Partnership with DIET (District Institute of Education and Training).

After repeated visits to DIET – Saiha and also meetings with the Education Officers associated with Saiha District Commissioners office and the Mara Autonomous District Council’s office to understand the capacity building scenario in context of School Teachers in Saiha and also to explore the possibilities of generating synergies with their offices; we got the first break through. This was in the trainings that were organized as a corollary to introduction on new text books on Environment Education for Middle Schools.

The initial confusions (which I believe are an important ingredient of working together) ironed out and our initial session with trainee teachers from Saiha was fixed on 4th September 2008 during the second half of their 3 day training beginning on 2nd September 2008. This was to last about 30 to 35 minutes. Our visits and discussions in the process also helped us to interact with some of the 13 strong faculty at DIET who have been very helpful and cooperative.

Given the situation we felt it appropriate to screen ‘Point Calimere, Little Kingdom by the Coast’ by Sekhar Dattatri; having confirmed earlier the availability of the projector to boost the impact. Since we were to screen the film after a ‘gap’ we saw it again keeping in mind that unlike majority of the past screenings the participants would consist solely of teachers (possibly belonging varying age groups and hailing from both ~ villages and district headquarters). The points of interaction therefore would suitably differ. We discussed thereafter issues of native and foreign species; migratory birds and Palak Lake.

On the date decided we reached the venue on time, met the principal and began the screening for the 22 trainees attending the session, almost immediately. While taking attendance seemed out of question as did using the field guides to explain select species, actions that we undertake to augment the film screenings, we put the board to good use. The projector tired off midway through the film and we had to make do by placing our laptop suitably and requesting some trainees to adjust their positions.

The session did turn out to be an interactive one. I share some of the points discussed then.

On our talking about Palak Lake being an IBA – important bird area like Point Calimere one of the participants asked us how the decision to declare it as such was arrived at. Point Calimere's status of a Wildlife Sanctuary was also discussed.
On the Spotted deer (Axis axis) appearing on the screen a couple of participants remarked that they had seen deer in Saiha but those had neither spots nor the kind of horns as those on the screen.
One of the scenes depicted a jackal (Canis aureus) mentioning it to be the topmost predator in Point Calimere; this led us to discussing the presence of the jackal (Sihal in Mizo) in Saiha and its local name.
The huge number of birds in the second half did attract attention of most participants. They asked us where and how far the birds came from and also if people measured these birds.

Thus, while the session did not have well defined connect with the rest of the sessions in the training it went of well and we look forward to building further on this beginning.

Our note to the post:
The section describing interactions is what was talked of by the participants and their views on what they saw in the film. These interactions are to encourage discussions on wildlife and not in any fashion a statement on the situation in the state.

Our contact Details:
Samrakshan ~ Mizoram
Phone: Manuna (Mizo) 94363 93394 and Nimesh (English) 94361 56458 Email : nimesh.ved@gmail.com

We thank
The entire faculty at DIET – Saiha and specially the principal Pu H Lalfakzuala for enabling this partnership to begin.
All the participants of the programme for their cooperation and interest.