Tapati draws interesting parallels between human beings and animal, in the backdrop of Lok Sabha election of 2019. A tongue-in-cheek piece exclusively for Different Truths.

It is a hot day in the first week of May; after March and April passed in whisks, I could not even feel how we landed in the furnace of May being carried over by a catastrophic cyclone. By the time clouds evaporated and water logging receded, the scorching sun covered whole of India leaving with warm warnings that it is summer. The heat increased in enormous pace when sound level also increased in same tempo. I must mention that it is election time in my land when people fight for a space in the parliament in the largest democracy of the world.

Our leaders wake up from hibernation and take to roads with a beeline of followers …. That reminds of the line of little ants, following their leader; the difference is that the ants move silently, while our people love cacophony to prove their prowess.

Our leaders wake up from hibernation and take to roads with a beeline of followers ready to take on every soul who would challenge their way to parliament. That reminds of the line of little ants, following their leader; the difference is that the ants move silently, while our people love cacophony to prove their prowess. The

destined venues are crowded by mostly poor people from rural areas who are brought and rather forced to throng and clap whenever the speakers shout; the poor people are here to enjoy one good meal promised and a joyride to and fro without bothering for the power struggle. But the sound level and heat both remain abated.

The same are broadcast in media with much spices added with arguments and

counterarguments adding different angles or heated discussions of all the parties involved; so, no respite from heat. I remembered few lines I heard in my childhood from Mahabharata where Kauravas had said: “Bina juddhe nahi dibo Suchyagra bhumi” (“Without fight we will not spare even a small spec of land on the tip of a needle”); this is an excellent quote of fighting spirit, provided, in today’s scenario it dealt with fighting away poverty, illiteracy and many other evils clouding ordinary people’s life.

Now, when every event is broadcast, we watch how our leaders fight tooth and nail to drive out the opposing party; changing leniency, killings are rampant…

Now, when every event is broadcast, we watch how our leaders fight tooth and nail to drive out the opposing party; changing leniency, killings are rampant; looking back I am pained to recall that even a pet never leaves his master, teaching some lesson to the human.

Frustrated over repeated show of election fights, I decided to switch over; suddenly channel “Animal world” appeared. And lo, in a spar of second, many complicated scientific theories became crystal clear bringing forth our old lesson that human beings are indeed animals with some difference.

In fact, there are stark similarities in animal and human behaviour. Sometimes we need to learn a lot from the animals.

 In fact, there are stark similarities in animal and human behaviour. Sometimes we need to learn a lot from the animals. I must quote a saying from Indian scripture which says, “The ruler should learn one quality each from the lion and the crane, four from the cock, five from crow and six from the do, three from the donkey.

“One should learn from lion to undertake a task well-prepared, whether it is a big one or small. Like a crane, the learned one should control his senses and knowing the aptness of time and place, accomplish all tasks.

“From a cock one should learn four things: getting up in time, fighting, division of responsibility among allies and enjoyment after attacking oneself.

“From the crow one should learn five things: sex in secrecy, secret action, and catch in time, unruffled behavior and distrust of everyone.

“These are six qualities of the dog: desire for much, satisfaction with little, deep slumber (A natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended), quick awakening, devotion to master and bravery.

“From the donkey three things should be learnt: to carry the burden even though tired, not to mind heat or cold and to trudge (walk heavily and firmly) ever satisfied.”

It may sound hilarious, but I wish all our esteemed leaders take lessons from these animals before entering into the battle for winning seats in elections.

It may sound hilarious, but I wish all our esteemed leaders take lessons from these animals before entering into the battle for winning seats in elections.

Fighting over territory? We are animals, no doubt.

Few months ago, we had a report that an adult tigress was killed and eaten by a tiger at Kanha National Park in Madhya Pradesh. “The animal that got killed seems to be a tigress while the cannibal is a tiger. Though there have been instances of cannibalism among animals, it is rare in tigers”, said Kanha’s field director adding that the killing must be a result of “territorial fight”. There are quite a few instances where cubs are eaten by adult tigers but two adult tigers fighting and one eating the other is rare. According to experts, the hunting tiger did not want to satiate it’s hunger by eating the tigress; it is an extension of territorial fight and no way connected with declining prey base in the forest.

In election times, we have instances of few glorious helping hands from the animal world…. The 10 poll personnel were elephants from Gorumara National Park.

In election times, we have instances of few glorious helping hands from the animal world. On the poll day for the second phase, there were Hilari, Fulmati, Barshan, Diana and six others were brought in to ensure free polling for voters living in 17 forest villages in Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling constituencies. The elephants were woken up early and taken for their daily bath, fed and pepped up for duty around when polling began. The 10 poll personnel were elephants from Gorumara National Park.

“There are villages along the forest and there is always a threat of wild animals, including wild herds, straying, putting life and property at risk. The elephants are trained to drive them away.” A mahout said. The ten elephants, “employees” of West Bengal forest department have service records and entitled to a leave after additional hours. There are kunki elephants on standby when they are used to drive away wild jumbos back into the forests.

We should not forget the police dogs and the ones who work as life savers.

The famous elephant Ramachandran from Bangalore has Facebook page that is followed by 16,000 people. Quite popular he is!

Numbers of followers in twitters, Facebook and other platforms show the

popularity of each leader. The famous elephant Ramachandran from Bangalore has Facebook page that is followed by 16,000 people. Quite popular he is! Thechikottukavu Ramachandran, the 54 year old elephant is assigned to throw open Kerala’s mother of all festivals. Ramachandran, the star attraction, usually kicks off the festival by pushing open a giant door at the Lord Shiva temple in Trissur and then picks his way through the multitude of worshippers and spectators.

There was a case of chimps that used to bring water to an arthritic female chimpanzee and helped her up a climbing frame.

Is man the only animal capable of noble feelings and morality? There was a case of chimps that used to bring water to an arthritic female chimpanzee and helped her up a climbing frame. And still we call them wild animals and we are human.

In 2008, police in Misiones, Argentina, found a boy among eight wild cats. The cats snuggled up to the boy at night during freezing temperatures and kept him warm and alive. The one year old ate scraps of food the cats dragged in. The cats licked him and bathed him as if he was their own. The child was discovered in a gutter surrounded by cats. As the police tried to approach the boy, the cats got protective and spat on the officers.

I know quite a few of my readers love discussing about the poll result and the future of our country. Astrology and poll predictions are no doubt quite exiting. But can we predict the future by counting the past?

The belief that only humans have a sense of the past and future is a wrong myth, says de Waal. In a Swiss zoo, orangutans showed ability to plan for the future.

The belief that only humans have a sense of the past and future is a wrong myth, says de Waal. In a Swiss zoo, orangutans showed ability to plan for the future. Their cage had a skylight which they slyly dismantled. “That way they could spend summer nights on the roof of their building. Then in the morning, before the care takers came back, they would go in the cage and put the skylight precisely back together.”

It reminds the promise of rewards for every vote a village will get; every villager knows he must vote for the immediate gains at least.

Chimps also care for others it seems. In one experiment, they picked tokens that brought a reward to them as well as their partner, rather than a token that only rewarded them. It reminds the promise of rewards for every vote a village will get; every villager knows he must vote for the immediate gains at least.

If politics is a game of cat and mouse, the mice are going to win. We have lessons to learn from the Britishers. The Houses of Parliament’s of London reported that the longstanding infestations of rodents getting worse. “Wherever I go, I see mice. I was walking down the corridor the other day and this mouse was walking down with a little bit of a swagger and off it went,” commented the Common’s deputy speaker. The rodents had the run of the palace walking all over carpets, desks and even the feet of few unsuspecting victims. The deputy speaker had suggested, “It it is time we go for some parliamentary cats”, but authorities did not agree.

Let us pray, “Long live animals and humanity” and wait for the results of our election.

Picture design Anumita Roy