This also relates to the same area viz the TARAI BHABHAR-RUDRAPUR FOREST AREA where I was posted to do the survey work of thousands of acres. as alredy stated there were all sorts of wild animals in this area like the LIONS, ELEPHANTS, BOERS, HYENNAS, STAGS, CHITAL DEERS, FOXES, JACKALS, ETC.

Having experienced the first encouter with a lion I wrote to my department to send some labour force and to make some somearrangemets for our safety.there cwas no respose to my request for a month.Then after waiting for over a month I sent message through the forest guard that without labour and protection no work shall be started by us.We had to wait another month to get labour for starting the work. Four khalasis/beldars, who were bhutanis, reported for duty one fine morning. No protection arrangements were made. These four khalasis also could not speak hindi. They could sunderstand only very common words and we could not understand what they spoke.But they were sturdy and hard working and very obedient. If they were told "Stand here" and you left them after givig your orders these boys will not move whole day if you do not chage yout orders. Strong they were but they never could apply their brains.They will work like a machine I the maner that you tell them to do.Anyway we had four more heads in that forest.

As the area was dense ad the grass was thick , high and bushy and spread over long streches we used to bur the grass to clear the area before starting the work.Whe the grass was burnt the place was clear of the bushy grass and one coul see upto some workable distance.ONE THING ABOUT LIONS. THE LION IS AFRAID OF MA AND ELEPHANT. UNLESS THE LION HAS BEEn ATTACKED OR HAS TASTED HUMAN BLOOD IT NORMALY DOES NOT ATTACK. OF COURSE WHE THE LION IS IN A FOREST AND IS ALONE SEARCHING HIS PREY THE HE MAY ATTACK YOU.It means Hungry, Wounded and Threatened Lion can attack and eat you up.Lion fears FIRE. So we alwaus used to have a good stock of match boxes ad will start a fire , then wait few time and start work.

So one day we were to start the work. Our four beldars were standing by my side in line. I sat down to light the fire. It was day ad we were talking so none of us dreamt that there may be lion nearby. We were fresh in the morning and were little carefree after havig lived for months in that forest without seeing a lion durig our work.BUT AS I PUT THE LIGHTED MATCH STICK TO THE DRY GRASS TO BURN IT. THE DRY GRASS CAUGHT FIRE. WE WERE NOT AWARE THAT A LION WAS RESTING IN THAT GRASS. I HAD HARDLY STOOD FROM MY SITTING POSITION THAT THE LION , DUE TO THE FIRE, LEAPED OVER US. I A HLASH I STRETCHED MY BOTH HANDS AND LAID O MY BACK TAKING THE TWO LABOURS DOW N WITH MY TWO OUTSTRETCHED HANDS. OTHERS ALSO FELL TO THE GROUND. AS THERE WAS FIRE AND ALL OF US HAD A LOUD SHRIEK THE LION RUSHED AWAY. WE WERE DUMB AND REMAINED SITTING THERE FOR ABOUT HALF AN HOUR IN PIN DROP SILECNE.

When we were little normal we got up. Then gradually we started looking in all directions directions . We cancelled to work that day as our nerves were shattered. Slowly and cautiously we returned to our cottage. We thanked GOD for this re-birth.This happened in December 1957.

There was another such escape I n April 1958.When our request for providig armed protection was ot acceded to by the department I resiged from the U.P.P.W.D.Job and retiurned to my home.My parets were first shocked to know about my resigning the job but when they knew the reason for my resigning they were happy to see their son safely home.