The animal mayhem carried out in the village nearby and cruelty of humans against unsuspecting living creatures like birds, tortoise and amphibians in the vicinity of the village made me recoil with anger and disgust. The villagers, particularly the Bodo tribals spare no pain in killing whatever birds or animals come their way. Even snails, crabs, frogs, grasshoppers, and dragonflies are not spared. Silkworms after they mature become a delicacy for the tribal folks. Leave alone tribals, even other communities residing in the village put traps at night to capture bats in hundreds and although there is hardly any flesh one can find in a bat, because of their curative properties, bats are in great demand amongst the villagers. Our abode, when we first came here was a paradise with storks and varieties of other birds roaming around in the vicinity. However, within a span of five years, most of these birds have disappeared, either because they are annihilated or they no longer found it safe to stay in the proximity of the village. Not only birds, even a seemingly innocent creature of crocodile species is being killed mercilessly whenever they come out of water to lay eggs. Villagers wait for this creature to come out of water and as it cannot crawl fast on ground, it becomes easy target for the prowlers. Not only is this creature killed and eaten (greatly in demand for curing chronic blood dysentery and internal laceration and ulcer) but its tough outer skin is used to make instruments like tabla. When my helping lady narrates these episodes in a matter of fact way, I try hard not to show my welled up eyes to her. We talk about peaceful coexistence of people of different cast, creed, and religion but what about peaceful coexistence between humans and other living creatures?? Wish the villagers can see the eyes of those killed before they are mayhemed...if only they look closely enough.. I am sure their hearts will cry too..to see those pleading eyes...
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