Col (retd) Mandip Grewal, along with his wife Kamaljit Kaur, at his home in Sofi Pind. Tribune Photo

Rachna Khaira

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, September 11

He gave his crucial years of life to the service of the nation and dedicated his retired life to the service of nature.Meet 59-year-old Col (retd) Mandip Grewal who hails from a distinguished family of Risaldars, Numbardars and decorated Army officers. Now, settled in Sofi Pind, he has turned his house into an abode of nature.His home — home to over 100 birds and animals — is a delight to visit. Interestingly, he has not bought any of the animals or birds kept at his home. They have chosen his house of their own will.He does not sell any plant or animal but offers them to all those who come to his home to enjoy the serenity of nature as a return gift.Among the daily visitors, a majority are children.Throwing light on the idea, he said, “Love for nature is like passion for the Army that runs in my veins. My father was also an Army officer and had immense love for nature. Earlier, we used to transport our birds and animals along to various places. The transferable job in the Army did not prove to be detrimental in diminishing our love for nature.”Known as Mandy among his friends, Col (retd) Grewal was awarded the Sena Medal for his exemplary services.On being asked how he managed to attract so many birds and animals to his place, Col Grewal said, “Birds also have basic needs and fulfilling the need of some of them will ensure you’ve got quite an audience. Birds need food, water, shelter and nesting materials during the spring. These things can be provided easily to the birds like a tray of sunflower seeds, a pan of water, a bush to hop into and an old plastic basket, that are kept in the open area of my lawn.”While his children are away for higher studies, Col Grewal and his wife Kamaljit Kaur are busy taking care of the extended family, which they actually ‘won’ in the past five to six years.“Apart from enjoying their sight and sound, one can easily feel rejuvenated while looking at some of the interesting species around. Moreover, you can learn a lot from them,” added Col Grewal.Talking about lessons learned from nature, Col Grewal said, “The most important lesson is love. The birds are very careful about their offspring and also make strenuous efforts to make a house for them. Also, unlike human beings, they do not spoil nature but add value to it by planting more trees,” said the officer who only retired last year and has taken over as Officer–in-Charge (OIC) of the ECHS polyclinic in the Ucchi Bassana area.He said birds play an important role in tree plantation by flying seeds from one part of the world to another.The officer not only distributes free plants and animals among the visitors at home but also gifts a Neem or Moringa tree to every patient who visits his ECHS polyclinic everyday.“These are herbal plants having a medicinal value. Their presence prevents many diseases,” he added.He said his family supported him in the endeavour. “While my children are away and busy making their career, my wife is very supportive and treats every bird and animal like her own child. As I keep travelling to various places to distribute free plants, she is the one who takes care of food for the birds residing at our house,” added Col Grewal, who was also honoured with the Green Ambassador award by a Pune-based NGO, Save Earth, in 2010.He has painted pictures of cranes in his home, including the main door. Explaining the reason for this, he said, “This is because a crane never stays alone and cannot survive without his companion.”He said the support of his family had added wings to his crusade for preserving nature. The former Army officer urged the city residents to make small endeavour to upgrade green cover and wildlife around their homes. Col Grewal also encouraged the children to spend more time with nature instead of electronic gadgets.