The hillside view of life

Gaurav Kanthwal

A narrative of the Raj tales comes tied with expectations of being an engrossing affair. If it lends a fresh perspective, its value increases manifold, else it can be best termed as an interesting read. Author John Lang wrote The Himalaya Club in 1859 after traversing through the hills of ‘Mussoori, Deeyrah Dhoon, Umbalah, Simlah, Bijnore and Almorah.’ His avowed aim being ‘to become acquainted with Oriental character from personal observation’ (Page 54).

Lang’s describes the beauty of the Greater Himalayan Range and the life of people inhabiting this beautiful region in the book. The accounts of Mussoorie, Mall Road, the Himalaya Club, hills, rains, exotic flowers, hill tribes, tiger-hunting, and the sweltering heat of ‘Deeyrah Dhoon’ create a vivid image of the beautiful landscape.

The chapter Himalayas is about a journey made to Almorah,  and captures the sights, sounds and scenic beauty of the region. Clearly, the author is enamoured by the life of tribals. He, however, adds that there are more beautiful places on Earth. Primarily, Lang’s writing is a critique of the corrupt ruling dispensation, the vanity of insignificant ‘Lords’, knavery of lazing armymen and the farcical trials by judges in the outback. Returning critiques the Indian judicial system and the manipulative ways of the judges. The Australian-born author, who was also a barrister, explains how the coercion of the key witnesses, fabrication of circumstances used to tilt the judgment decisively in the trials. 

The journalist in John also notes the subservient nature of native Indians. His observations lead him to believe that Indians are only good for performing menial jobs. Of the better class of the natives of India, he opines, ‘Their cupidity is enormous certainly, but their vanity is even greater.’ On the same page, (page110) he, without any mention of vanity, says, ‘I engaged also a cook and a sweeper, or general helper; so that, when the sawans (camel drivers), the bullock-man, and the scyes (grooms), were included, my establishment numbered, in all , eight servants…’

Lang’s claim to fame in India is that he appeared for the Rani of Jhansi against the British East India Company. Given that the author visited places in 1852-53 and wrote the book in 1859, there is not even a distant allusion to the First War of Independence of 1857. It is difficult to understand why there is not even a passing reference to the unrest, or the lack of it, in the 133-page book.

This is a narrative from the viewpoint of a foreigner travelling in India under the early years of British Raj, so it is expected to have clichés. And there are plenty of these. ‘Orient, Solah Hat, exotic flowers, game hunting, mystical healers, sweltering heat, rains and native Indians mimicking British mannerism’ make their usual appearances in the narrative. The use of first person technique with an intruding author gives a personal touch to the travelogue. 

Lang uses Queen’s English with long-drawn sentences, describing things in detail. At some places, the sentences stretch as long as half the length of the page. What really makes the book interesting is the mild satire with which the futile proceedings are recorded. Though the end in each anecdote is more or less known, how things unfold draws out the humour in the situation. The book has been thoroughly successful in reproducing the life and experiences of the British Raj in those times.

Credit to the publisher for putting up a foreword by Ruskin Bond, a pre-requisite these days in a book based on Mussoorie and Dehradun. It enhances the USP of the book considerably.