Tiger in trouble

The Tribune , Sunday, June 12, 2005
Correspondent : Harihar Swarup
CHICKLOD Kothi, the erstwhile hunting resort of Nawab of Bhopal, is an hour’s drive from the state capital. There was time when tigers roamed freely in Chicklod forests and adjoining jungles of Khajuri and Rattibar. A few years after the new state of Madhya Pradesh was formed in the late fifties, Marshal Tito visited Chicklod on a hunting expedition and was guest of the Nawab. He could spot few tigers but could not bag any one of them. The Nawabs of Bhopal had been great Shikaris and Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi inherited the tradition. Elders of the area still recall with pride how the future capital of India’s Cricket Team, on a hunting expedition with his maternal grandfather, Nawab Hamiddullah Khan, felled a fully grown tiger with his 20 mm rifle. Mansur Ali was barely 16 then and the big cat was his first trophy.

People in the erstwhile state believe that he has come to be known since then as ‘Tiger Pataudi’. So impressed was the grandfather that he presented the young man with a Dutch rifle. Nawab Hamidullah had laid down strict norms for hunting in his state. Only members of the royal family were entitled to shoot a wild animal. Killing of female species of animals was strictly forbidden.

It is indeed sad that the ‘Tiger’ landed in trouble for allegedly shooting a blackbuck, an endangered species, in the wild of Jhajjhar region in Haryana. His Vasant Vihar residence in Delhi was raided and the blue Maruti Gypsy, said to be used in the hunting, has been seized. The law would now take its course. Pataudi, former Captain of India’s cricket team, is known to be an amiable man, a good host and a popular figure in the sports world. A forward looking person, he was the first among the erstwhile princes who had no qualm in accepting that the days of privileges and privy purses have gone for good and living in the past would be foolhardy.

Ironically, not long ago, at a book release function, he hit out at the government for failing to check tiger poaching. One wonders why someone, so pragmatic as Pataudi, should take the risk of game hunting? Perhaps, like most princes, he too was fascinated by hunt.

At 65, he indeed cherishes some fond memories of hunting in Chicklod forests and his time as a world-class cricket player. His family’s hunting legacy — Chicklod kothi — is full of trophies of sambhar, blackbuck, chinkara and bison. Reports from Bhopal, quoting the Madhya Pradesh’s Forest department, say that he had applied for registration of a number of wildlife trophies including hide of various animals. He had reportedly informed the department that trophies belonged to his mother the late Sajeda Begam and he inherited them.

Pataudi has been so careful in legitimately possessing his family treasure of memento — sambhar, blackbuck, chinkara and bison — but, possibly, slight indiscretion in the Jhajjhar blackbuck shooting put him in a spot. Those who were guests at Chicklod villa say that a railing made with horns of sambhars and dining hall decorated with their heads was very impressive indeed.

Both Mansur Ali Khan and his father the late Iftikhar Ali Khan, the Nawab of Pataudi, have two common fads — shikar and cricket. Once known as a great sport, hunting is now regarded as feudalistic and primitive but cricket became the world’s first ranking event. Both senior and junior Pataudis have left an indelible mark on cricket. Iftikar Ali Khan made his debut in Body Line series and hit a century on debut. After World War II, he played three tests for India as captain. He died while playing polo when he was just 42.

Junior Pataudi became the captain of the Indian team when he was barely 21, youngest to lead the team. With just a single eye, his batting was nothing but divine inspiration. Of 46 tests he played, ‘Tiger’ captained India in 40. He married glamorous actress Sharmila Tagore who is presently the Chairperson of the Film Censor Board of India. Their son is a movie star. Junior Pataudi has been a successful model but was a failure in politics. He is known to be adventurous and a great leader, inspired respect from teammates and opposition ranks alike.

Hunting continues in India despite stringent laws. Tigers are butchered for skin and body parts and blackbuck hunted also for skin and delicious meat. It is easy to bag members of antelope family, blackbuck in particular, as they are not only restricted to national parks and sanctuaries but found outside protected areas. Hunting of blackbuck, locally known as ‘shyam hiran’, still continues to be a sport in affluent families, film stars and erstwhile princes.

Felling of an antelope is celebrated with great fanfare. Its meat is marinated the whole night and ‘kebabs’ produced become a delicacy. No wonder, Pataudi, or someone from an entourage, pinched a blackbuck in Jhajjar but nabbed. Generally, such stray hunting goes unnoticed but ‘Tiger’ was not lucky this time.

 
SOURCE : The Tribune, Sunday, June 12, 2005
 


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