"RAKSHAK"
(A TV Serial to promote the cause of Environment & Eco-system)
BRIEF CONCEPTUAL NOTE
Introductory: Environment and eco-systems are much talked about topics by all sections of society which include not only the scientific and technical people but also the common man. There are different versions and perceptions of these issues, varying from one section to the other. There have been numerous attempts to project these versions but the presentations mostly remained lop sided. Such efforts have not been able to create the desirable impact on the mind of common man about the Eco-Environmental issues which by their very nature being abstract & dry, do not generate the requisite interest unless presented in a dramatic manner. The end result is that the degeneration of environment and eco-system continues unabated which, ultimately, is bound to prove catastrophic for the entire humanity. Projection of the problems relating to this theme in a dramatic manner can be best done through a TV serial by weaving the intricate eco-environmental issues into interesting stories and presenting to the viewers in various episodes of the serial.
The Core Issue: The eco-system comprise the air, the water, the vegetation, the soil, the animals and the man. At the central point of this system stands the Man who not only forms a vital link in the Nature's Food Chain, but is also the major exploiter of nature's wealth. The excessive exploitation of natural resources by man has brought him to a stage where his very existence is in perils. Draughts, floods, cloud bursts, cyclones and typhoons have become quite regular phenomena these days. Instances of wild animals killing men are very commonly occurring. All these are clear cut indicators of terrible imbalance in the eco-system which, originally was properly balanced to ensure mutual co-existence of all the components of the eco-system. Destruction of forests by the greedy & the unscrupulous elements in connivance with the corrupt officials has damaged the three components, namely, the vegetation, the soil and the water. Indiscriminate hunting has badly disturbed the Nature' Food Chain-wherein the carnivores are getting deprived of their food comprising the herbivores- resulting in frequent attacks on the man.
The Story & the Plot: A family living in hilly village would be at the focal point. The head of the family is an environmentally enlightened person while in the same village reside the greedy & unscrupulous persons who are destroying the eco-system through timber smuggling and indiscriminate hunting. The family suffers tragedies due to cloud burst and wild animal, but these further invigorate the entire family to continue their efforts to promote the cause of eco-environmental protection. There is an enlightened old teacher in the village school who, during the course of teaching, tells the children interesting legendry stories of the earlier times when there was an ideal eco-system all around and also about the ideal administrative set-up which ensured the sustenance of such a system. The small child from the central family of the village, studying in the school, gets significantly influenced by the enlightened teacher. Coupled with the influence of his father, this child vows to pursue his career in the field of Environment & Forests protection. After completing his school and college studies, this boy is able to get into the Indian Forest Service to carry forward the agenda of eco-environmental protection to its logical conclusion and comes quite close to restoring the pristine glory of an ideal eco-system wherein man, animal, vegetation, soil, water and air would ensure mutual co-existence.
The Dramatising Elements: Numerous real life stories (well documented in various memoirs) about: the wrath of timber smugglers, the unscrupulous hunters; the wrath of nature's fury witnessed in many places due to flash floods, cloud bursts, draughts, cyclones, typhoons and such other forms; the fights against the corrupt system; the miracles of nature; the experiences of trekking expeditions; the interesting events experienced during the training in the Administrative Academy and the Forest Academy.
The Episodes: 1st Episode: Theme presentation, mainly through a commentary and projection of clippings to explain the core issues of eco-environmental system; 2nd Episode: Projection of the ideal scenario as it existed during the earlier times through the Story-Telling mode by the 'enlightened teacher'; 3rd Episode: Family tragedy due to cloud burst; 4th Episode: Family tragedy due to wild animal; 5th Episode: Legendry stories about the folklores projecting the culture focused on environmental issues; 6th & 7th Episodes: Interesting experiences of trekking expedition by the boy from the central family; 8th to 15th Episodes: Projection of the interesting events from the experiences of the boy from central family during his training at the Administrative Academy and the Forest Academy after his selection in the Indian Forest Service; 16th & 17th Episodes: Projection of the initial shocks experienced by the young officer due to the prevailing maladies in the administrative system; 18th to 21st Episodes: Projection of the fight against the Timber Smuggler; 22nd to 25th Episodes: Projection of the fight against the Unscrupulous Hunters to resolve the Man-Animal Conflict; 26th Episode: The concluding one to project the move to achieve the ultimate goal of a harmonious eco-system, through commentary and the selected clippings.
