Big Game Hunting



Victor on "shikaar" in Nepal

Kirpal Singh Majithia's younger brother Surjit Singh Majithia, was the first ever ambassador to the neighbouring kingdom of Nepal from 1947 - 1949. Nepal, at that time, was ruled by the  powerful Rana dynasty, who held sway till 1953. Surjit Singh was also deputy defence minister in Jawaharlal Nehru's 1952 ministry and cut a very dashing figure in the corridors of power.

In those days big game hunting was a sport encouraged by the British and indulged in by maharajahs and wealthy landowners.Tiger, leopard and rhino heads were much sought after trophies, glassy eyed deer and wild buffalo adorned bungalow walls and coffee table legs made of elephant feet were very fashionable to have on display in ones drawing room.

Kirpal himself was an avid and renowned marksman and every winter there would be meticulously planned "shikaar" trips organised by the Ranas, in the Terai foothills of Nepal. The family owned elephants would be sent up a couple of months in advance to set up camp and get ready for the arrival of the esteemed members of the hunting party. Victor and Amrita were always included in the exclusive guest list and even after she died, he continued to enjoy this annual expedition.

They would arrive at the camp to find  tents neatly pitched, hot water for baths ready and bearers at hand to meet all demands. Meals were always formal affairs and after a hard days sport, men would change into dinner jackets and ladies into their evening gowns and there in the middle of the jungle amidst the buzzing of mosquitoes, a toast would be raised by candlelight to the victors of the day.

Elephants on "shikaar"

I  have seen unbelievable 16mm footage of some of these shooting sprees. First would come the "beaters",whose job it was to frighten the hidden beasts towards the waiting line of elephants. They would walk  through  high grass, hollering, jumping and thrashing the ground with sticks, all the while clanging pots and pans together to create an unholy cacophony. There were a couple of instances where a tiger turned around and badly mauled one of these hapless men but that never diminished the enthusiasm and excitement of the "haaka" or beat.

Frightened animals big and small, would blunder out of the grass, running for their lives, only to be meet by a wall of elephants being urged on by their "mahouts". Atop each elephant sat a "sahib" with a high powered rifle and what followed was carnage of the worst kind.There is no sound in the old movies but one can see the impact of the bullets ricocheting off a rhino's thick hide again and again, until it is finally brought down.

Soon after Victor married Nina in 1954, he decided to take her along to experience the thrill of a tiger shoot, which as it turned out was the last time he would ever hunt again. A piteously bleating goat was tied as bait beneath a tree while they clambered up into a "machaan".This  was a crude blind constructed high up in the branches, where they would have to make themselves as comfortable as possible and settle down to wait  in complete silence. Towards dawn a tigress emerged stealthily out of the scrub and padded towards the goat. Victor silently took aim and fired, bringing the rising anticipation of the past hours to an abrupt end.

Nina was completely devastated and wept uncontrollably, sickened by the sight of such a beautiful animal slaughtered in cold blood. She later told Victor if he wanted to impress her he would have to meet the tigress  on her own grounds,without a weapon or the safety of a "machaan". She made him swear then and there, never to hunt big game again and it was a promise he would always keep.

Despite his reputation as a big white hunter, it was from my father Victor that I inherited an unusual love, understanding and respect for animals.When I was growing up we would still go out to the jungle every winter but he would only shoot the occasional jungle fowl for the "khansamah" to prepare for dinner. These outings became more of a weekend getaway in which we were privileged to observe wild life  in an astoundingly beautiful natural habitat. 

 I am also making it a point not to comment on what I personally thought of sporting traditions in those days. Life styles were different then and it is not my place to sit in judgement of what was the norm in a bygone era.