'Fathji' wrote Ranthambhore’s success story

Rajendra Bora

Jaipur. Fateh Singh Rathore who lost battle with cancer in Jaipur on Monday fought untiring batlles for more than three decades against the establishment and poachers to save tigers in Ranthambhore. He wrote the success story of Ranthambhore Tiger reserve which could not be carried forward by his predesessors.

Born in a desert village in the then Royal state of Marwar, near Jodhpur, with little vegetation Rathore, fondly called Fathji by wild life enthusiasts, was nothing in his family background that could forecast that he would become a great protector of endangered wild animals.

In his schooldays he was not a studious boy and once aspired to become an actor. His grandfather pushed him into the Navy which could not hold him more than six months. He tried to become a lawyer and sold soft coal for a while.

Rathore joined the Forest department in 1960 as a Game Ranger in Sariska. That was the turning point in the life of Fathji. His fascination with forest and wild life remained with him till his last. Four years later he was posted at Mount Abu where he remained till 1971.

His tryst with Ranthambhorev came when he was asked by the government to organise a tiger shoot in 1961 for Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain and her husband Duke of Edinburgh. It will be interesting to know that government issued permits for hunting until 1969.

The “Tiger Man” Kailash Shankhla, who launched ‘Project Tiger’ with the blessings and support of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, handpicked Fathji and included him in the first group of foresters that was sent to Wild Life Institutte of India in Dehradun to get trained in forest management.

Fathji developed Ranthambhore with passion and with consummate skill bringing the wild life forest reserve on the global map. He was officially appointed as Field Director of Ranthambhore in 1978. During his tenure the forest area was declared as a National Park.

In 1970s prevalent opinion of experts was that it was no longer viable for tigers. But he did miracle. Fighting heavy odds he succeeded in freeing the wild area from human activities by relocating 20 villages from the core area to out of the sanctuary.

Althoug he wrote a fantastic success story of Project Tiger in Ranthambhore but he was always at loggerhead with the local administration and politicians. He suffered heavily and his career too was jolted as he was forced to face indignation of being suspended from service and later posted in Jaipur. The National Park later started deteriorating with abject apathy by the civil administration and interference from different lobbies.

After retirement he formed a NGO Tiger Watch and fought for survival of tigers and was a role model to wild life conservationists. His knowledge of the behaviour of big cat was legendry. He protected the tiger putting his own life in danger receiving physical assaults.

He was awarded International Valour Award in 1983 for breavery in the field. He was also presented with WWF Lifetime Conservatyion Award in recognition of his outstanding contribution in this field.

The wild life conservationists would miss him.

(The obit piece published in Hindustan Times on March 3, 2011)