To Tame The Wild

With permission and funds from the Goa Forest Department, Heblekar arranged a workshop. He was aware these youngsters had already been identified as troublemakers. The Doodhsagar Tour Operators Union (DTOU), as the guides called themselves, monopolised the business, charged unreasonable rates and were also accused of threatening tourists.

Heblekar went around meeting the senior members of the DTOU, and passed out invitations for the nature interpretation workshop. Earlier, the Goa Forest Department, on Heblekar’s suggestion, had registered the operators as official tour guides for an annual fee of Rs 5,000 to ensure their activities would remain under its watchful eyes. "Most of the participants came to us unsure about what they would get from the day-long workshop," says Heblekar.