When he’s out on the job, among the flora and fauna, the done thing is to stride around in his regular cowboy hat… but back home, he can cap out just any which way he wants.
Meet, ‘the cap-talist’—Mohd Ahsan, Chief Wildlife Warden, Uttar Pradesh with his collection of more than a 100 ‘official’ logo caps of various organisations from across the world.
You name it and he’s got it—regular staffer caps for Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Hindustan Petroleum (HP), Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), Indo-Gulf, Honda Motors, Dudhwa National Park (DNP), Goa Forest Department… and many more. Even from America and Africa!
“And, no… I don’t buy them. Actually, you cannot buy these caps. I usually beg for them. That’s the challenge in fact,” says the unassuming forester, proud dad of two daughters.
“These are caps that have been launched by the companies for their staff. Now, for instance, I’ve been begging and requesting for a Barista and MacDonalds caps for the last several months but to no avail,” he says, adding quickly, “But there’s no giving up. I aim to collect 500 caps soon”.
Mohd Ahsan started collecting caps in 2003. “I intend to exhibit them,” he says, “but not necessarily wait to obtain 500 caps”.
{{/usCountry}}Mohd Ahsan started collecting caps in 2003. “I intend to exhibit them,” he says, “but not necessarily wait to obtain 500 caps”.
{{/usCountry}}But caps aside, the forester, carefully protects the national wildlife sanctuaries, and equally carefully protects his cap collection and his rare 61-book PG Wodehouse collection as well!
Books? Ah! Not just collect them, he writes ’em as well!
Mohd Ahsan has published two books of poetry and another two are in print. He comfortably juggles words in three colours of Hindi, English & Urdu and has also compiled a book on driftwood of which, he has 300 pieces stowed away at home. He’s planning an exhibition on driftwood as well.
Meanwhile, we all know where to look for if we want to check out an old cap with our company logo!