A Forester Remembers

There is something about old Forest Rest Houses (and maybe PWD Rest Houses too) that attracts ghostly visitations. There are any number of incidents that have been recounted and/or recorded about such hauntings and encounters. Ruskin Bond and Meenakshi Chaudhary are two people I know who have written entire books on the subject. There are many others too who have written on this subject, but I cannot recollect all the names. The first story I read was about the Tonga driver who plied his horse carriage between Sanjauli and Lakkar Bazaar in Shimla. He would often scare passengers by turning his neck a full 180 degrees to ask them where they wanted to go. Then there was the one about the House Master of Bishop Cotton School accosting a faceless student near the school gate. In the Forest Research Institute, Dehra Dun, people would avoid walking after dark towards the Main Gate on Brandis Road, fearing they would be accosted by the ‘Headless Rider’. Though I lived in the FRI f...

Every retiring ‘gorment’ servant, particularly at a senior level, carries the misconception that he has substantial literary skills. So, the first thing he or she promises themselves is to pen down their experiences or write a technical treatise or a work of fiction. But first one wants to catch up with all the rest and the sleep that the last days of ‘service’ had deprived them of. The first month after retirement, particularly for a workaholic, are the most difficult. He really does not know whether to get up early and dress up for office, or to sleep the sleep of the just after a job well done. I have seen several of my seniors, soon after their retirement, call out in the morning for their bed tea – not realising that the khalasi/peon/khansama is no longer around. The lady of the house obliges for a few days, serving the newly retired ‘sahib’ tea in bed. This soon wears off and the LOH minces no words in telling the Sahib that he had better...

Located some thirty kilometres from Rajgarh was the small village of Habban. The approach was lined with apple orchards, some of which were owned by well-known personalities. There was the “Friends Orchard”, owned by a couple of Judges, “The Hermitage”, owned by the renowned diplomat, T N Kaul, one owned by a senior UN official and a couple of others owned by senior bureaucrats . I forget the name of the orchard, but there was one owned by Mr. P N Haksar, the ex- Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, too! Needless to say, the VIPs visited their orchards a couple of times every year, and Rajgarh was a lively place during July – August, when the apples were being harvested. It was during August 1974 that I had the honour of meeting Mr. T N Kaul, who was then posted as India’s ambassador to the United States. Initially appointed to the Indian Civil Service in 1939, Mr. Kaul was inducted into the Indian Foreign Service in 1949. He served with distinction as Ambassador to Russia an...

Rajgarh, as I said, was a large Division comprising eight Ranges. The DFO was assisted by two Assistant Conservators of Forests (ACFs), and I had arrived as the third, even though I was under training, so to say. The DFO, Mr. B S Chauhan, didn’t really know what to do with me. He had still not received any formal posting orders, nor had he received any directions regarding the training I was to be imparted.  One of the ACFs had been given the responsibility of supervising the plantation work in the Division, while the other was responsible for Resin Tapping in the extensive Pine forests in the Division. A couple of days after I arrived, Mr. Chauhan summoned me to his office. On entering, I was introduced to a diminutive khaki clad individual, who was standing at attention in the middle of the room. “This is Banarsi Dass,” said Mr. Chauhan. “He is going to be your mentor and guide for the next one month. He will teach you all there is to know about nurseries...

On a cold February day, I packed my trunk and bedroll and prepared to leave for Shimla, and then on to Rajgarh. Bholu Ram, my peon, offered to accompany me, and I gratefully accepted. I had no idea where Rajgarh was, or how to get there, hence was happy for the company. Bholu Ram was happy too, for he had never seen Shimla. As we boarded the bus, the Range Staff lined up at Bhareridhar to see me off. The DFO and the ACF had hosted tea for me the evening earlier. I left Kotgarh with a heavy heart, only now realising how comfortable I had come to feel with all these wonderful people who had taken on the role of my family. Bholu and I shared a cold, uncomfortable night at the Thakur Hotel near the Bus Stand at Shimla. On my limited salary, it was the only one I could afford. In the morning we took the bus for Solan, arriving there in a couple of hours. Rajgarh was located some 40 km from Solan and, in those days, there were only two buses per day from Solan to Rajgarh, and two back. W...

Mr. T S Patyal, the DFO with whom I was attached for my initial training, was an officer from the old school. He drove me hard, and himself harder still. He did his best to teach me all the field craft he could. He got me to carry out marking of trees, raise nurseries and inspect plantations, plan and supervise building construction et al. At the same time, he treated me with affection as a junior colleague. He took me along on tours, and often invited me to his beautiful official residence, Bushahr House, for cards and dinner. He taught me how to conduct myself as an officer, so that I could command the willing respect of my subordinates, as he did. The staff not just respected him – they adored him. He was just the Forest Officer I wished I could emulate and be like later in life! Mr. Patyal was not just a seasoned forester; he was also an administrator par excellence. As a probationer, I was expected to write and submit fortnightly diaries which ultimately travelled all the way ...