they do if there’s a forest fireplace? Or why do they go so deep into the forest to gather wooden? Arriving at this understanding positively takes a while however as soon as it occurs, the folks and the division can work collectively. As an illustration, if there’s a fireplace in Amberi right now, I’m assured that the residents will work with the forest division to extinguish it. As well as, the younger ladies who’ve gained consciousness because of the actions we have now taken have now began making entry tickets for the park.
5 PM: Often, I’m on my manner again dwelling presently. However generally there could also be an emergency, so I’ve to stay on obligation. Just lately, some folks from the village have been doing building on the forest boundary. After we reached there to elucidate to them that they might not construct on the web site, they bought offended and mentioned that since that they had leased that land, they’d proceed their work. It’s vital for us to train endurance in such conditions. We defined to them that they’ll proceed with their building, however the patwari can be known as for an inspection the following day. They calmed down upon listening to this.
Being a forest employee, I fail to grasp why folks have this behavior of taking footage with wild animals.
Typically we’re additionally tasked with rescuing or treating injured wild animals. We should be alert in the event that they enter close by human habitations. Typically, once we cage a leopard, an enormous crowd gathers. It requires endurance to regulate the gang. Being a forest employee, I fail to grasp why folks have this behavior of taking footage with wild animals or going close to their enclosures. We discuss animal conservation however don’t change our behaviour. Authorities workers and native communities alike have to be higher knowledgeable.
9 PM: I end my family chores, equivalent to cooking, consuming, and cleansing the kitchen. If I get the time, I speak to my family, together with my sisters and my kids, on the cellphone. Having been by an prolonged dangerous part in my very own life, I really feel that I ought to help girls who’re in related conditions proper now. I consider that in such conditions it helps to hitch a civil society organisation. Doing so opens up choices for ladies and may facilitate connections with like-minded folks. It additionally offers them the arrogance to talk their minds.
As instructed to IDR.
—
