From Hailey to Corbett-----75 years of Conservation

[fantumfan2003]

Some suggestions and observations.

Some of you folks are lucky to still have these old, long forgotten and rare books and pictures. My suggestion is first thing to do is to get all of them digitally scanned and archived and keep two copies of the data. One with you and another in a safe deposit locker or with a trusted relation or friend. Mention it in the Will if you must. Sounds like and elaborate and boring assignment, but imagine the data's worth in say 50 more years.

A couple of observations about the famous JC and the not so famous others. I guess JC went the extra mile to get his work published, so he became famous, the other tried and succeeded in varying degrees. Some also did not try so they are forgotten or are on the fringes of memory with some. It might not be fair to the others but just a thought...if you want to be famous, you must write down your history that you created.....

No offence intended.

M.

[prashantsingh]

Good suggestion fanthumfan.
Unfortunately much of these "old , long forgotten and rare books and pictures" and films have now been destroyed. Neglected over decades and kept away packed in some corner.

Here's something for you Bespoke.
A friend recently showed me a digitally scanned snap (like fanthum has suggested) of Corbetts first publication which reminded me of you.
On the cover it said (in Corbetts own hand writing)

"Don't be too critical.
A jungle can only tell his stories in Jungle language."
Jim Corbett (sign)
Jungle Story



Jungle Story was his first book printed in 1935.
But it was the Maneaters of Kumaon which made him famous.
Really famous.

[Bespoke]

Prashant,

Wow that is amazing.I will call you soon would love to know more about it.

[Katana]

Last week I picked up a book from my wife's book cupboard to read, for want of nothing better available to me. Basically I can't pass a day without a book in hand. It was an old dog eared copy of 'Carpet Sahib: A Life of Jim Corbett', a biography of Jim Corbett by Martin Booth, Oxford University Press. This is a book that I read in 1986, in my 'S form' (class 11) in school with the rest of the Jim Corbett tales.

I finally put it down this afternoon, but a simple paragraph from this book refuses to leave my thoughts. It is an entry in the journal or diary of Lord Wavell, the second last Viceroy in India, on his meeting Jim Corbett in 1946 and the influence he had on conservation efforts.

I quote: "His talk of tigers and jungle life is of extraordinary interest, and I wish I could have had more of it. He has a rather pessimistic view on the future of tigers; he put the present tiger population of India about 3000-4000(I was rather surprised at the smallness of this estimate) and that in many parts of India tigers will become almost extinct in the next 10 to 15 years; his chief reason is that Indian politicians are no sportsmen and tigers have no votes, while the right to gun license will go with a vote." Unquote.

On the cusp of transfer of power in India, Corbett had got it all correct! Just one aspect was left out: corruption in all spheres of administration and civil society. While thinking about this I feel that corruption in all it's myriad forms and among all of us has led to various ills in our country, including conservation.

[shooter]

his chief reason is that Indian politicians are no sportsmen

Vote for dhoti brigade!

One of the first bills passed by out 'great' chacha nehru was to let farmers chop down the terai forest and use the land for farming.

Bravo!

[skeetshot]

This story was narrated to me by the then Sabhapati of Mongoli village, Raghbur Dutt.

Once, when Corbett was hunting between GhatGarh and Kaldunghi, he saw ( his to be later friend) Moti Singh in the forest with his muzzle loader. The weapon was balanced over his shoulder on his shoulder grasped by the barrel, with the butt behind the shoulder as is a common practice with these long barrelled heavy muzzle loaders.

Corbett did not like the idea of Moti Singh poaching in "his" forest and shot at and hit the lock of his muzzle loader.

The next day, Corbett summoned the Tehsildar and gave orders that all weapons were to be brought to the Tehsil office in Haldwani the next day for inspection.

Overnight, Moti Singh walked to Haldwani and woke up the local Mistry and got the lock repaired.

The next day, he went along with other licence holders to the Tehsil office and got his weapon inspected and cleared.

I cannot verify the authenticity of this story, but I can certainly verify what Raghbur told me, and obvously this story is a known one amongst the then older denizens of this area.

Mongoli is located on the Kaladungi - Nainital road at a height of 5000 feet, and during Corbett's time was a cattle station where cattle were taken up from the foot hills during the summer months to graze on the succulent grasses of the mountains.