Yesterday was simply amazing. The visit to Cochin shipyard to see the extent of UK involvement in this thriving operation, including by Rolls Royce and MTS, was a much bigger event than any we could ever have managed. Thousands of workers stopped and cheered, and His Royal Highness seemed to engage with all of them. The walk up the deck of INS Vikrant, India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier – was special for everyone and undoubtedly more so for a navy man like Prince Charles.
His Royal Highness’ interest in elephant conservation is very well-known. So a visit to an innovative elephant corridor in the stunning Vazachal Forest to see how the conflict between conservation and human habitation can be managed justified a long drive to and into the reserve. It was a great opportunity to meet experts from the Elephant Family, Wildlife Trust of India, WWF – of which HRH is Patron – and the Wildlife Preservation Society of India. T
he Prince was also able to meet some tribal villagers and talk to them about how they were able to live in a way that respected their own traditions but in harmony with the wildlife in Vazachal.
The standout event was when he met some award-winning forest guards who had made a real stand for conservation. They included:
- Balpandi Thevar Sudalaimuthu – an anti poaching hero who saved some elephants and tracked a poacher group with a risk to his own life.
- S Guruvayurappan who works on wildlife protection in the Nilgiri biosphere reserve with students and youth on wildlife awareness and conducting training programs for forest staffan as well as rescuing animals in wildlife emergencies. He took an oath to never wear footwear in childhood to cause minimal obstruction to the forest.
- Suresh (popularly known as Vava) – the snake man. As part of his work, he has been bitten by snakes 216 times, including twice the previous day on his heavily bandaged arm. It’s widely believe he can communicate with them. I think anyone that’s been bitten by deadly snakes and survived – even once – is by definition tough. Amazing, therefore, to see him in tears after his conversation with the Prince.
The torrential rain did nothing to diminish the beauty of the forest. Nor did it diminish the enthusiasm of the thousands of – spontaneous – crowds that formed as the convoy passed. It would have been easy for the Prince to just pass by, but he just rolled the window down and waved in acknowledgment. The enthusiasm that this created along the route was unbelievable and well worth the extra travel time.
The Duchess of Cornwall’s day was just as heavily charged. The visit to Cochin Nursing School to discuss Kerala’s strong healthcare story and high training standards which translate into improved healthcare but also creates demand for Keralan nurses overseas, especially in the Gulf. The Duchess was also able to meet experts and victims of gender violence share their harrowing stories.
Her Royal Highness then travelled – in the same torrential downpours as her spouse – to engage with a state-wide woman’s self-reliance project through empowering the women economically. What was meant to be an outdoor event was transferred indoors where it took on the feel of a church fête. The Duchess took the time to learn about her interlocutors personal stories.
The final leg was a visit to the Rajgiri School for a British Council led visit to see a highly successful school in Cochin that has won a BBC Award. A debate on the Commonwealth focused on the role of women in the Commonwealth. The Duchess then saw exhibitions from various schools, including a jaw-breaking anamorphic painting of the Prince. Off to Kumarakom next, to see what the legendary Keralan backwaters have to offer.