(IN): An Ancient Bond

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*http://www.sentinelassam.com/sentinel_en/sunday/index.htm

 

An Ancient Bond

Rituparna Goswami Pande*

 

Bihu is in the air! The mellifluous voice of the Kuli heralds Rongali bihu,

the kopou flower-laden trees are sights only seen during the season of

Bohaag, which also signifies the advent of the Asomiya New Year. The change

in season and in nature is amply evident in the transformation of things.

For Bihu is synonymous with the spring season — the season of changes on

earth. Usually the weather switches over to a warmer note after a long spell

of winter months. The earth swells with a treasure trove of different plants

and flowers that spring forth accompanied by heavy showers drenching the

earth with new hope and washing away dirt and grime.

Yes, nature plays an intrinsic role in our lives. Spring time is festival

time for us. Tagar and Kopou flowers bloom and the air reverberate with the

honeyed melodies of songbirds like Kuli and Keteki. Song and dance is an

inherent part of Rongali Bihu and symbolizes the fertility rites of the

original inhabitants of the hilly regions of this part of the country.

Farmers believed that the sensuality in the content of the Bihu songs would

arouse the earth’s body resulting in a better harvest.

Similarly animals are an inherent part of our Bihu celebration. Therefore,

the first day of the Bihu is known as ‘Goru Bihu’ which falls on the day of

Sankrant. Bathing the cattle in a community pond is one of the most

important Bihu rituals. It is a lesson well learnt from our forefathers who

lived in harmony with the animals they domesticated.

Bohaag Bihu is celebrated over a period of several days in the month of

April, which always coincides, with the dates of Sankranti, Chait or Baisak

(13, 14 and 15 April). On this day the cows and bulls are given a ritual

bath with halodhi, maah with the accompanying song Lao Kha, Bengena Kha,

Bochore Bochore Badhi Ja, a ritual that strengthens the bonds of man with

his four-legged counterparts. However, this is a dying trend in the cities

where urbanization has created a chasm in the man animal relationship. Cows

are important assets for farmers and serve multiple of services to him

therefore a whole day is devoted to cows also a sacred animal all over

India. The next day is the is called Manuhor Bihu on which people greet each

other and pay their respects to the elders in the family by presenting new

‘Gamosas’ as the Asomiyas celebrate their new year on this day. Gabhoru Bihu

is the third day of the festival and is totally devoted to young ladies, who

dressed in their traditional muga mekhela chadors, dance under the banyan

trees. The last day also sees the Asomiyas bow in prayer to lord Shiva

seeking his blessings for the forthcoming year.

A few animal rights activists under the banner of People For Animals (PFA)

and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) have called for an

end to organizing fights involving bulbuls, cocks and buffalos across Asom

centering around Bhogali Bihu, the harvest festival of the State. Even the

law says buffalo and bulbul fights are illegal under Section 11(1)(m)(ii)

and Section 11(1)(n) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. The

state PFA chapter was also contemplating submission of a public interest

litigation (PIL) in the High Court against people who organize such fights

for animals and birds in the name of upholding tradition.

Animals have shared our lives from times immemorial, which is evident by the

fact that our ancestors paid obeisance to them on important days. We are

following the tradition started by our forefathers but have we ever added to

those traditions? Sadly, no. We simply lisp them without realizing the

essence of them. Unlike our forefathers we are leaving a legacy of cruelty

and destruction for our coming generations.

We have taught our future generations to extract maximum benefit from nature

without giving anything in return. We have left lessons of cruelty towards

animals by our insensitive handling of the four legged. We do not know the

importance of love and compassion towards them but simply carry out rituals

for the sake of tradition. Our four-legged counterparts with whom we share

this earth need our love. Incidents of poachers brutally mutilating rhinos

to possess their horns, elephants brutalized for their tusks, tigers skinned

alive so that we can quench our vanity are sins that we have committed

displaying our animal behaviour. We bathe them in Bihu but the very next day

we tend to kick and treat them badly. Our ancestors understood the value of

four-pawed creatures, therefore they were left alone to lead their separate

lives but sadly we have only learnt to exploit them for our own benefits.

Let this Rongali Bihu be “Rongali” for both animals and us social animals.

Let us renew the bonds of interdependence and this time let it be for

keeps.

 

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