Skip to main content

The Last Service

All Animals are singly born to serve greediest of the species - one who tries to claim all of others – we the human being. Gallons of milks the cow produces are consumed by us letting the calf go hungry, the mighty numbers of eggs a hen lays in her life finds themselves on the frying pan rather than hatching into chicken, the cat helps keep away the mice - that most naughty creature who spoils the clothes and grains, dogs bark whole night to earn a morsel in the morning – All of them in the dedicated and committed service of superior species. BUT, never are we satisfied of their services. When we even go to the extent of claiming what last they are left to offer us (their carcass at least of those palatable) agree with me to consider this as most heinous crime ever.


Dawala (an old ox) in Getena grew up to be the strongest and healthiest of the herd, given the lush green pasture available in the village, far away from the ill-effects of developments. The nutritious milk from his mother, the leafy ficus fodders and other palatable fresh grasses almost whole round the year in galore provided him enough to put on much health and weight.

Soon he came of an age when it is time for him to prove his master, by rendering the service what oxen are usually reared for. Given his health and strength, he never failed to grow up to the expectation of his master and for obvious reason; he became the favorite of the herd. He is pampered with, by his owner to provide the most promising draught power.

At the final daylight of him attaining the age of tender 3 years old, with his bones just grown old enough, he is driven to the yoke. He has never in his life known so much of the weight on his neck and instinctively tried escaping it. But, there is no letting go, now that it is really the time for him to do what he must do - resent or resist.

For last many years, he pulled heavy draught, helping tilt langdos of farmland. For many occasions, he was even borrowed by neighbours to plough their lands. The yields from the field fed the family and they existed harmoniously. Although, he turned out tired every evening, he was compensated with good quality feed and fodder. The hairs on his neck grew back in winter

Then came the time in his life, when after having faithfully served his master, he started growing old. The bones started getting weaker and the muscles on his neck lost in amount. The thigh bone started jutting out and his thick hide failed to conceal the ribs that chose to ever show up. It is time he retires but his master didn’t share the same perspective. His master has already designed an idea how to take advantage of his last service.

I met Dawala on his way to other village. He has regained his health but that means another last torture for him. With rope tucked tightly in his horns, he is being lead by a man with a big knife hanging by the waist and a nylon rope.

HE IS TO BE SLAUGHTERED TO SERVE THE FEAST FOR THE CHIMDRUP (celebration of completion of construction). What a Cruel Fate!!!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Long, long, long journey to Education

“Root of the education is bitter but the fruit is sweet” no one would know about it better than Kado. The fatigue of having to toddle to the school, fever of unending exams, the torture of having to burn the midnight oil, dozing in classes and the stern rigors are hard to endure, few even give up on the way but many endure it with utmost determination and commitment, because deep inside everyone knows it pays later. “Root of the education is bitter but the fruit is sweet” no one would know about it better than Kado Kado in the tender age of 12 is negotiating the lazily meandering footpath along the steep mountain. His school bag, full of books, pulls him back. His black naughty boy school shoe is all soiled, indication of how many times he has trudged that same footpath. He is on his way to the primary school in his village, almost 5 kilometers away. He has to make sure he is in the school before morning social work starts; else he gets penalized. Unlike the students who reside nearb...
Post a Comment
Read more

Defining Tsa-Wa-Sum in One’s own Perspective

If I am asked, I would boldly answer, “The Tsa-Wa-Sum is “Gyeb, Gyelkhab and Meser”, (King, Country and People). But not everyone knows about what tsa-wa-sum is. Hence, when the superior ask them, they are left to conceive their own tsa-wa-sum. Once a meeting was convened by the Dzongdag. In a large congregation of illiterate rural people, the Dzongdag thundered, “do you know what tsa-wa-sum is?” “Can anyone from the crowd tell me?” The crowd went to pin drop silence and no one seems ready to answer. Are they scared of Dasho or no one has the slightest idea what it is? Suddenly, a Ngalop man sitting in the last bench, for whom Dasho is hardly visible, stood up. With his head bowed low, he answers, “The three tsa-wa-sum are Ngalops, Sharchops and Lhotsampas”. “This is because they are the three race in Bhutan” Dasho went into bout of annoyance but before he fired the man, another Lhotsampa (Southern Bhutanese Man) supplemented, “the three tsa-wa-sum are Royal Bhutan Army (RBA) Royal B...
1 comment
Read more

Eternal Enemies

The Cats and Dogs are often adopted by the people in the metropolitan as pets. They go pretty good as pets since they are known to be endearing animals. Some set of folks have their paramount love and passion for these animals. But back in the village, these two creatures are mainly spared space in the home to shoulder their own responsibilities. For instance, the cat is entrusted with the job of dwindling or keeping at the sea bed, the number of rats referred to as naughty rodents in the village. And the dog cannot keep eating what the owner provides and sleep. At night, they have to escort the owners into the corn field and keep barking to keep away, the lurking night’s ambusher (deer, bears, porcupine, and wild pig etcetera). So, I see no overlapping of their right to food and duties. But, many might have surely taken the notice of these two four legged animal never tolerating each other’s presence. One fine day they meet but await a big confrontation. The sight of one another inv...
2 comments
Read more