A Boy from Siklis: The Life and Times of Chandra

Gurung

Author: Manjushree Thapa

Pages: 226

Price: Rs 250

Published by Penguin India

KATHMANDU: This is another interestingly powerful writing from Manjushree Thapa. Like her Forget Kathmandu, Thapa begins this book of hers with the tragedy that the nation has just faced — the Ghunsa crash in which Nepal lost her most able and dedicated environmentalists and experts. She is able to grasp her reader’s attention from the first word itself. You are with her as she asks the innumerable why’s of the crash. Why did they have to fly in such weather? Why didn’t anyone stop them? Why...? Why...? Why...?

And with these why’s begin the story of a young boy from Siklis — Chandra Gurung — who left his home with his brother Totraman to pursue his education in the then small town of Pokhara, and who later became the towering giant of Nepal’s conservation effort beginning with the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP). At the time of his death on September 22, 2006, Gurung was heading the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Nepal.

Thapa expertly weaves the story of a young Chandra, the son of a mukhiya of Siklis village, with the flamboyant, perfectionist, gossipy, hard-working conservationist that he evolves into. With those who had been close to Chandra professionally and personally lending their voices, the book is an honest portrayal of Dr Sah’b (as he was called by his colleagues and juniors) as a professional, a man, a son, a husband, a father, an uncle and a brother.

The book not only chronicles his life as a tireless conservationist, but the loneliness that he experienced in his personal life. With his marriage to his wife (Dr) Sumitra Manandhar having failed miserably, however, not being able to get a divorce from her, he is unable to set up a life with Tokiko Sato, the woman he loves. But with him not willing to leave Nepal and his work, and Sato not being able to live in Nepal, it is a union that is almost hopeless.

Thapa has successfully brought to life the bhaihalchha attitude of Gurung in his enthusiasm for his work, his pride in his roots and his love for doing things with pomp and grandeur. The book highlights the one reason why ACAP touched the heights that it did — Chandra Gurung, and why the ambitious Kanchenjunga Conservation Area Project was given to WWF — Chandra Gurung, though it does not in any way belittle the contributions of the others. Thapa also does not hide the ugliness when politics and ego come into play when she traces how Gurung loses his job at ACAP.

The book shows what a loss it is for Nepal and the world of conservation in having lost this big person from Siklis.

A few black and white photographs accompany the text, however, it would have added like they say ‘sun ma suganda’ had the photos been accompanied by

brief captions.

A Boy from Siklis is a book that any book lover or a conservationist would love to have on his/her shelves.