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Remembering Corbett

Youngsters got to know more about Jim Corbett at the British Council this past week

Edward James Corbett, better known as Jim Corbett, made news all over again. Known even to the kids in the Kumaon region as "Carbet Saab" long after his death, this time the legend's name got heads turning right in New Delhi.

The British Council, in association with the Sanskara Wildlife Heritage, paid tribute to this remarkable man by hosting an evening programme this past week that brought to the audience the writings and photography of the great man. President Abdul Kalam, in a message he had sent to the Council for the occasion, stressed the need for conserving the flora and fauna of India.

Edward James Corbett was then brought to life by actor Tom Alter by reading passages from Jim Corbett's two acclaimed works - The Man-eaters of Kumaon and My India. The passages reflect the love and passion that Corbett had for the forests of Kumaon and his desire to preserve its beauty and wildlife heritage. Corbett's deep love for India is so evident in his works and his insights into the culture of the people incisive, witty and humorous.

Though spotting a tiger in the Jim Corbett Park is in itself a rare treat today, the great hunter Corbett, we learn, had realised the dangers of indiscriminate hunting way back in the 1930s. Having spent his childhood there and later settling down in Kaladungi, the Englishman soon became a sport hunter of great renown, we all know. At a time when tiger hunting was legal, Corbett escorted many hunting parties and was well known to the forest officials as well as the locals for it. But in the 1930s, Corbett gave up game hunting and vowed only to kill animals either for food or when they became dangerous man-eaters.

The audience was also treated to a rare compilation of videos of the forests, which are now a part of the Jim Corbett Park, shot by Corbett himself. They could also catch a glimpse of the rare white tiger in the video that Corbett made over four months. Through the film, Billy Arjan Singh and Colonel John Wakefield, two close associates of Corbett, also paid tribute to him and described his passion for the forest. The film reminds us of the importance of conserving nature as it bears out the stark reality of the tiger becoming virtually invisible in an area that was once its haven.

The evening ended with an announcement of the creation of the Jim Corbett Trust by the Sanskara Wildlife Heritage. Tykee Malhotra, Chairperson of Sanskara, stated that the trust would endeavour to protect the region that was so close to Corbett's heart and also undertake a programme to preserve Corbett's house in Kaladungi and look for the many letters he wrote during his lifetime in order to make his desire a reality.

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