Mother’s Love: Lessons from the Wild

Newspapers are the carriers of information about the world. They are the means to be in touch with the happenings all around the globe. Not only do they merely report the incidents but also are harbingers of good times. But some news bring forward such atrocities that it makes us think about the diabolical paths we human beings can take. Whenever I read cases of female foeticide and rapes or the heinous ways people resort to, to kill these innocent young lives, I feel depressed and shaken to the core. All these cruelties explain the low sex ratio in India, especially in the states of Haryana, the Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and many remote areas of India. The seemingly developed cities with more number of ‘educated’ people are also no exception when it comes to rapes, molestation and female foeticides. Even after 66 years of independence such is the sorry state of women, who are killed in the wombs itself or are subjected to oppression by men, which takes us back to the macabre old times. While reading cases of female infanticide/ foeticide I always think about those unfortunate mothers who are compelled to kill the female lives growing within them. Newspapers only mention the hospitals, doctors and the devil-like fathers or families who are guilty of this inhuman deed. I pity the women who have to undergo these tragedies. The excruciating agony which they must be going through is beyond imagination. It is an ordeal no woman should ever suffer. It is said that the womb is a haven for a baby before it is born. But sadly, today the wombs carrying baby girls are highly endangered. Really, how worse can mankind get, if it kills its own daughters?

As a child, I read childhood stories of Lord Krishna and I loved the story of his birth in particular. When the evil Kansa was about to kill Devaki’s eighth child thinking it to be Krishna, the baby was a girl child and paying no heed to Devaki’s pleas planned to kill her too. But when he was about to kill the baby, she slipped from his hands and flew out of the tiny window. She was, in fact, Durga, who warned Kansa of his forthcoming destruction. I think all those people who want to kill their female children are just like the wicked Kansa. I pray for a miracle in today’s age when the female fetuses would transform into Durga and punish their murderers ruthlessly.

Being an ardent admirer of the Big Cats, I always look forward to watch their programmes. They are beautiful but ferocious creatures and their behaviours and intelligent hunting tactics amaze me every time. When they mercilessly kill deer, zebras, wildebeests and giraffes I find them nefarious. But then I have to remind myself of the harsh rule of nature. It is mostly the females who hunt and when they bring the carcass, it is the cubs who have the first bite of flesh.Tears dwell up in my eyes when I see the mothers of these timid herbivores standing helplessly to see their young ones killed by the Big Cats. Every animal, no matter if it is at the apex or at the nadir of the food chain, tries its best to protect its young ones from the predators.

I especially remember watching this lamentable but brave act of Motherhood in the unforgiving conditions of Africa. An African Buffalo had newly given birth to a calf. Buffaloes always stay in a herd. Wandering alone can be fatal, as they can be easy targets of lions, cheetahs or leopards. So when the weather gets hot, they move in a herd in search of water. The few hours old buffalo calf was trying to stand and walk. The herd was going to move soon from that lion dominated territory in quest of water. Mother buffalo was in a dilemma- the calf was taking a long time to stand on its feet and the time to leave the territory was soon approaching. It was necessary to follow the herd, lest she or her calf would be an easy prey. Finally she had to take a difficult decision. She decided to desert her calf and go ahead with the herd, leaving the calf to its fate. As she went a few steps ahead, she had a change of heart. She went back to the calf, who was standing with a hope that its mother would return. Even the herd waited for the buffalo to return with her calf. I was touched by the herd’s sympathetic behavior and happy about the mother-calf reunion. But God had other plans. He didn’t let their happiness last for long. The calf was being ambushed by the blood thirsty lionesses. When the mother buffalo sensed that her calf was in danger, she fought valiantly with the lionesses to keep them away from her child. Unfortunately, the victors in this war were the lionesses and were successful in killing the mother buffalo. The calf had to see its mother being lacerated and eaten by lions. The desolate expressions of the calf which were captured by the camera brought tears to my eyes. The narrator’s line, “The calf is an orphan again” left me completely shattered. I loathed lions at that moment.

This incident taught me once again what all mothers can do to protect their children. Similar incidents like a lioness keeping her cubs in the tall grasses to protect them from an intruder lion, leopardess looking after a baby monkey when she realizes that she inadvertently killed its mother, mother cheetah bringing prey for her cubs despite torrential rains, a tigress patiently carrying each of her cubs safely to a nearby cave etc., teach me how valuable a mother is. We so-called most intelligent animals, ‘HUMAN BEINGS’ in fact can act so inhumanly when it comes to daughters. There is so much to learn from these mute yet wise and sensible creatures.

When I read cases of women committing suicide because they are unhappy, frustrated and tired of their professional lives and also are mothers of 3 or 4 year olds, I visualize their children to be just like that poor calf. The only difference is that of selflessness of animals and selfishness of humans. Don’t these women think about their children at all, before taking such a drastic step? Do their professional or personal problems outweigh their children’s future? Such extremist women should think of all those orphans who could never feel a mother’s warmth and love.

Sometimes I get angry with my mother over trivial reasons or when there is difference of opinion. Later when I calm myself down, I think of everything my mother has done for me and is still doing, the sacrifices she has made and continues to make for the sake of my well-being and happiness. I just do not love her for she fulfills my every wish, but also for the moral support she gives me when I feel dejected. Her calm demeanour and pleasant smile have a soothing effect on my problems and worries. She is the reason for my being, laughter and happiness. She is my best friend who can understand me very well. Words are insufficient to express gratitude to my mother.

Mothers are incarnations of God who love us no matter how many times we err but still forgive and accept us inspite of our shortcomings. Her love knows no boundary. As children we should, at all times of our lives remember the pains taken by our mothers to bring us into this world and moulding us to be the persons we are today.