I am just back from my village.
This was my first visit after last week’s shootout.
I am alive and unhurt, Neha is glad for that. My insurance premiums were not paid.
As a strategy, or maybe because of my nature to avoid confrontation as long as possible.
I did not speak much to the sheriff at home and even avoided all his initiatives to start a dialog. I did not want the situation to be normal. Normal is boring.
Though, one thing did get my attention.
It was a matter of 12 lives.
They were all starving and I had to get involved to save them from starvation death.
Having a bovine strength for landlords in our part of the world is matter of pride. Ones social status reflects on the number of cows you have tied in your back yard. We have 12 as on today. I counted them after a long gap today. Collective milk that is produced is 9 lts a day and money spent of food and labour per day is 900 a day. Milk for Rs. 100 a lt.
My father must have realized this long time back and conveniently left it to others in the family to deal with. He wanted his pride to be retained without taking any costs. Younger brother, Rohan, thought of proving himself worthy and took up to the daunting task. In last two years he must have lost atleast Rs. 5 lakhs in supporting these animals, retaining my dads pride and building false ego for himself.
Much of trouble he is in today, one of the reasons could be this.
As I reached home last night, I was told that there is no fodder for the cattle. As I am trying to keep my brother away from making these mistakes no more. I asked the keepers to ask my dad what he plans to do about it. I was told he does not care.
So today I packed them off to our farm where greens are abundant. They will get their food but my dad would not have the pride to show anymore. More over in a few months time at least 10 of them would be sold off and a bare minimum kept for some fresh milk and some for left over pride.
The point is, this is not just my families’ story. It’s every land owner’s story, who is trapped in this false social warp.
Not every bullet fired misses the target.
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[quote]
A 400-page United Nations report from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) states that cattle farming is "responsible for 18% of greenhouse gases." The production of cattle to feed and clothe humans stresses ecosystems around the world, and is assessed to be one of the top three environmental problems in the world on a local to global scale.
[unquote]
The Mahabharata, Book 13, Anusasana parva: Section LXXVI
"Yudhishthira said, 'I desire, O king, to hear thee discourse in detail upon those high ordinances which regulate gifts of kine, for it is by making gifts (of kine) according to those ordinances that one attains to innumerable regions of eternal felicity.'
"Bhishma said, 'There is no gift, O lord of Earth, that is higher in point of merit than the gift of kine. A cow, lawfully acquired, if given away, immediately rescues the whole race of the giver.
That ritual which sprang for the benefit of the righteous, was subsequently declared for the sake of all creatures. That ritual has come down from primeval time. It existed even before it was declared.
Verily, O king, listen to me as I recite to thee that ritual which affects the gift of kine. In days of yore when a number of kine (intended to be given away) was brought (before him), King Mandhatri, filled with doubt in respect of the ritual he should observe (in actually giving them away), properly questioned Vrihaspati (the preceptor of the celestials) for an explanation of that doubt.
Vrihaspati said, 'Duly observing restraints the while, the giver of kine should, on the previous day, properly honour the Brahmanas and appoint the (actual) time of gift. As regards the kine to be given away, they should be of the class called Rohini. The kine also should be addressed with the words--Samange and Vahule--Entering the fold where the kine are kept, the following Srutis should be uttered,--The cow is my mother. The bull is my sire. (Give me) heaven and earthly prosperity! The cow is my refuge!-- Entering the fold and acting in this way, the giver should pass the night there.' He should again utter the formula when actually giving away the kine.
The giver, thus residing with the kine in the fold without doing anything to restrain their freedom, and lying down on the bare earth (without driving away the gnats and other insects that would annoy him as they annoy the kine), becomes immediately cleansed of all his sins in consequence of his reducing himself to a state of perfect similitude with the kine.
When the sun rises in the morning, thou shouldst give away the cow, accompanied by her calf and a bull. As the reward of such an act, heaven will certainly become attainable to thee.
The blessings also that are indicated by the Mantras will also be thine. The Mantras contain these references to kine: Kine are endued with the elements of strength and energetic exertion. Kine have in them the elements of wisdom. They are the source of that immortality which sacrifice achieves. They are the refuge of all energy. They are the steps by which earthly prosperity is won. They constitute the eternal course of the universe. They lead to the extension of one's race. Let the kine (I give away) destroy my sins. They have that in them which partakes in the nature of both Surya, and Soma. Let them be aids to my attainment of heaven. Let them betake themselves to me as a mother takes to her offspring. Let all other blessings also be mine that have not been named in the Mantras I have uttered!
In the alleviation or cure of phthisis and other wasting diseases, and in the matter of achieving freedom from the body, if a person takes the help of the five products of the cow, kine become inclined to confer blessings upon the person like the river Saraswati--Ye kine, ye are always conveyers of all kinds of merit! Gratified with me, do ye appoint a desirable end for me! I have today become what ye are! By giving you away, I really give myself away. (After these words have been uttered by giver, the receiver should say),--Ye are no longer owned by him who gives you away! Ye have now become mine.
Possessed of the nature of both Sutya and Soma, do ye cause both the giver and the receiver to blaze forth with all kinds of prosperity!--(As already indicated), the giver should duly utter the words occurring in the first part of the above verse. The regenerate recipient, conversant with the ritual that regulates the gift of kine, should, when receiving the kine in gift, utter (as already) said the words occurring in the latter half of the above verse.
The man who, instead of a cow, gives away the usual value thereof or cloths or gold, comes to be regarded as the giver of a cow The giver, when giving away the usual value of a cow (as the substitute of a cow) should utter the words,--This cow with face upturned is being given away. Do thou accept her!--The man who gives away cloths (as the substitute of a cow) should utter the words,--Bhavitavya--(meaning that the gift should be regarded as representing a cow). The man who gives away gold (as the substitute of a cow) should utter the word,--Vaishnavi (meaning, this gold that I give away is of the form and nature of a cow).--Even these are the words that should be uttered in the order of the kind of gift mentioned above.
The reward that is reaped by making such vicarious gifts of kine is residence in Heaven for six and thirty thousand years, eight thousand years, and twenty thousand years respectively. Even these are the merits, respectively, of gifts of things as substitute of kine.
While as regards him who gives an actual cow all the merits that attach to vicarious gifts of kine become his at only the eight step (homewards) of the recipient.
He that gives an actual cow becomes endued with righteous behaviour in this world.
He that gives the value of a cow becomes freed from every kind of fear. He that gives a cow (as a substitute in way for a real cow) never meet with sorrow. All the three, as also they that regularly go through their ablutions and other acts at early dawn, and he that is well-conversant with the Mahabharata, it is well-known, attain to the regions of Vishnu and Soma.
Having given away a cow, the giver should, for three nights, adopt the vaccine vow, and pass one night with kine. Commencing again from that lunation, numbering the eight, which is known by the name of Kamya, he should pass three nights, supporting himself entirely on milk and urine and dung of the cow.
By giving away a bull, one attains to the merit that attaches to the divine vow (Brahmacharya). By giving away a couple of kine, one acquires the mastery of the Vedas. That man who performs a sacrifice and makes gifts of kine agreeably to the ritual laid down, attains to many regions of a superior character.
These, however, are not attainable by the person who is unacquainted with that ritual (and who, therefore, gives away kine without observing the scriptural declarations).
That man who gives away even a single cow that yields a copious measure of milk, acquires the merit of giving away all desirable things on Earth collected together.
On the other hand.....
instead of an eternity spent consorting with Indra and his minions....
a Steak Diane....
or a handcrafted leather satchel would be appreciated , rather more...
.....hmmmm
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