Hunter-Habib
AH legend
It is with a heavy heart that I must inform our fellow forum members that Major Poton Khan (Forum Name @Major Khan) has breathed his last at 8 AM on 8th January, 2024 in his home. He was 81 years old & very healthy for his age, but suffered from a lifelong fondness towards Keru (a locally brewed liquor which is often not distilled properly in order to to cleansed of all impurities). It is believed that poisoning from a large quantity of Keru is what caused his unfortunate demise.
The Major and I had a very turbulent relationship; one which was plagued by many petty immaturities on both our parts over the last 52 years . I first had occasion to meet him at a War Veterans commemorative dinner in 1972. Both of us had just returned from our service in the 1971 Indo-Pak war (him being a Major & I being a Staff Sergeant). He had suffered a bullet wound to the lower right side of his face and was facially disfigured (although reconstructive surgery in the United States in 1974 would eventually repair his face significantly). He was bitter, but also a great story teller and we fellow war veterans were immediately drawn towards his tales of heroism and adventure during & before the war. He was a commanding officer of a force reconnaissance unit during the war and had (by all accounts) gotten shot only because he was trying to save the lives of the freedom fighters under his command. And he was well decorated with the highest possible military award being granted to him. He and I became fast friends and being only a wing shooter up until that point in my life, I was greatly inspired by his tales of big game hunting (immediately aspiring to commence this exciting new hobby myself). He would frequently make casually condescending remarks about my mother’s Pakistani heritage, but I took it all in good humor.
After the war, the Major chose to remain in the army for another 2 decades while I decided (for a combination of reasons) to pursue a career in forestry (working for various forest departments across the nation up until 1993, depending upon where the Ministry of Forests would have me stationed). Aside from immensely being in love with forest life (including but not limited to hunting), I had another reason to pursue a career as a forest ranger instead of choosing to remain behind in the army. I was well aware of the fact that we were living in a newly born nation and that political instability was rampant. I anticipated that violent military coupes would soon become a regular occurrence in the near future (I was not wrong in this regard), and that during military coupes… army officers often suffer the worst.
The Major and I remained very friendly towards each other through out the entirety of the 1970s, although he always had a hair trigger temper and could get extremely aggressive if someone disagreed with him regarding matters that were as trivial as the best bullet that could be used on big game. On one particular incident in 1974, I had just returned from a big game hunting safari to Kenya and was sharing my experiences with other hunters at the Dacca Rifle Club. When I remarked how poorly I thought of Winchester Silver Tip bullets (much preferring Remington Core Lokt to them), the Major completely went feral with rage and gave me a sound rant in front of everybody else present. Even though I personally found his behavior to be quite vulgar (especially considering that I had hunted in Africa & he never did), I immediately apologized to him since he was both my senior in age and rank.
In 1981, I was posted for my first term as DFO (Divisional Forest Officer) of the Sundarban mangrove forests while the Major became a supervisor at the Bengal Ordinance Factories branch in Khulna. Friction between us increased because I would not grant hunting permits for more than 2 Axis stags per season in each of the region’s four forest ranges. I was merely carrying out orders from the CCF (Chief Conservator Of Forests) and was doing my job, but the Major took it very personally that I did not grant him an unlimited number of hunting permits. He also didn’t think too kindly of me enacting a zero tolerance policy towards anybody killing Royal Bengal tigers (again, I was merely carrying out my orders).
When the Man Eater of Mohesshoripur began his depredations upon local residents in 1981, the Major developed an openly antagonistic relationship with me because I was completely unwilling to let anybody hunt down the Man Eater until the Ministry of Forests issued a ”Kill-Order” for the problem animal in question (even though I personally wanted the Man Eater to be killed as well, I was still determined to carry out my orders from my superiors). This they eventually did, and I successfully shot the creature shortly afterwards (though more through sheer luck than out of any skill on my part). The Major had filed a complaint to the CCF about my “Ineptness“. And he would file similar complaints against me when the Man Eater of Talpatti and the the Man Eater of Chand Pai were at large (which would eventually be killed by forest guard Pachabdi Gazi and myself in 1987 & 1988 respectively). By 1988, we could both hardly be called friends anymore although we were still cordial with each other.
Our relationship took a very dark turn in 1989 during the hunt for the Man Eater of Atharobeki. When the Ministry of Forests had issued the “Kill Order” for the tiger, the Major and Brigadier General Mahmudul Hassan (along with their sepoys) had gone off into the Sundarbans for six weeks in order to hunt down the problem animal. I had loaned them a forest department launch, as well as some of my most dedicated forest guards for their assistance. What occurred next was downright disastrous. When they went to the Sundarbans to hunt down the Man Eater of Atharobeki, they massacred 5 Royal Bengal tigers… none of whom were the man eater in question- 1 male tiger, 3 tigresses (1 of whom was pregnant) & 1 sub-grown cub. The news eventually got leaked to the media (because of the Major's "Boasts") and the ignorant anti hunting masses publicly rioted outside the Ministry of Forests until CCF Noor Uz Zaman publicly declared never to issue another ”Kill-Order” ever again after the Man Eater of Atharobeki would be dispatched. My second administrative term overseeing the Sundarban mangrove forests had already come to an end by then, but even I was appalled at what had occurred. I was even more consumed with rage because I had learnt that the Major was physically abusing all of my staff and treating them like dogs during his six weeks stay in Atharobeki (including hurling a boot at one of their faces). A very public and aggressive argument broke out between the two of us. Long story short, the Major was prohibited from setting foot inside the Sundarbans for many years to come (until a new government came to power) and was forced to resign from his position in the Ordinance Factories. I ended up shooting the Man Eater of Atharobeki, using the already existing “Kill-Order”. And as of this time of writing in 2024, that was the final Royal Bengal tiger to be legally killed in the Sundarban mangrove forests.
In the following years, I became CCF myself in 1993 and held onto the post until 2000. After that I pursued a career in politics for a decade and held two terms as an MP (Member of Parliament). The Major began a very public smear campaign against me but considering my reasonable amount of success over the years… I don’t think it worked very well. I was able to peacefully retire from politics and adjust well to civilian life.
As we both grew old, the Major and I both buried the hatchet although we were still far from friends. Up until his dying day, one of his favorite stories to tell about me was that I made one of my forest guards kill those 3 man eating Royal Bengal tigers and I simply posed with their carcasses for the photographs. Nevertheless, I am genuinely sad to hear of his tragic passing.
Now, I will address a controversy that many of our fellow forum members have had about the Major. He always claimed (both on these forums and to all those who knew him in real life) that he was a professional hunter/ professional Shikari in India during the 1960s (prior to the Indo-Pak war in 1971 and India banning hunting by passing the so-called “Wildlife Protection Act” in 1972). I can’t say for certain what the truth really was, since I first met him in 1972 after the hunting ban was enacted in India. I know that he uploaded a few photographs on these forums which were later discredited as being taken from books authored by other hunters. While he was alive, I never said anything out of respect/decency. But even I recognized that practically all of his his “Tiger Hunting Photographs” were really taken from a 1954 book called “The Tigers Of Trengganu“ by Colonel Arthur Locke.
But I also did hunt with him several times throughout the 1970s, so I can personally attest that he was a very good wing shooter as well as being extremely competent at driven hunts for Sambar deer and Bengal bush boar. He also did once make a very impressive shot on a clouded leopard which charged him upon accidentally getting flushed out during a beat for Muntjac deer. His knowledge on firearms and ammunition that were carried into 1960s India by visiting client hunters was also immensely accurate. So what was the truth ? I suppose we’ll never know. What we do know for a fact is that the Major authored around 50 articles on these forums and most made for highly entertaining reads (regardless of whether or not they were true).
Three things are clear about the Major. The first is that something tragic definitely did occur in his life in India between 1970 and 1972. The second is that the Major retained an inherent hatred towards Indians and followers of the Hindu faith all throughout his life. The third is his hatred towards all Pakistani people. And this is quite evident in his writings.
While I can sympathize with his tragedies and it is true that the majority of the Indian Hindu population (post 1972) think inherently negatively about hunting/firearms ownership/meat eating, I never really did see eye to eye with him about his indiscriminate hatred towards an entire race of people. There are so many talented Indians and Hindus in the world (both today and in the past), who make for exceptionally skilled hunters and shooters. An individual must always be assessed on his/her own merit rather than be judged simply for their faith or country of birth. And it is true that we fought against the Pakistani army during the war in 1971, but those days are long gone and the people of a nation shouldn’t be scrutinized for a governmental decision of their leaders 53 years ago.
The war left a very deep impact on Major Poton Khan and he was never quite able to come out of that dark place in his life. He never did move on, even decades after the war ended. And the entire ordeal left him very bitter in later life (which can sometimes be sensed from his writings). Perhaps, that was why he loved to tell his stories on these forums. He wanted to feel important again.
Perhaps, this is all too easy for me to say. I came back from the war to my very loving parents and was later blessed with two very beautiful children (and later grandchildren). All of whom have greatly continued to be my rocks throughout the the years. As well as my friends and staff. By contrast, the Major lived a very lonely life. I understand that he had a family in India who got estranged from him during/ after the war. The story goes that he frequently boasted about some of his more darker deeds during the war to his family members and his wife & in-laws were genuinely disturbed by these boasts.
I had invited him more than a few times to accompany me on Safari to Africa more than a few times during the 1970s and early 1980s. But he never accepted my offer, always insisting that Africa would be far inferior to the hunting opportunities available in pre 1972 India. I genuinely wish that he would have taken me up on my offer. He might have felt better.
Even though the Major and I had our differences, I still believe that (at heart) he was a good man. He and I both essentially wanted the same thing- To see that hunting remains perfectly legal and sustainable for the long term. His article "How I Personally Believe That The Future Of Hunting Can Be Saved" is still one of my personal favorites and allowed me to see how much he genuinely cares about the future of hunting.
I will miss him greatly and I genuinely wish that we could have remained friends.
The Major (Left) & I (Right) On A Hunt For Bar Headed Geese in Kukri Island In 1979. Just A Decade Later, Our Friendship Would Take A Disastrous Turn
The Major and I had a very turbulent relationship; one which was plagued by many petty immaturities on both our parts over the last 52 years . I first had occasion to meet him at a War Veterans commemorative dinner in 1972. Both of us had just returned from our service in the 1971 Indo-Pak war (him being a Major & I being a Staff Sergeant). He had suffered a bullet wound to the lower right side of his face and was facially disfigured (although reconstructive surgery in the United States in 1974 would eventually repair his face significantly). He was bitter, but also a great story teller and we fellow war veterans were immediately drawn towards his tales of heroism and adventure during & before the war. He was a commanding officer of a force reconnaissance unit during the war and had (by all accounts) gotten shot only because he was trying to save the lives of the freedom fighters under his command. And he was well decorated with the highest possible military award being granted to him. He and I became fast friends and being only a wing shooter up until that point in my life, I was greatly inspired by his tales of big game hunting (immediately aspiring to commence this exciting new hobby myself). He would frequently make casually condescending remarks about my mother’s Pakistani heritage, but I took it all in good humor.
After the war, the Major chose to remain in the army for another 2 decades while I decided (for a combination of reasons) to pursue a career in forestry (working for various forest departments across the nation up until 1993, depending upon where the Ministry of Forests would have me stationed). Aside from immensely being in love with forest life (including but not limited to hunting), I had another reason to pursue a career as a forest ranger instead of choosing to remain behind in the army. I was well aware of the fact that we were living in a newly born nation and that political instability was rampant. I anticipated that violent military coupes would soon become a regular occurrence in the near future (I was not wrong in this regard), and that during military coupes… army officers often suffer the worst.
The Major and I remained very friendly towards each other through out the entirety of the 1970s, although he always had a hair trigger temper and could get extremely aggressive if someone disagreed with him regarding matters that were as trivial as the best bullet that could be used on big game. On one particular incident in 1974, I had just returned from a big game hunting safari to Kenya and was sharing my experiences with other hunters at the Dacca Rifle Club. When I remarked how poorly I thought of Winchester Silver Tip bullets (much preferring Remington Core Lokt to them), the Major completely went feral with rage and gave me a sound rant in front of everybody else present. Even though I personally found his behavior to be quite vulgar (especially considering that I had hunted in Africa & he never did), I immediately apologized to him since he was both my senior in age and rank.
In 1981, I was posted for my first term as DFO (Divisional Forest Officer) of the Sundarban mangrove forests while the Major became a supervisor at the Bengal Ordinance Factories branch in Khulna. Friction between us increased because I would not grant hunting permits for more than 2 Axis stags per season in each of the region’s four forest ranges. I was merely carrying out orders from the CCF (Chief Conservator Of Forests) and was doing my job, but the Major took it very personally that I did not grant him an unlimited number of hunting permits. He also didn’t think too kindly of me enacting a zero tolerance policy towards anybody killing Royal Bengal tigers (again, I was merely carrying out my orders).
When the Man Eater of Mohesshoripur began his depredations upon local residents in 1981, the Major developed an openly antagonistic relationship with me because I was completely unwilling to let anybody hunt down the Man Eater until the Ministry of Forests issued a ”Kill-Order” for the problem animal in question (even though I personally wanted the Man Eater to be killed as well, I was still determined to carry out my orders from my superiors). This they eventually did, and I successfully shot the creature shortly afterwards (though more through sheer luck than out of any skill on my part). The Major had filed a complaint to the CCF about my “Ineptness“. And he would file similar complaints against me when the Man Eater of Talpatti and the the Man Eater of Chand Pai were at large (which would eventually be killed by forest guard Pachabdi Gazi and myself in 1987 & 1988 respectively). By 1988, we could both hardly be called friends anymore although we were still cordial with each other.
Our relationship took a very dark turn in 1989 during the hunt for the Man Eater of Atharobeki. When the Ministry of Forests had issued the “Kill Order” for the tiger, the Major and Brigadier General Mahmudul Hassan (along with their sepoys) had gone off into the Sundarbans for six weeks in order to hunt down the problem animal. I had loaned them a forest department launch, as well as some of my most dedicated forest guards for their assistance. What occurred next was downright disastrous. When they went to the Sundarbans to hunt down the Man Eater of Atharobeki, they massacred 5 Royal Bengal tigers… none of whom were the man eater in question- 1 male tiger, 3 tigresses (1 of whom was pregnant) & 1 sub-grown cub. The news eventually got leaked to the media (because of the Major's "Boasts") and the ignorant anti hunting masses publicly rioted outside the Ministry of Forests until CCF Noor Uz Zaman publicly declared never to issue another ”Kill-Order” ever again after the Man Eater of Atharobeki would be dispatched. My second administrative term overseeing the Sundarban mangrove forests had already come to an end by then, but even I was appalled at what had occurred. I was even more consumed with rage because I had learnt that the Major was physically abusing all of my staff and treating them like dogs during his six weeks stay in Atharobeki (including hurling a boot at one of their faces). A very public and aggressive argument broke out between the two of us. Long story short, the Major was prohibited from setting foot inside the Sundarbans for many years to come (until a new government came to power) and was forced to resign from his position in the Ordinance Factories. I ended up shooting the Man Eater of Atharobeki, using the already existing “Kill-Order”. And as of this time of writing in 2024, that was the final Royal Bengal tiger to be legally killed in the Sundarban mangrove forests.
In the following years, I became CCF myself in 1993 and held onto the post until 2000. After that I pursued a career in politics for a decade and held two terms as an MP (Member of Parliament). The Major began a very public smear campaign against me but considering my reasonable amount of success over the years… I don’t think it worked very well. I was able to peacefully retire from politics and adjust well to civilian life.
As we both grew old, the Major and I both buried the hatchet although we were still far from friends. Up until his dying day, one of his favorite stories to tell about me was that I made one of my forest guards kill those 3 man eating Royal Bengal tigers and I simply posed with their carcasses for the photographs. Nevertheless, I am genuinely sad to hear of his tragic passing.
Now, I will address a controversy that many of our fellow forum members have had about the Major. He always claimed (both on these forums and to all those who knew him in real life) that he was a professional hunter/ professional Shikari in India during the 1960s (prior to the Indo-Pak war in 1971 and India banning hunting by passing the so-called “Wildlife Protection Act” in 1972). I can’t say for certain what the truth really was, since I first met him in 1972 after the hunting ban was enacted in India. I know that he uploaded a few photographs on these forums which were later discredited as being taken from books authored by other hunters. While he was alive, I never said anything out of respect/decency. But even I recognized that practically all of his his “Tiger Hunting Photographs” were really taken from a 1954 book called “The Tigers Of Trengganu“ by Colonel Arthur Locke.
But I also did hunt with him several times throughout the 1970s, so I can personally attest that he was a very good wing shooter as well as being extremely competent at driven hunts for Sambar deer and Bengal bush boar. He also did once make a very impressive shot on a clouded leopard which charged him upon accidentally getting flushed out during a beat for Muntjac deer. His knowledge on firearms and ammunition that were carried into 1960s India by visiting client hunters was also immensely accurate. So what was the truth ? I suppose we’ll never know. What we do know for a fact is that the Major authored around 50 articles on these forums and most made for highly entertaining reads (regardless of whether or not they were true).
Three things are clear about the Major. The first is that something tragic definitely did occur in his life in India between 1970 and 1972. The second is that the Major retained an inherent hatred towards Indians and followers of the Hindu faith all throughout his life. The third is his hatred towards all Pakistani people. And this is quite evident in his writings.
While I can sympathize with his tragedies and it is true that the majority of the Indian Hindu population (post 1972) think inherently negatively about hunting/firearms ownership/meat eating, I never really did see eye to eye with him about his indiscriminate hatred towards an entire race of people. There are so many talented Indians and Hindus in the world (both today and in the past), who make for exceptionally skilled hunters and shooters. An individual must always be assessed on his/her own merit rather than be judged simply for their faith or country of birth. And it is true that we fought against the Pakistani army during the war in 1971, but those days are long gone and the people of a nation shouldn’t be scrutinized for a governmental decision of their leaders 53 years ago.
The war left a very deep impact on Major Poton Khan and he was never quite able to come out of that dark place in his life. He never did move on, even decades after the war ended. And the entire ordeal left him very bitter in later life (which can sometimes be sensed from his writings). Perhaps, that was why he loved to tell his stories on these forums. He wanted to feel important again.
Perhaps, this is all too easy for me to say. I came back from the war to my very loving parents and was later blessed with two very beautiful children (and later grandchildren). All of whom have greatly continued to be my rocks throughout the the years. As well as my friends and staff. By contrast, the Major lived a very lonely life. I understand that he had a family in India who got estranged from him during/ after the war. The story goes that he frequently boasted about some of his more darker deeds during the war to his family members and his wife & in-laws were genuinely disturbed by these boasts.
I had invited him more than a few times to accompany me on Safari to Africa more than a few times during the 1970s and early 1980s. But he never accepted my offer, always insisting that Africa would be far inferior to the hunting opportunities available in pre 1972 India. I genuinely wish that he would have taken me up on my offer. He might have felt better.
Even though the Major and I had our differences, I still believe that (at heart) he was a good man. He and I both essentially wanted the same thing- To see that hunting remains perfectly legal and sustainable for the long term. His article "How I Personally Believe That The Future Of Hunting Can Be Saved" is still one of my personal favorites and allowed me to see how much he genuinely cares about the future of hunting.
I will miss him greatly and I genuinely wish that we could have remained friends.
The Major (Left) & I (Right) On A Hunt For Bar Headed Geese in Kukri Island In 1979. Just A Decade Later, Our Friendship Would Take A Disastrous Turn
Attachments
Last edited:
