Ranthambore:
It's a story of battle and survival with a difference.
Four months ago, two forest guards in Ranthambore risked their own lives to save the life of their senior from a tiger. The two guards didn't just manage to save their senior's life but most inspiringly they managed to do so without letting the tiger come to any harm. And their brave act has made them award winners in the NDTV-Aircel's ''Save our Tigers'' Campaign.
Rajveer Singh and Hukum Chand are the two guards who did not think about their safety even once and managed to come over the situation bringing Ranthambore the glory of the award.
Though, the horrific day has passed long since, but it's memories are still afresh in their minds as Rajveer explains how they saved Ranger Daulat Singh who was trying to tranquilise the tiger that had strayed into a village. Agitated by the large crowd and stone pelting, the tiger had pounced on the Ranger.
''I saw the ranger on the ground, the tiger on top, holding on to him, moving slightly. I hit the tiger hard with a lathi and screamed for help. There were many forest department staff, but only Hukum Chand came running. We together chased the tiger with lathis and it ran out of the area.''
But everyone was surpised as to what gave these ordinary men the extraordinary courage to carry out what many in that situation would have completely ruled out?
''Had he killed our boss in front of us, it would have been a huge failure. It was so important to save him. We could not have run away. With that one thought in mind, I put my life at stake,'' said Hukum Chand.
However, they still regret that despite their brave move, they couldn't save Ranger Daulat Singh from getting hurt. In the act, Daulat Singh was badly mauled and lost his right eye. But their courage in chasing away the tiger without letting the mob harm him has earned them huge praises. Eventhough, nothing much has changed in the hardship of their job.
As Rajveer singh says, ''Faced with a gang of wood smugglers or armed poachers, we can't do much. Our problem is we don't have enough staff, we don't have weapons, and we don't even have the permission to use weapons. Our enemies have weapons and all the freedom to use them. How can we battle them with just lathis?''
Their remarkable bravery has turned these modest forest guards, virtually into folk heroes. But unless protectors like these are backed up with modern training and weapons, ensuring fool-proof security for tigers could remain an elusive dream.