Ramnagar (Uttarakhand) [India], October 7 (ANI): Amid the lush green forests of Corbett, stories of wildlife, conservation and people came together at the Corbett Literature Festival.
Bringing together writers, conservationists, scientists, photographers, forest officials and folk artists, the three-day festival, which began on Tuesday, is all about exploring the stories that emerge from forests and the communities living around them.
The festival will end on October 8 with different sessions, photo exhibitions and nature walks, happening across three venues.
The opening day’s sessions focused on Jim Corbett, his contributions and wildlife conservation, along with folk music and stories from the forest frontline.
The festival is being held with the support of the Uttarakhand Forest Department, Corbett Tiger Reserve and Uttarakhand Tourism.
Uttarakhand Forest Minister Subodh Uniyal said conservation cannot be separated from the welfare of communities living around forests.
“Conserving our forests and wildlife must go hand in hand with improving the lives of the local population and continuous efforts are being made towards this end,” Uniyal said in a statement.
He described the maiden Corbett Literature Festival as a collective effort involving different stakeholders and said it “lays a foundation for the future”.
RK Sudhanshu, Principal Secretary, Government of Uttarakhand, added, “The world identifies India with the Himalayas and with Corbett. The Corbett Literature Festival will give this identity a broader and more expansive dimension.”
Neena Grewal, Chief Wildlife Warden, Government of Uttarakhand, praised Corbett Field Director Dr Saket Badola for initiating the festival, saying the event brings together the Forest Department, entrepreneurs and local communities.
“Through the maiden Corbett Literature Festival, the Forest Department, the entrepreneurs associated with it and the local community are jointly taking a concrete step. It will set an example not only for Uttarakhand or India, but for the entire world,” she said.
Anirudh Lakhotia, Director, Ivory Destinations, which owns The Golden Tusk, also spoke about the festival and its relevance, saying, “Corbett has been home to our family’s hospitality journey for decades, so being part of the first Corbett Literature Festival is deeply personal for us. Corbett National Park, with its conservation success story and a legacy of wildlife literature, is the perfect backdrop for conversations about nature, wildlife, the Himalayas and Uttarakhand’s culture.”
At the festival, writers and conservation experts also talked about the broader conversation of wildlife, stressing that conservation cannot remain limited to tigers and must also take into account biodiversity, landscapes and communities living alongside forests.
Rewilding expert Vijay Dhasmana stressed the importance of protecting the base of the ecological pyramid, pointing to insects, amphibians, reptiles, grasses, trees and other forms of biodiversity that sustain larger species.”Unless we protect the base of the pyramid, we can’t protect the top,” he told ANI, adding that conservation needs to be approached at the landscape level.
The festival also offered a glimpse into the difficult realities of wildlife rescue and protection. Dr Dushyant Sharma, Senior Wildlife Veterinary Officer at Corbett Tiger Reserve, spoke about the unpredictable behaviour of individual tigers and the challenges faced during rescue operations.
“Every tiger is different. It will react differently. So we cannot make a thumb rule,” he said, highlighting the importance of crowd management during rescue operations.
He also underlined the complex relationship between forest teams and local communities, saying people respond differently during human-animal conflict situations, with some offering support while others can become hostile.
The risks faced by forest personnel were further highlighted by Dr Sonali Ghosh, Field Director, Manas Tiger Reserve, who spoke about the demanding nature of working in protected areas.
“When people go on holidays and visit tiger reserves, we are the ones who cannot take a holiday,” Ghosh said, describing forest personnel as people who remain on the ground to ensure that wildlife and visitors are safe.
Ghosh also stressed that technology, including camera traps and surveillance systems, has transformed wildlife protection, but there is still “no substitute” for frontline forest staff, whom she described as the “unsung heroes.”
She called for greater formal recognition of frontline forest personnel, including traditional mahouts and ghasis, whose work continues to play an important role in wildlife protection.
Author Stephen Alter said wildlife should not be viewed only through the lens of tiger sightings, urging people to appreciate the larger ecosystem and the diversity of species found in forests.
“The tiger is not the only thing in the jungle,” Alter said, emphasising that insects, birds, elephants and other species are equally important to the ecosystem.
Alter said the growing interest in wildlife tourism often remains focused on getting a photograph of a tiger, whereas a deeper engagement with nature can offer a more fulfilling experience.
“If you’re going there only to see the tiger, you might maybe for three seconds see its tail disappearing into the bushes,” he said, adding that visitors could have a richer experience by observing a wider range of wildlife.
Author Nirmal Ghosh said the Corbett Literature Festival was a much-needed platform to bring together writers, conservationists and nature enthusiasts and expand discussions around wildlife and conservation.
He said Jim Corbett’s writings had “inspired generations of writers and conservationists.”
Environmentalist Kalyan Singh Rawat and folk singer Madhuri Barthwal underlined the need to protect nature while preserving the cultural traditions of Uttarakhand.
Rawat spoke about the importance of creating a balance between environmental conservation and human development.
Barthwal, who has spent decades documenting Uttarakhand’s folk traditions, said the preservation of folk music was closely linked to the preservation of the region’s cultural identity.
Recalling her travels across villages in Garhwal, Kumaon and Jaunsar, she said migration had disrupted the transmission of traditional music from one generation to another.
However, she noted that young people are now showing renewed interest in their heritage, with several pursuing research on folk traditions. “Our duty is to take our culture forward and ensure that the coming generation learns and carries it forward,” she said.
She also stressed the importance of documenting folk traditions in written form to prevent distortions in oral transmission. Recalling how she herself learnt devotional verses by listening to her father but later discovered that some words had been misheard, she said the experience motivated her to preserve folk music systematically.
She said she has “written 24 books on Garhwali folk music”, including its ragas and raginis, and documented the songs with notation so that younger generations can learn and carry forward the tradition.
The festival will conclude on October 8 at The Golden Tusk, Jim Corbett. (ANI)
