The Elephants Come Calling : Tumtumpara Tea Estate

by Ranu Singh Taragi

The sound of crackers in the middle of the night woke up Mylu. He had been fast asleep. The loud bangs made him sit up or rather –jump up!

‘Crackers! But Diwali got over long ago. What could the matter be?’

As he puzzled it out, a noisy group of people walked past the window. Some of the men held flaming torches in their hand. Over all this din, suddenly the sound of screeching trumpets filled the air. All became quiet for a minute or two , and then the shouts rose higher and louder. Panic and confusion was everywhere. And in a flash Mylu knew…the elephants had come calling!

Mylu scrambled out of his bed. His elder brother and father were outside already. Mylu quickly pulled on his sweater and canvas shoes.

‘Hurry up! Hurry up!’ a breathless voice sounded in his head. He seized a  bamboo stick from the corner and in a jiffy wrapped a piece of torn sack cloth over the top. Next he dipped the cloth into a tin of kerosene oil kept on the shelf. There…his ‘barbara’ or torch was ready!

The boy raced outside. He could hardly recognize anyone! Most faces wore masks made up of fear. The fiery glow from the torches dappled their features with red orange shadows. A mixture of Adivasi and Nepalese dialect could be heard.

A young boy brushed past Mylu.

Mylu yelled, ‘Mani, MANI !’

Mani stumbled to a halt. ‘Mylu,come on, let’s go! The elephants are near Kancha’s kela bari.’

Kancha’s hut stood at the edge of Tumtumpara basti. His home was surrounded by banana trees.

In the far distance lay the lower hills of Bhutan. The elephants always came from the forest at the foothills. Sometimes the herd consisted of as many as two hundred elephants. Some were huge tuskers.

‘There they are !’ shouted someone from the crowd. ‘Look…look ..in the chia bagan.’

Mylu and Mani saw many huge grayish blue silhouettes among the tea bushes. The bushes looked puny in comparison with the bulk of the elephants. The herd stood silent and watchful as the shouts from the crowd sounded closer.

The sky lit up as the flaming torches moved in. Some of the boys beat tin drums or even tin containers with sticks. Mylu and his friends raised their voices and yelled as loudly as they could.

‘Do you think we’ll be able to frighten them away?’ Mylu asked hoarsely.

‘Maybe…maybe not!’ Mani sounded uncertain. ‘They are vey close now. You know that they love the taste of bananas. And each hut in this basti has at least a couple of trees in the yard.’

Mylu looked worried. ‘You are right. Also don’t forget the rice fields behind the basti. I bet that the smell of ripe ‘dhan’ has enticed them out of the forest.

The boys looked on helplessly as the first few elephants lumbered forward and yanked out the banana trees closest to them. The crowd continued to raise a loud din, and yet kept a respectful distance from the unwelcome visitors.

No one could have forseen the next few seconds. A baby elephant –inquisitive and playful, separated from the rest.

‘Ooooeee !’ screamed Mylu. ‘She is coming this way! Mani, run. RUN BACK!’

The baby ran towards the crowd. Probably the bright torches had caught her attention. She was most curious.

Mylu couldn’t recall what happened next. The entire herd felt that the little one was in danger, and charged forward to save her. The crowd turned and fled backwards. Mylu was just swept along. He felt that he would suffocate and thrashed his arms about to free himself.

Later - almost at dawn, the elephants swung around and filed out of the basti. A lot of damage to life as well as property had been done.

Kancha’s elder brother, Thuley, was crushed to death by the stampeding animals. Mylu wept when his father shared this sad news. He and Thuley had often worked alongside in the tea garden.

Mani’s family lost their cow. Govind’s hut lay in a shambles ! Almost all the the banana trees had been uprooted and ripped into bits.

Next day, the rays of the morning sun managed to disperse the early January fog. But nothing could lift up the gloom and despair which lay in the hearts of the people who worked on Tumtumpara Tea Estate.

                                                                    

                                                                                  II

The elephants continued to call every night for the next week. They left before dawn but not before they had done serious harm. 

The men and boys of the basti did their best to scare the herd away..and they did succeed one instance. But the next morning they were dismayed to learn that the animals had not gone into the forest. Instead they had entered another set of mud and thatch dwellings further away. There was plenty to eat in the form of ‘dhan’ and ‘bananas’. The elephants were really enjoying themselves.

'During the week, Mylu's Mother and baby sister Munni, tied up their more precious possessions in a piece of cloth and left their hut before nightfall.

Pic source: Internet

They met up with the other women and young children, and spent the night in a safer place. There were times when the elephants came further in. Then even the men retreated and went along to take shelter in the Tea Factory.

Mylu’s father, other senior men and some of the wise old women pondered and conferred day and night. They spent hours planning how to drive the herd away, once and for all. Their plan of action appeared foolproof in the morning hours. Yet, at night, the bravest of men fled before the mighty intruders.

The Assistant Manager, Ahmed, was gravely concerned about this situation and helped out as best as he could. He gave out many powerful searchlights and torches from the factory store. Mylu himself took away a big supply of crackers from Ahmed.

Mylu, who worked at small odd jobs in Ahmed’s garden, gave him an account of the previous night’s happenings, before the young assistant left for morning ‘kamjari.’

‘Sahib,’ said Mylu looking dejected, ‘they are here to stay. Now we’ll never be able to go back to our huts.’

Ahmed noticed the dark circles under Mylu’s eyes, due to lack of sleep : mental as well as physical strain. 

The same morning, after having inspected the damage caused to the dwellings and tea bushes, Ahmed called a meeting of the managerial staff. The Estate Manager was away on business so Ahmed had to assess the situation.

They discussed worriedly and decided to approach the local forest department without any further delay. Ahmed himself went to meet the D.F.O. 

At about eight o’clock that night, a jeep crunched the gravel outside Ahmed’s bungalow and halted. The D.F.O, Mr. Guha, along with two forest rangers and six guards were in the vehicle. They wanted to take stock of the area themselves. Ahmed joined Mr.Guha and directed the jeep driver to the basti.

As soon as they reached there, Mylu dodged past a few men and ran up. ‘Salam !’ he cried.

‘Salam Mylu,’ answered Ahmed. ‘Where is your father?’

‘He is getting the barbaras ready Sir. All the men are gathered behind our hut.’

Ahmed introduced the Forest Officers to the men of the basti. Mr.Guha asked a lot of questions. One of the range officers made notes in his diary. The guards went to examine the enormous footprints in the field.

‘Thank God!’ whispered Mylu to his father.

‘Yes,’ replied the old man. ‘I’m beginning to feel that everything will now turn for the better. He stooped and brushed his forhead with a little soil from the ground.

Mr. Guha called the guards and gave them a number of instructions. He himself left with Ahmed a short while later. Only the forest guards stayed back. The villagers felt more confident, now that the guards would help them in chasing the elephants back into the forest.

Pic: Gowri Mohanakrishnan

The guards organized the men and boys of the basti into three groups. Each bloc was directed by two guards.

Mylu slapped his friend on the back and cried excitedly, ‘Mani, we are in the same group!’

The two guards in charge of their group came up. The first one said, ‘Please come closer. I am Badri Prasad and this is my colleague, Rajnath.’

‘Please try and stay calm. We’ll do our utmost to protect you,’ Rajnath assured everyone. ‘Now…let’s make our plan.’

The elephants were greeted with a stronger resistance that night. Each person put in their best. The guards themselves led the boys and men forward. They shone powerful torches and searchlights into the path of the advancing menace. Loud bombs were lit and thrown to scare the herd.

The crowd shouted till it was hoarse. The boys beat drums till their arms ached. But the animals were used to these tactics. Nothing could make them retreat till they had eaten their fill of rice and fruit.

Very soon, it became clear to the forest guards that a different strategy would have to be adopted.

Pic source: Internet

                                                                           III

Mylu and Mani were sitting on the roadside and using their slings to aim at the stones on the farside, when Ganga and Tara arrived.

Mylu jumped to his feet poised to race off as fast as he could.

‘Mani!’ he screamed in warning. ‘Daju -- they are here! So early! Run-run for your life.’

Mani looked up idly and then a look of alarm spread on his face. He could hear Mylu’s voice urging him to flee but shock and fright wouldn’t let him move. He saw two huge grey mammals lumber up the katcha road. And just when he felt certain that his end was near, a friendly voice hailed him!

‘Hoi, Mani! Meet Tara and Ganga, …beauties lah ?’

The voice seemed to be coming from somewhere overhead. Mylu peered up cautiously. Rajnath and Badri Prasad grinned at the boys from their high seat.

By then Mylu had sprinted back. He smiled sheepishly at the two ‘mahouts.’

‘This is Tara,’ said Rajnath patting the elephant he sat upon. ‘And Badri is riding Ganga. ‘We are going to the basti to make plans for tonight.’

Badri Prasad stroked Ganga’s ear affectionately. ‘These elephants are very well trained. Mr.Guha, the D.F.O, has sent them from the wild life department. With their help we’ll definitely be able to chase the wild herd back into the forest.’

So the two boys pranced down the road all the way to the basti, while the elephants followed majestically. Along the way, children and grown-ups exclaimed when they saw the sight. What on earth could be happening?

Pic: Gowri Mohanakrishnan

Soon there was quite a procession, with Mylu and Mani leading, the two elephants following passively, and last of all, a crowd of excited men, women and jostling children. Someone spread the rumour that two of the wild elephants had been captured!

The moment they reached, the mahouts ordered the animals to kneel. They dismounted, in the midst of a huge assembly, very eager to know the truth.

Rajnath explained loudly so everyone could hear. The elders put in some suggestions and a short while later, a course of action had been finalized. Mylu’s father spoke in awe and shook his head in wonder and disbelief. ‘Imagine, we’ll be taking the help of trained elephants to chase the wild ones!’

The meeting got over and many of the children rushed off to their huts. Mylu cut down a stalk of bananas from his ‘bari’ and offered it to Tara and Ganga. Others brought small offerings of corn cobs and fruit. The elephants trumpeted joyfully at the sight of this feast.

It was daylight still and the herd would venture out of the forest not before dark. Rajnath commanded the elephants to kneel in the middle of the basti. Turning to Mylu he asked, ‘Ever been up on an elephant back?’

There was a loud denial from the children.

‘No?’ echoed the guard teasingly. He called out to Badrinath, ‘Well Badri, these kids haven’t been up on an elephant. What do you suggest? Should we take them for a short ride?’

An excited and eager group of children ran alongside and clamoured for their turn, while Tara and Ganga swayed up and down the road, looking contented and replete. Then it was time to get down to more serious matters.

Ganga and Tara obeyed instructions solemnly as their mahouts guided them to the edge of the basti. They stood facing the forest. Some of the younger men joined the guards on the wooden howdah. They carried up a store of crackers and many searchlights. Mylu’s father led the rest of the men on foot. Most of them held flaming barbaras.

The wait was long, almost an hour, and  filled with tension. Finally, it was Tara who alerted their mahouts. And correctly too! Moments later, there was much rustling in the ‘bagan.’ Also, sounds of crackling twigs.

Then huge grey shadows loomed ahead!

Mylu couldn’t recall when he had felt more excited. Or giddy with nervous fright. Later, he couldn’t even recall the exact sequence of what happened that night, for there was babbling confusion.

Badri Prasad and Rajnath shouted orders at the top of their voices. Tara and Ganga screeched with rage and ran towards the oncoming wild herd. The crowds followed bravely with waving torches. In a far corner, at a safe distance from the people and animals, a few of the older boys lighted crackers. Mylu and Mani held hands and tried to stay together.

As for the visiting elephants, they got the shock of their lives! They just couldn’t comprehend what was afoot! How come, wondered their leader, they were being confronted by their own kind? He noticed that the trained elephants appeared very friendly with the humans. Confused and suspicious, he decided to halt, re-think and then lead his herd forward.

Meanwhile Tara and Ganga advanced bravely. The sight of so many wild elephants didn’t make them falter.

All at once, very swiftly, the leader trumpeted a signal and turned about. Obediently, the entire lot of unwelcome intruders swung around too. Quietly, but urgently the wild herd melted back, into the forest.

The basti folks couldn’t see all this for their view was blocked by Tara and Ganga. They realized when Rajnath and Badri Prasad stood up in jubilation, and Tara and Ganga joined in with a proud screech.

Who knows what really scared the wild herd. Perhaps, Tara and Ganga’s presence hadn’t made them retreat. Maybe it was the realization that two of their kind had been captured and bonded by human beings. If these men were really that clever, then their freedom was in peril too!

And, it could be, that a lifetime of captivity made the wild herd turn towards the forest……a free sanctuary!

As for Tumtumpara, for the workers of the tea garden, the forest guards, Mylu , Mani and other little boys and girls, it was time to rejoice. Tara and Ganga joined in the festivities..

Tumtumpara Tea Garden was safe………for now!

Once all the official duties were done, Ganga ambled into (Dalsingpara) Burra Kothi and gave all the children their first ever ride! Ganga with  Siddhartha Mitra, Ritika Taragi, Raoul Lobo and Mallika Circar!

Pic: Ranu Singh Taragi

Chia bagan- tea garden

Barbara-makeshift flaming torch

Basti-small settlement

Dhan- rice

Daju-brother

Kela bari-banana plantation

Kamjari-work schedule