Cow, in the Middle of the Road

 

While going somewhere in my hometown, I came across an interesting scene which made me wonder. In the middle of the road, unfazed by the passing traffic, a cow had started feeding a calf. The cow was totally white while the calf was totally black; but it was possible that it was her own child. I was in awe with the cow’s courage, or her lack of bother for ‘external validation’ (if such a thing exists in animal world too), that it decided that the calf needed to be fed then and there because it was hungry.

At the same time, I felt disgusted at the owners of the cows who force them to wander on the streets and eat whatever they can scavenge, just to save some money. This happens only in the towns and cities and not in the villages where there is plenty of free natural fodder available.

There is a very popular idol of a cow feeding her calf which is considered sacred in Hinduism. Cows are associated with many gods in Hinduism, along with Shri Krishna who acted as a cowherd in childhood. But I never imagined I would come across the sacred cow feeding her calf in such a modern context: in the middle of the road.

May the cow and her calf enjoy a happy long life, always.

- Rahul