Chandrashekar, 56, has given new meaning to the word lonely by living for the past 17 years in the dense forest area between the villages of Adtale and Nekkare near Aranthodu in Sullia taluk, Dakshina Kannada district, Karnataka.
It’s difficult to get in touch with him. After walking 3-4 kilometres into the woods, a little plastic sheet resting on bamboo poles becomes evident. After all these years of forest dwelling, there remains an old white ambassador automobile with a very old but functional radio on its hood, albeit it has lost its colour and identity. Chandrashekar, a slim man with powerful limbs, a half-bald head and no haircut, two items of clothing, and a pair of rubber slippers, has adapted to living in the woods.
This was not Chandrashekhar’s usual way of life. He previously possessed a half-acre farm in Nekral Kemraje hamlet, where he farmed areca nuts and lived tranquilly. He borrowed Rs 40,000 from a co-operative bank in 2003. Despite his best efforts, he was unable to repay the loan. As a result, the bank auctioned his farm, which Chandrashekar was unable to accept. In his ambassador car, he drove to his sister’s residence in Adtale. He had a disagreement with his sister’s family after a few days and wanted to live alone. He drove deep into the woods, where he parked his favourite automobile. He covered the automobile with a plastic sheet to protect it from the rain and sun.As a result, Chandrashekar has been living alone in the car for the past 17 years. He bathes in the river that runs through the forest. He crafts baskets out of dried creepers and sells them in a shop in Adtale village in exchange for rice, sugar, and other foodstuffs. His only desire in life is to reclaim his property. For the same reason, he has kept all the documents in a safe place. His world is the interior of the car, and he appears to be comfortable with it. He also owns an old bicycle, which he rides to and from the local village on occasion. He likes classic Hindi music and listens to Akashvani Mangaluru on the radio. A B Ibrahim, the district collector, visited him at his “ambassador dwelling” a few years ago after learning about his self-imposed solitary life and offered to buy him a real residence. He even had a house built for him, but Chandrashekar turned it down because it was in the centre of the rubber forest, which he didn’t want to live in.
On several occasions, wild elephants have peered into his tent. There are also a lot of wild boars, antelopes, leopards, and bison. Snakes continue to creep everywhere. He, on the other hand, refuses to leave. He has never caused harm to the forest or robbed its resources, therefore the forest department has no objections to him living there.
He only weaves baskets out of natural dead creepers. “In the wild, I don’t even cut bamboo.” “If I cut even a single shrub, the forest department will lose faith in me,” Chandrashekar says. Despite the fact that Chandrashekar does not have an Aadhaar card, the Aranthod Gram Panchayath paid him a visit and gave him the COVID-19 vaccine. He had a difficult time during the lockdown, and he survived for weeks on water and wild foods. After 17 years in this existence, Chandrashekar still fantasises about reclaiming his plot and returning home to his ambassador, which may be a little too old and worn out for the journey.
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