Had I been the dictator, would have shot the hoarders and black marketeers said Jim in a letter to Negi

In 2018 I was in Nanital in the last week of July on my 6 days’ visit, though I unambiguously know that hundreds of thousands of people visit this charming hill station every summer and is now a very common hill station from the point of view of the convenient reach for tourists from all over the country and the globe.

Due to the revolutionery technological advancements when the entire world has come closer, visiting Nainital and talking about it is nothing new as the entire country and the world knows about it, its pleasent weather, serene natural beauty, soothing environment and its various aspects as one of the best tourist destinations and the quality educational hub of the country, as well.

Though sounds strange but its true that I had visited this most enchanting and mesmerising city after several decades for the second time, first when I was studying in class 5th and am still finding it extremely charming, cold and pleasent even during the peak summers when the capital city experiences the worst unbearable temperature of 43 to 45 degree celcius unable to withstand the impact of the boiling heat.

WOW sounds unimaginable that when rest of the India boils people in Nainital shiver in cold wearing sweaters and jackets lighting bonfires, every night. Nainital is undoubtedly known for its best and enchanting lake, Naini, the serene beauty of the surrounding hills full of greenery and fresh oxygen and best schools established by the British more than two centuries old, the enchanting two hundred year old churches, the best maintained Mall road for the last two centuries, the mesmerising boating spirit of the tourists, the elegant architectural houses of the British still intact even after two centuries, the unique and splendid governor’s house built on the architectural pattern of the Buckingham Palace, England, the Gurney house of the legendary shooter, conservationist and a naturalist colonel Jim Corbett at Ayarpatta and his elegant winter house in Kaladhungi on a sprawling garden of two acres, now a museum and the most fabulous Nainital High Court, Tifin Top, Thandi Sadak, Snow View , China peak, lovers’ and Suicide point etc ? and what not.

Despite all this, visiting the 140 year old bungalows’ of Col Edward James Jim Corbett, a finest brave n ebullient shooter of his time and now museum at Ayarpatta in Nainital and at Kaladhungi, at the trisection of the roads going to Nainital, Haldwani and Delhi, was the greatest thrilling experience for me, from where I could learn so much about this legendary shooter and killer of 90 maneaters before 1947.

It was indeed a not to be forgotten riveting experience. Whatever little I could collect from there through clicking pictures, I am trying to post here. If you really go through some of the material seriously, you will find them worth reading and accquaining yourself about such an outstanding personality of his time, who saved people of the hills from maneaters and thereafter protected the tigers, the forests, the enchanting environment of the hills, the wild life and even served the poor, hapless and the needy financially and otherwise.

Born at Nainital on 25th July 1875 Jim Corbett left for Kenya in 1947 n later on breathed his last in Kenya in 1955, where he lived with his sister Maggie as a life long batchelor. His entire life, right after being born was too struggle full. Jim Corbett’s mother married for the second time and was the son of her mother’s second husband who was in British Army but later on settled in Nainital.

Jim was just six years old when his father Christopher W Corbett died. He studied up to high school. Thereafter served in Railways and many other departments including the Army first as Captain and lateron promoted as Colonel. He killed 90 man eaters in Garhwal and Kumaon divisions of then Himalayan region, within the jurisdiction of Uttar Pradesh. He purchased 40 acres of land during his lifetime for 1400 Rs and did agricultural farming. He had number of servant quarters in his Kaladhungi bungalow where he stayed during the winters with his sister Maggie and old mother. He never charged a single paisa from his tenants. He always helped the poor and hapless villagers financially and settled their disputes. Since Nainital and Kaladhungi were richly endowed with wilderness, Jim became the wonderful naturalist with tremendous love for the wild life.

A life long bachelor Jim Corbett donated his entire land to the forest division and the locals, after retirement and left for Kenya alongwith his sister where he authored number of books on his lifetime hunting and other aspects of his life.

Corbett was always concerned for the poor people of India , Haldwani, Kaladhungi and Nainital. His main concern was to improve the socio economic lot of the people, particularly the cultivators. He was a good friend of the then Divisional Forest Officer of Ram Nagar one Mr. Negi under whose jurisdiction fell Kaladhungi and Chota Haldwani then.

In one of the typed one and a half page letter written to Negi from Kenya, Jim Corbett expresses his serious concern about the food shortage in India and the subsequent apathy of the government towards the cultivators and farmers of Garhwal n Kumaon. He said that if India really want to get rid of the food insecurity, its rulers should improve the socio economic lot of the farmers who actually toil the land and produce food grains for countrymen but are themselves ridden with abject poverty .

But instead of benefitting them the hoarders and black marketeers are minting heavy profits and committing huge sin. He wrote to Negi: Had I been the dictator of the country, I would have granted complete socio economic life long security to the poor peasants and the cultivators and literally shoot the hoarders and black marketeers (who are) creating food shortage for the Indians by wrongful means and committing sins. Such was Jim’s heart for the poor and the Indians.

It’s very important to note here that though Col. Edward James Jim Corbett killed good number of maneaters to save the local populace of the himalayan villages both in Garhwal and Kumaon regions but he dedicated his entire life for preserving the tigers n its different spieces. In his opinion,” THE TIGER IS A LARGE HEARTED Gentleman WITH BOUNDLESS COURAGE AND WHEN HE IS EXTERMINATED – AS EXTERMINATED HE WILL BE, UNLESS PUBLIC OPINION RALLIES TO HIS SUPPORT- INDIA WILL BE POORER BY HAVING LOST THE FINEST OF ITS FAUNA.
( Already published in News views network in 2018)