Men of some wild authority

Aman Sood in Patiala

Some people love authority, some like to live it while others would like to feel the ‘air of authority’ outside their professions or a life so ordinary. The spirit of adventure combines the elements of authority: you step out of your secure home, go miles, watch things extraordinary and then convert them into freeze-frames — to be an authority of the moment. Wildlife affords such experiences; where no one is in charge, no one takes life for granted, and where you don’t matter, animals do. 

Some officers in Punjab have let that happen. They are a group, the Wild Life Photographers (WLP). The love of wildlife is the sole thread that binds them. They trust their cameras, distrust their own authority and let the essence of living take over. They have stories, anecdotes and much more; some simple reasons why they are alive. One of them runs like this: they had just got out of Jim Corbett’s core area, Dhikala, and headed to the nearby Ramganga river when three young elephants came charging towards their Gypsy. Mandeep Singh Sidhu, and former forest officer Karamjit Jatana decided not to trust the driver and instead jump and run to save their lives. The driver shouted to allow him to reverse as by running they could not outrun the elephants. The elephants continued to follow for around some minutes and then hurried away. 

Hear the officers’ adventure:

Jaskaran Sandhu (62)
Retired Irrigation Dept chief engineer 

In over a decade, Jaskaran has to his credit about 3,500 wildlife photographs. He has organized 20 exhibitions in different parts of the country and has been awarded by the Wildlife Photographers and Indian Photographers Association. He also served as the vice chairman of Wildlife Advisory Board, Punjab. His unforgettable episode: He was on a trip to Jim Corbett. A rookie guide accompanying him panicked when a tiger roared from the nearby bushes. “While I got up to click the picture, the guide wanted to leave the spot. The next 20 minutes as we waited patiently for the tiger, the guide was already saying his prayers. Once done with the shoot, I saw the horrified, shocked face of the guide who apparently forgot he was alive!”

He is the key man of the group and has visited almost all major national parks in India — Kanha-Kisli and Bandhavgarh (Madhya Pradesh), Ranthambore (Rajasthan) and Jim Corbett (Uttarakhand). Jaskaran had also been to some wildlife habitats of South Africa, Kenya and Mazai Mara (Kenya). He has accompanied State Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh to South Africa more than twice. 

“Initially not many were into wildlife photography and travelled to hill stations or beaches for holidays,” says Sandhu. He recalls his first trip to Kanha (MP), and there was no looking back since. “Wildlife is a magnet, the adventure is unforgettable,” he says. 

Mandeep Sidhu (47)
Commandant IRB

He accompanied Jaskaran and fell in love with the sheer beauty of nature. “I bought a small camera and since then it is my a passion,” says Sidhu. Over 1,500 pictures in over seven national parks of the country and a trip to Mazai Mara in Kenya have left Sidhu mesmerized. He recalls the “sudden appearance of a tiger in Bandhavgarh. “We spent the entire morning session within the forest trying to spot a tiger or leopard. We were on our way back, when we spotted a tigress with her cubs. We got a glimpse of them bathing for almost over an hour. I feel so lucky for those clicks”, he says. 

Sukhjit Bhullar
XEN Irrigation (40) 

Unfamiliar with the wildlife till 2007, Bhullar was in touch with his senior, Jaskaran Sandhu, who motivated him to pick up a camera and head to the forest. 

“Initially my holidays with my wife were just about going to Shimla in the summers. My first trip to the forest changed my perception. I decided to return as often as I could,” says Bhullar. 

Gurmeet Chauhan
SSP Patiala, (47) 

Chauhan recalls how his reading habits actually took him close to the wildlife. “Some six years back, I was a reading a book when the chapters that were set in a jungle were so inspiring that I planned a family trip to the Gir in Gujarat to spot a lion. The experience taught me a lot. The trip was an inspiration for my children as well”, says Chauhan. 

Though not a photographer, Chauhan says he is more into spotting animals and is happy with his binoculars. “Once inside the forest I try to see every leaf, pugmarks or even a slight movement in the bushes,” he says. “Once inside the forest, each moment is unexpected; you do not know which animal would appear first from where.” 

Another wildlife enthusiast is JaiDeep Narula, who owns a photo studio Star Color Lab in the city. He is the one whom every photographer approaches for prints. His skills within the forest are assets that help him plan what pictures could get which print. He has about 2,500 pictures of all sizes clicked by wildlife photographers.