ENCOUNTER WITH A TIGER

The following factual story belongs to my late uncle ( father's younger brother ) who told me the same. I am now going to write down this true story told by him. After being retired as an Army officer he had joined the Odisha Military Police, Hqrs, Rourkela. Then he was transferred to Sambalpur. During those days i. e. In the 1950s, most of the districts of Orissa were full of dense forests and ferocious wild animals. My late uncle was a daredevil army-trained Martial Artist, expert gunman, swimmer, best cyclist and bike rider( gold medalist ), thorough four-wheeler driver ( heavy and light license holder), an expert trainer, a PG of Defence Academy, an amiable person, benevolent and witty person and with a handsome figure and a distinguished personality. Being a possessor of so much human qualities he was very humble and liberal with strong willpower. So he was being appreciated for his noble character.

Besides his official duties, he was often allotted the duty of night patrolling. A big jeep and at least four numbers of junior officers and two constables were being provided to him for the purpose. One day he was allotted with night patrolling duty to perform in a tribal area situated near about 10 kilometers away from the HQrs.( I exactly unable to recollect the name of that area) surrounded by densest forest wherein fierce bears, leopards, and maneater royal tigers were haunting at night.

However, my late uncle and his subordinates set off on night patrolling to that location. Either side of the hilly jungle roads were fortified by trees and mounds. That was a New Mooney night. Suddenly one of the staff members marked two burning charcoal-like eyes of a wild animal which was squatted on the mound at the right side of the patrol jeep and shouted loudly, " See See Sir something is there on the mound whose eyes are glazing redish. Maybe a tiger. " All police staff members became alert after hearing this.

Then my late uncle jumped out of the vehicle and torched at the beast. Really it was a big royal tiger that had squatted on the mound. While its face was focused by the torchlight it was disturbing and furious. Suddenly it jumped and attacked my uncle. But for the strong hat my uncle's head was saved. The tiger was trying to grab his head and uncle also gripped it strongly as he was a good wrestler trained by the late famous gymnastic champion Banaa Pahelwan of Choudhury Bazar, Cuttack. My late uncle and the tiger embraced each other tightly. The tiger was trying it's best to capture the head and my uncle was also trying his best to repel its head with his right hand by applying full muscular strength. This type of lasted for about 10 minutes. The other personnel was dumbfounded as it was a life risk. They were also looking at this combat. Suddenly the Gurkha jeep driver getting himself off the jeep reminded my late uncle at the top of his voice, " Sir Sir Sir! Please take my Kurki ( the dagger used by Nepalee soldier ) and focus his five-celled Eveready torch towards the tiger. Uncle took the sharp dagger and stabbed it into the tiger's neck deeply.

With a sudden jerk, the tiger retreated and a stream of blood flushed out of the tiger's neck which made it flat on the ground with a deep growling sound. Again my uncle and gurkha driver continued attacking the under lying tiger with their daggers up to its eleventh hour. After half an hour the tiger was fully dead and the corpse was carried into the Jeep. It was 1 am. As it was winter season the police personnel concluded the patrolling job with the end of the tiger's life which was enough performance for that particular night and returned to the Head Quarters. The next morning the DIG was informed about these happenings. He congratulated my late uncle with the issuance of an Appreciation Letter. The dead tiger was carried to the Collectorate and the tiger was handed over to the DFO for necessary action.