Prime Minister Narendra Modi went on a safari in Bandipur Tiger Reserve recently to mark the 50 years of Project Tiger. The driver, who took the prime minister on the safari in a vehicle, has described his experience as “excitement”.
Madhusudan, a jubilant 29-year-old driver and native of Devarahalli village of Gundlupet taluk, Chamarajanagar district, said that it felt like a dream come true to be sitting for about 1.5 hours beside the prime minister.
Madhusudan said, “I had never imagined that I would drive for the prime minister. I was excited and tensed in equal measure. I wanted to make sure that I was doing my job correctly and not make any mistakes. I was so scared and did not know what to say. I didn’t speak to him directly at all.”
He said he would tell accompanying officers if they spotted something, who would then relay it to the Prime Minister.
“We covered about 20 to 22 kilometres, which included the tiger road, the anti-poaching camp, Bolgudda, and the border road,” he
said.
He said though the tiger eluded the group, they saw several elephants, Indian gaur, sambar deer, and birds. “I would have been even happier if we could all witness tigers too. It would have made the experience better,” he
added.
Madhusudan, who has spent five years working as a driver at the reserve, calls the forest his home. “Living in the forest has taught me all I know now. It is one place you need to come in with no expectations, that is when it will reward you,” he said.