Magnificent Makhna: Meet the Author and Illustrator

A majestic elephant protects the forests from timber traders, tree-cutters and poachers. The animal becomes such a legend, that his photograph is a regular display piece on the walls of their homes. But one day, the Forest Department receives strict orders to hunt the elephant down… 

After the gripping Black Panther, Aravind Krish Bala returns to the Western Ghats with a riveting story inspired by true events highlighting the complex cause of conservation, drawing the reader’s attention to realities that need to be faced without taking sides. Illustrator Sandip K. Luis has created brilliant pictures that capture the drama in the story and heighten the suspense. 

The Author

Aravind used to be a teacher, and is now a journalist writing on environment, wildlife and conservation. We asked him to tell us the story behind Magnificent Makhna and how he fell in love with forests and wildlife. 

When and how did your love for the environment, forests and wildlife begin?

When I was working as Chief Reporter, The New Indian Express, in Coimbatore, between 2002 and 2006, I learnt conservation journalism. Every month, I used to trek or travel to some part of the Western Ghats. These trips gave me stories for the paper and made me realise the need for habitat protection, clean water bodies, tribal culture and the necessity for reforestation.

People do not realise that their rivers are there only because of forests. We need to stop felling forests and actually recreate forests. When you trek, you are fascinated by the landscapes and wildlife. They spur you on.

Kalidoss and Ganesh of OSAI, an NGO, Dr Tolstoy, a wildlife photographer, and I, were part of some memorable treks.

 Have you met Moorthy the makhna? What is he like?

Castro Selvaraj, an activist based in Gudalur, told me about Moorthy, the makhna. The first few pages of the book are based on his narration. Then I learnt more from Dr Kalaivanan, a veterinarian at the camp, when he told me how a vet student, a girl from the US, got very close to the elephant. The few times I was at the camp, I was not lucky. I haven't met Moorthy yet.

Does Thangam regret having captured the makhna?

The Thangam character is based on Thangaraj Paneerselvam, a forest ranger and the most-preferred sharp shooter of the State Forest Department. He did not capture the makhna. I don't know how they captured it. Based on his stories of tranquillizing and rescuing panthers and elephants, I have woven the two stories together. It is part-real, part-fiction.

What do you think would have happened if Moorthy was not captured?

I guess he would still be roaming the wild in Mudumalai, Wayanad and Bandipur forests, terrorizing the timber mafia.

You have been to the forests many times. What do you love and hate the most about forests?

Forests make you feel that you are levitating. You forget and lose yourself. You are so light, you won't carry your ego, pride and beauty. You are a speck. But you come back pure and with wisdom - not worldly, but spiritual. It is an inward journey as well, filled with beautiful moments. My one wish is that there should be no more buildings or construction in any of the mountains. We need a law that ensures that. As for the forests, no more roads, rails, bridges and strictly no vehicles. We have encroached on more than what is necessary. If you want to know the wild, walk.

 Is there any one animal (that you have seen) that has impressed you the most? Why?

Every animal is special. There are birds, insects, flowers, fish. Each one is important and an essential part of the ecosystem. There are Nilgiri Tahrs that live in the highest peaks, mostly in herds. One evening, we spent two hours with a herd of hundred in the second-highest peak in South India. At a distance of some thousand feet! They are so sensitive. They seemed to say, "We don't like you humans." There are Olive Ridley Turtles that swim in the Indian Ocean. And I have always been fascinated by Great Pied Hornbills. I don't know why. Maybe because of their colours or their preference for tall trees. I feel that they fly on top of this world as if they know everything that's happening down here. My choices are more philosophical, I guess.

What is the best way to introduce children to environmental issues? Is it through books, visits to sanctuaries/zoos, interactions with animals or watching Nature shows on TV?

Maybe books, because I write them! But books tend to be a bit unreal. In a zoo, the animals are caged. The wilderness is all about freedom, mobility and an inner peace, despite its dangers to life. It's about living. If we take a child on the lion safari at Vandalur zoo, the image of a lion he/she will carry back will be that of a sleeping, ugly creature. Nature shows are fascinating. They wake up the slumbering adventure spirit in kids. It will be tough to get the gadget-generation that is glued to the virtual world, to take an interest in ornithology, wildlife biology or even to trek. Initially, parents have to introduce children to Nature. Children should be taught that this planet is our home. As far as we know, the only home. Not one with walls but a home with a sky, seas, a sun, clouds, rain...

The Artist 

After completing his Masters from Visva Bharati University, Santiniketan, Sandip K. Luis is now a researcher at the School of Arts and Aesthetics, JNU, New Delhi. This is his first book for Tulika.

Sandip says he was fascinated by the story, especially the confrontation between Moorthy the makhna, and Thangam, the man chosen by the Forest Department to hunt down the elephant. 

What were your first thoughts when you read the story?

First of all, I was really taken in by the characters of makhna and Thangam, who appeared to me as inseparable for some mysterious reason. For me, the most striking scene in the story was the exchange of gaze between the makhna and Thangam, which was unlike what a reader might typically expect from a violent confrontation between the hunter and the hunted. It was, to me, the real mystery of the story despite its much-anticipated conclusion of the makhna being captured. My illustrations are inspired by this 'mysteriously disappointing confrontation' between the makhna and Thangam. I think the writer's actual literary contribution was bringing out a complex mystery like this, from a real-life incident and I felt I had to stay true to it. As an artist, I also wanted to translate this mystery from its apparent religious tones (as Thangam sees Lord Ganesha in the makhna) to a more humane (or even 'animal') level. But this is the most difficult task, and I think my success is only partial.

Have you been to the forests and seen wild elephants up close?

Though I was brought up in the city, I have been to the forest many times because my mother's house is in Kolayad, on the fringes of the Nilambur forest in Kerala. Once, my friends and I were on our way to Sabarimala. We were walking towards a distant forest shelter on a dark evening, and came across numerous recently-upturned little trees, and fresh elephant dung. We were far behind our senior fellow-travellers, and were not even sure if we were on the right track. For me and my artist friends, with our wild and crazy imagination, this experience itself was enough to visualise the most ferocious elephants on the planet, though the real elephant (or elephants, we are still not sure) might have been gentle and kind.

What medium did you use to create the pictures?

Water colour. I generally work with it because it is more light and fluent, compared to other mediums. But the images are slightly reworked on Photoshop software to give additional effects on the painted surface. 

Have you met Moorthy? If not, would you like to meet him?

No, I haven't. But sure, meeting him will be a great moment, like when Thangam meets his makhna!

Bamboo Banter: Q&A with Mita and Proiti

The author of Bulbuli's Bamboo, Mita Bordoloi spent her teenage years in Assam – where the story is based – at the edge of Kaziranga National Park, by the banks of the Brahmaputra river, around orchids her father collected avidly. She is passionate about environmental issues, flora and bamboo. In this tête-à-tête with Tulika Blog, she talks about her love for bamboo and how she does her bit to help save the environment.

Do you have any vivid memories of your teenage years in Assam? 

One vivid bamboo memory from my teenage years would be when we would hike up the hill near our home in Kaziranga now called the Mihi Miri Tower. After reaching the top of the hill we would rest under swaying bamboo grove. The peace and quiet would be awesome, and then, we’d look down. From nearest to farthest would be the Highway 37, a strip of villages and our land, narrow Mora Diphlu River, and then the Kaziranga National Park. But from the hilltop we would have a panoramic bird’s eye view of the Park in the distance, with binoculars even better, and animals in great numbers. It would be as if the Park was bald because it would be after the Park’s annual ritual of burning the elephants grass in February or March.

Another memory is associated with the smell of flowers at our home in the oil-town of Digboi. My father once had the largest collection of orchids in the region. Our mali or gardener, a Gurkha gentelman from Nepal would rotate the blooming flowers from the garden to the porch, and the hanging orchids that were tied to hollowed fern tree barks with moss, would emit subtle scents in the veranda. We also had a hedge of gardenia and our rooms would be filled with thick bunches of it and the fragrance would linger in the interior of our house.
 
Why did you choose bamboo as the subject of your story?

I love bamboo and always gravitate towards it, so, the story came to me naturally. My obsession with bamboo is life-long as can be seen from the objects in the pictures and Bulbuli’s Bamboo represents that love.
 
Since you are passionate about environmental issues, and bamboo, can you tell us about any conservation efforts or green movements you are involved with?

I am a long-term member of World Wildlife Fund and also practice recycling at home. I try to buy green products that respect the Earth. I am appalled by the strewn plastic bags in the cities and villages of India and yearned for the days when bamboo, like banana, was the natural biodegradable and disposable product. Bulbuli’s Bamboo is a result of that yearning.

You write stories for both adults and children...what kind of topics do you write on for children?

I have written children’s books on wildlife, historical fiction as well as other topics such as festivals and travel.
 
Is the conservation/environment angle in your books something you consciously focus on while writing for children?

I don’t think I consciously focus on the conservation/environment angle when writing books for children. I am naturally drawn to such subjects because of my love for it.  

Can we grow bamboo plants in our homes and/or gardens? 

We can grow bamboo easily in our garden or even in a pot (see picture). In urban areas, growing bamboos in a pot is a better idea as it is an invasive plant.

What are you favourite bamboo objects? Is there any one object that has stayed with you since childhood?

I have many bamboo objects in my home (see pictures). My favorites are table mats, kitchen paraphernalia such as sieves, trays, strainers, cup-holders, mugs, and a miniature collage of fishing equipment I made more than twenty years ago. I also treasure two book marks in frames with its depictions of a lotus plant and a perched crane rendered with thin slivers of bamboo. It was a gift from Roland and Sabrina Michaud, the renowned French photographer/writer team, more than 30 years ago. 

Can you share your favourite bamboo soup recipe with us?

Here is my favourite bamboo shoot soup recipe, the variations of which could be found in many Asian countries. One can either make it vegetarian or non-vegetarian by using vegetable or chicken broth and chicken pieces.  

Caramelize some sliced onions by frying and set aside. Boil water with vegetable or chicken broth. Add mushrooms, greens and about two tablespoons of grated raw bamboo shoots, salt and pepper and let it simmer till the ingredients are cooked. Serve sprinkled with fried sliced onions and thin slits of raw ginger.

Illustrator Proiti Roy says the pictures for Bulbuli's Bamboo "came flowing because the story had such a beautiful flow." Her illustrations have delighted readers all over the world and are an absolute favourite with children.  Among her several acclaimed books for Tulika are the award-winning What Shall I Make? and Ismat’s Eid.  She says her childhood days in Shantiniketan were a source of inspiration for the character of Bulbuli. 

How did you go about creating the beautiful illustrations for Bulbuli's Bamboo from the original text?

When the story came to me, I was expecting something quite different... maybe a story with a lot of information and facts about bamboos. But this was a story that was more about the life of a little girl with bamboo all around her. 

While reading it, I could instantly see little Bulbuli and the bamboo orchard and a lot of green! The way the story was told, it made me visualize it in a certain way; to this end I tried several styles to get what we all thought would be the right feel. 

As I went along, the pictures came flowing because the story had such a beautiful flow.

     
What medium did you use to create the pictures?

Black ink pen and watercolour.
 
Do you draw with pencil first or do you prefer using the computer?

Usually, I still prefer the conventional way of starting with pencil, then drawing with an ink pen, painting with water colour and then going back to the pen for the details and finishing touches. I would like to use digital tools in my work, partially at least, but somehow I keep going back to the old methods because I feel it just suits my work. 

Who was your inspiration for Bulbuli?  

My childhood. Days spent at my grandparents' house in Shantiniketan. The quiet afternoons on guava and mango trees, armed with a book and some tamarind pickle.