Jim Corbett—Lifesaver and Humanist
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AHINDRA GHOSH FORGET NOT Jim Corbett—Lifesaver and Humanist AHINDRA GHOSH dward James Corbett, popularly tigress after 31 years in 1938. He stayed known as Jim Corbett, was born at with his immediate elder sister, Maggie. ENainital in 1875. His parents were None of them were married. Their house at Irish. His forefathers came to India from Kaladhungi has been made the Corbett Ireland for job opportunities. Mother of Jim Museum by U. P. Government. The house at Corbett, Mary Jane, when she was 21 years Nainital was sold to Mr P. K. Verma. The old with three children, lost her husband Government has been trying to acquire it. who was killed during the Sepoy Mutiny. I do not know its recent status. Then Mary married Christopher William Corbett had a high opinion about tigers. Corbett, who was Irish and a widower with He wrote that ‘The tiger is a brave, large- three children. Then Christopher settled as hearted animal. When they would disappear postmaster at Nainital, where he built a due to large-scale killing by hunters, then house known as ‘Garni House.’ Jim was India would lose its finest fauna. So we need their eighth child. to conserve tigers.’ The Government of Since Nainital is very cold in winter, India, thereafter set up a National Park in William Corbett built another house at 1957 covering a large area at the foothills of village ‘Kaladhungi’, which was at a much the Garhwal Himalayas, and, in honour of lower height and less cold. It was the winter Jim Corbett, it was named the Corbett residence of the family. Also they had some National Park. land there for cultivation. Corbett killed only man-eating tigers Corbett studied in a school at Nainital. and leopards to save the innocent and poor From 1895 to 1915/16, young and people. He was a humanist. He loved the enterprising Corbett undertook contractual poor people, mixed with them as friend and work for the then Bengal and North Western helped them in their distress. The people in Railway. For this he stayed at Mokama Ghat that region used to fondly call him ‘Carpet in Bihar most of the time, and had contract Sahib’. His sister Maggie took training as a for transferring goods including coal from paramedical staff. She kept medicines at broad gauze to metre gauze at Mokama Ghat. their house in Kaladhungi and treated people While working there, he joined the who came to her free of cost. Corbett was British army during the First World War. He also regarded by all for his character. Even recruited 5000 soldiers from Kumaon and women of conservative families did not Garhwal and took them to France and hesitate to come out before him. Waziristhan. For this achievement he was From childhood Corbett was enamoured promoted first to the rank of a Major and with nature. He used to roam about in hills then a Lieutenant Colonel. and forests with a primitive gun. He Corbett’s hunting of maneaters started mastered mimicking calls of animals and with the killing of a Champawat tigress in birds and learnt local languages and 1907 and ended with the killing of a Thak Hindusthani from the people. He received 30 Bulletin of the Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture July 2019 JIM CORBETT—LIFESAVER AND HUMANIST training in hunting in his early years from He used to move about either alone or with his elder brothers and some others. He was Ibbotson night after night in the jungle and very brave and had all the qualities of a good take up position on tree at a location where hunter. He was a sharp shooter who could he expected to find the leopard that night. shoot tigers even from the ground. He had Occasionally he suspected that the animal great observation power and could sense the was stealthily following him and looking for movements of animals and tigers. an opportunity to jump on him. Imagine the courage and bravery of Corbett! Leopard of Rudraprayag Like a hunter of long experience Corbett In 1918 there was an influenza epidemic could study pugmarks of tigers and leopards. in which about a million people died in His conclusion was that the leopard was an India, including many in Garhwal region. old male with defective gait due to some Since cremation was difficult for such a injury. Popular opinion was that the leopard large number, many dead bodies were crossed Alakananda by swimming. But thrown in jungles. This was when the Corbett did not believe that. He guessed that leopard tasted human flesh and got addicted the animal was using the hanging bridge to to it. That was the reason why it started cross the river. So, for several nights he sat killing humans after that. In 1918 one on the watch-tower of the bridge, but could became its first victim and the last one not find the animal. Therefore he concluded happened to be in 1926, when Corbett killed that the leopard must be roaming around it. Corbett has described the episode in a the jungle where the Inspection Bungalow book published in 1948. was located. The leopard struck terror for these eight Both Corbett and Ibbotson got naturally years in about 500 square miles area. worried. Though they had other urgent Rudraprayag is a town on the Ganges where assignments elsewhere, they were reluctant the rivers Mandakini and Alakananda joined to leave the people at the mercy of the the Ganges. The town is on the pilgrimage leopard. One day, at 9 pm Corbett went up route—Hardwar–Rishikesh–Devaprayag– on a makeshift platform on the tree, and took Srinagar–Rudraprayag. From Rudraprayag position with the rifle fitted with a torch. A there was bifurcation. Following Mandakini goat with a bell around its neck was tied to one can reach Kedarnath at a height of the tree with a long rope. At 10 pm, he approximately 13000 ft. and following guessed that the leopard was on the goat. He Alakananda one can reach Badrinath at a immediately focussed the torch and fired. height of approximately 13200 ft. It was dark. The moon rose a few hours From the reports collected from various later. From the ringing of the bell Corbett sources, it was officially estimated by the knew that the goat was unhurt. Since the U. P. Government that the said leopard had torch got extinguished because of old killed 125 people. The Goverment had sent batteries, he could get down only in early William Ibbotson as the Deputy morning and following the blood trail he Commissioner of Garhwal and he was urged found the dead leopard. Then four persons to kill the leopard at the earliest. Ibbotson sent by Ibbotson with lantern and bamboo requested Corbett to join him and kill rod carried the dead leopard to the the leopard. Inspection Bungalow. As Corbett had Corbett stayed 10 weeks with Ibbotson presumed, the leopard was found to be old at the Inspection Bungalow at Rudraprayag. with several injuries. Bulletin of the Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture July 2019 31 AHINDRA GHOSH Ibbotson sent telegrams to many. He lands. It was accepted by all as a reasonable also sent messages to local people. After tea proposition. and warm water bath Corbett came out of his There is a common saying that, in war room. The people brought flowers and and other violent acts, Law of Jungle placed them at his feet as a mark of their prevails. That means violence occurs gratitude. It was 2 May, 1926. Every year, without any moral or ethical considerations. on that day, Corbett Mela is held there to But Corbett gave examples from his own celebrate the event. experience that animals in jungles also have Another book of Corbett, My India, was a compassionate mind and they do not published in 1952. It narrates stories of poor indulge in unnecessary violence. This is people, most of whom, according to Corbett, evident from some events that Corbett were honest, brave and hardworking. narrates. The following is one. Corbett recognized the geographical, Harkoar and Kunti were husband and ethnic, ecological and religious diversities of wife. They had to work hard to earn their India. But in this book, he restricts himself living. They decided to spend a few months to the description of people with whom he at Kaladhungi. But because of their had interactions. That is why the title of the workload they could not pay proper attention book is My India. In the first few pages there to their children—son three years old and is a description of Nainital and surrounding daughter two years old. A compassionate but areas as viewed from the China peak with partially crippled old woman was living in a naked eye and telescope. The description is hut adjacent to the forest. She told the superb and reads like poetry. helpless couple that she would look after Once in winter Corbett accompanied their children. But one evening, after Mr Anderson, who was then the returning from the market, they were aghast Government Superintendent in the Terai to find that the children were missing. region. They set up camp at a short distance Frantic search for about three days and from a village. Local people helped them. complaint to the police station did not help. The specific purpose for setting up of the The forest had some cruel animals like bear, camp was to listen to the grievances and hyena, tiger, etc. complaints of people and give verdict on It so happened that a man was tending them.