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Remembering the chronicler of `real India'

COMMEMORATION: A reader browses through Corbett titles, for which Oxford University Press is offering a discount, at a book store in Kochi city.

This is the 130th birth anniversary of Edward James Corbett, or Jim Corbett, or Carpet Sahib as he was fondly called by his people. That fondness was not misplaced, as not many in his times would have sensed the soul of the land, as Corbett did. His words are testimony to this fact.

"Those who visit India for pleasure or profit never come in contact with the real Indian - the Indian whose loyalty and devotion alone made it possible for a handful of men to administer, for close on 200 years, a vast sub-continent with its teeming millions. To impartial historians I will leave the task of recording whether or not that administration was beneficial to those to whom I have introduced you, the poor of my India."

These lines are not just memoirs of someone who worked during the teething phase of Indian Railways, but someone who could see ahead in years about the impact of colonial rule in the land.

For those who love to be in the middle of a jungle, Corbett's works are alluring. No wonder, his titles are still in print. To commemorate his birthday, he was born in July 23, 1875, the Oxford University Press is offering a special discount on all Corbett titles from July 23 to July 30.

Anand Haridas

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