Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Coup On Agriculture – Village Life And City Style – 5 [Oxen Discipline in work]

In this context, I refer you one of my childhood experience, which thrilled me like any thing. When I was 7 years old, I visited my grandfather’s house in a village. There my uncle i.e. co-brother to my father who was doing agriculture looked like a hero to me. I felt wonder when I watch him while he was dealing with oxen, ploughs, driving the bullock carts and folk dancing at the temple, every night after dinner. Being kid, I was fascinated towards the life of a farmer.

Every day, he used to go to the fields early in the morning after having buttermilk and rice with lime pickle and onion. My grandfather had two pairs of bullocks. Persons and animals used to work together. Any way in summer and seasonal non working gaps, they used to take rest. So during work urgency situations they used to manage the work with limited rest. In this position, my uncle was working continuously for one weak without taking proper rest and he was making his oxen to work with him.

In this busy work schedule, one-day morning, one bullock out of 4 had reluctant to go to the field. Though he pet it and beat it, it didn’t move and even didn’t stand up. Simply it lay on the floor. When my uncle was forcing it to move with him to the field, my grandfather told him “son. Leave it. May it felt restless? Let it take rest for to day.” Then my uncle tied it in the shed and fed it. He had driven the remaining bullocks to the field to work. Next day also the bullock repeated its reluctant behavior. They called on the veterinary doctor, examined it physically, and observed its movements of taking feed, breath etc. Within 2 days observation they concluded that the bullock was healthy, but showing laziness to work.

My grand father told my uncle to keep the bullock on fasting. They didn’t give food and water to it for two days. I felt that it was so cruel to that animal. But to my surprise on the 3rd day, early in the morning the bullock was voluntarily ready to go to the field, it moved towards the plough, and giving symbolic cries which could be under stand by his master. With its behavior my uncle and grandfather, all other family members laughed at it. They fed it. And pet it. While my uncle was massaging its body, after feeding it with fodder and water, it was rubbing its throat as my uncle’s back and licking his hands to express its affection, guilty and repentance. It was very clear to express its feeling in body language.

When my uncle, grandfather and grandmother were analyzing its behavior, I felt it as a wonder. That day I was accompanied with my uncle to the field. On the way, in the fields, and while working I watched the bullocks enthusiasm, sharpness and work ability. Both my uncle and the bullock enjoyed the working together and co-ordinance in working. The
Co-farmers had remarked this and congratulated my uncle regarding his handlings of work and the animal. I noticed a satisfaction, a bit of proud with achievement in work in my uncle’s face. I thrilled about such feeling and expression in my uncle’s face & I determined to experience such achievement in my career, whatever it is, in my life.

May the so-called ‘animal protective societies’ argue that the above treatment towards the ox was obstruct able. Because these societies have obstructions on cinemas, which shoot horse riding or dogs bark. In such case, how any one can produce historical movies in which the only conveyances are horses and epic movies in which chariot wars are must, we don’t know.

Recently I read about the pseudo kind of these societies on animals. One of such society seezed a pet bear of a beggar’s family, which show small feet’s on road. They sent the bear to zoo and filed case against the poor beggar’s family. They shown mercy and kindness on the animal and forgotten the same on poor people, as well they forgotten the psychological problem of the animal in the zoo. Since years, it was habituated to certain life style with the nomad family. And it had certain bondage with those family members.

The society didn’t consider all of this, only they were particular about their publicity and sensation. If they were sincere towards the spirits of their society i.e. humanity or kindness to animals etc. ambitions of their society, they should have to think about the life food of that poor family. By leaving their co-human beings to hunger death, what was the love and affection that they could show on other animals and birds? In this opinion, Sri Swami Vivekananda supports me and you can refer it in his writings, “Letters to his disciple”.

And one more thing I can tell you that such pseudo societies have no minimum touch regarding love and affection of animals. That’s why only they were not able to understand that how much grief that the pet animal could experience when it was departed from his master. This I can say with practical experience. Because, since my child hood my family had cows, buffalos, dogs, cats, hens, lovebirds, and pigeons as pets, and few months I had a tortoise and a squirrel as pets.

I refer this, to explain the pseudo practice of some of the societies, but I’m not saying that all of the voluntary societies are practicing pseudo-ism. By leaving this discussion here, I’m turning again to the topic of farmer life.

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