An Animal Doctor in the family of Maha- Pandit Ved-Acharya

In the great Indian culture killing and meat eating had been considered impure and unethical. Peace-loving (as we claim to be) chauvinist Hindus even get upset and angry on anthropological explanation of any reference to meat eating in ancient literature. And there had been a popular political campaign to ban the cow-slaughter in India. In fact the Indian Constitution specifically forbids cow-killings even though it is not enforced in the country. Generally speaking majority of Hindus are vegetarian and now purely on health grounds the vegetarianism is the in-thing in the western countries specially in the US., the U.K. and European Union.

Historically speaking, study of animal world is a modern science and like all other sciences it is a contribution of the west to India. The most popular cultural oft repeated saying is “ahimsa parmo dharmah” or the non-violence is the highest goodness (dharma)”. Notwithstanding of 85 percent Indians ( Hindus) who swear in favour of cows and refrain from animal killings, this almost religious and cultural belief that the violence is bad, the citizens show no respect for animal life. There exist no book on study of animals, on their anatomy, and least on their illness. In fact, no ancient study of animal life is available in the Hindu civilization. Exceptionally there is some care shown but only about cows and elephants because of their commercial value, and for this reason their ritualistic importance mentioned in ancient writings. Nevertheless, in the entire length and breath of the sub-continent, animal sacrifice was/is commonly practiced in the Hindu temples.

Even today, if not cows but goats, buffalos, chicken and pigs are slaughtered in offerings before the named and unnamed gods and goddesses. Without raising any objections to such unethical and irreligious evil practices, the Hindu chauvinists frequently make a political demand to ban the cow slaughter in India. But the country had the highest number of cattles with low production of the milk in the world. Little efforts are made by the multi-million tax free funds collected by the rich religious centers in the country. No veterinary institution is established by Hindu religious establishments. There are few orphanages for sick and destitute cows run by Hindu priests or gurus in pilgrims places, like Hardware, Retakes and Matura. But these are only to collect monthly stipends from the devotees who deposit their sick and useless mostly male calf at these “go-shoals” (Cow-shelters). But neither the care nor proper food is provided to the poor animals at these Temple of Mercies for the Mother Cows. In fact, there is widespread cultural disregards – if not hatred for the dumb and mostly stray animals – cows, dogs, cats, etc. In every town and city you can see them wounded and sick, lame and hungry, and yet struggling to survive in a otherwise spiritual land of the non-violent, pious, animal worshiping, highly cultured and kind Indian people.

My father – a great Vedic scholar had taught his young wife ancient philosophy, linguistics, and Sanskrit literature. Both campaigned for women’s education and equal rights in early 20th century. Together they practiced spoken Sanskrit, developed spoken lingua and made Sanskrit our mother tongue. Ours was the only family in north India to my knowledge where we kids spoke in Sanskrit. And as expected the family was strictly vegetarian, practicing non-killing of animals. We were taught the principle of ahimsa – non-violence and non-killing that was based on the validity of the karmic principle of re-birth. If we hurt or killed animals in this life, in next birth we shall have to pay in kind. The argument appeared reasonably based on sound philosophical principle. “As you sow, so shall you reap.”

Having lived in the US for long years when we returned to India my eldest son Ajay was 11. He saw a lame and hungry cow struggling to get to the side of the road as if begging for food from some one. Crying he ran towards the gate shouting: “why the damn Indians don’t take care of the poor animals?”

“They don’t take care of poor people, what to say of animals. When you grow up you should do something for the animals.” I said to my angry son.

Ajay, 18, having passed his 12th, asked to take up Veterinary science as his major. But there was no Veterinary college around the capital city New Delhi. He joined Hisar Agricultural University. But a top government secretary wondered why was I allowing my Brahmin son to go for veterinary studies. Much worse was the opposition at home from the great Vedic scholar – Ajay’s grandfather. He scolded Nirmala, accusing her that being born and educated in England, it must be her corruptive influence that had misled his son who was allowing his (my father’s) grandson to become an animal doctor. My father argued:
“That is a dirty profession, and not a respectable one. Moreover, a professor’s son would take up animal’s medicine – never heard such calamity…He will bring shame to the great name of the family. How would we eat with him in the house? he would smell, and carry animal’s dirt…”

My son tried to explain to his grandpa that the animal science is now a respectable academic science. He also referred to the Hindu doctrine of love for all living creatures and pleaded that the veterinary is a noble profession that helps relieve pain and suffering of the dumb animals who cannot speak and tell where the pain is. Diagnostics had advanced and we can know the suffering of the dumb animals. That would be the greatest merit (punyam). But the conflict remained irreconcilable – evidently the generation gap was too wide to bridge. Nirmala maintained diplomatic neutrality. She would say to her father-in-law: “yes, Pitaji, you have a point and you advised for Ajay’s good. But the young people don’t listen to us.”

And the wise mother would shower greater affection on her son and say: “Darling Aj: you are big enough to decide and take up the course you want - that makes you happy. I am proud of you. ”
Ajay joined the veterinary course.

But the grand old man excommunicated him. Under the Nirmala’s rule the family ate together presided over by the grandfather. Pitaji 85, had lost his sight but intellectually alert before eating he would recite the mantram. To make sure that everyone was seated, he would call the names of the each family member one by one: Nirmala, Abhay, Sanjay.. but shall not announce the name of the young animal doctor Ajay. No argument would convince him that no sin was committed by his grandson in propagating the new area of animal science in the country.

The old pandit remained angry and unhappy that all his efforts of enforcing ancient value system had failed against the western scientific onslaught. More so by his own son in whom he had instilled the Vedic culture, and all good things of the ancient culture in the classical tongue Sanskrit. I realized now what forces the conservatives to commit “honour killing”. But the times had changed and we did not allow the past to rule the future. Ajay became a highly qualified veterinarian.