Rev Fr GL Khing
Human beings and animals have much in common, yet the little differences make the two very different from each other.
Some people love human beings, some love animals and birds while some enjoy the green woods. Our attraction to people or things differs from person to person. This is because of various reasons known to person alone. There is nothing wrong in loving animals, trees, plants and birds. More so, in loving human beings. However, we should not end up as radicals who are not able to fit their lives in any shoes. Do not love people or animals for headline sake. Some people end up in headline due to lack of head. Love all, hate none. Love every creation. But let your love be genuine. Sometimes, the animal is us and humanity in animals is quite contrasting. The more different you are, the more you move away from human self to animal self. The animal nature in us grows better than human nature. This is dangerous.
With the dawn of technologies, various changes have taken place. It ranges from thinking patterns to new ways of adaptation. We want to develop the standard of life without developing our hearts and minds. Many Nagas are caught in between the two. The recent news about the sale of dogs in Kohima and Dimapur gives a good insight regarding eating culture. There are arguments for and against the issue. Both parties are right in their own way. However, Nagas have different eating culture which must be respected. The context must be taken into account before judgement. Eating habits are subjective. You cannot force your habit into someone’s head. There are many Nagas who justify cooking Axone and Bastenga outside Nagaland. Are they right or wrong? All human beings have their values and ethics. A simple make up does not change your life. What makes up your life matters the most.
Cruelty to men or animals is not encouraged. Life in all forms must be respected, but not at the cost of human life. Dogs are one of the best companions of men. However, the way we politicize dog for our own advantage is going the wrong track. Take a simple example. A villager who sees dogs may have no regard for it till he comes to town. While with friends, they pretend to love dogs as though it were his/her first lover. Back in the village, he/she would kick or throw stones at dogs. It does not matter. However, in the town, circumstances forced individuals to live differently with more imitation. On the contrary, those in towns and cities try to behave differently when they go to their village after a year or two. They would even take the picture of cow dung lying on the road as though it were Egyptian pyramids. These fake differences are eating up the just behaviour of many people. Some people become only a show case, others become a sample, while some others are living a xeroxed life. Still more, some people play with the life of the innocents for they cannot bark at big issues involving big people of the society. The poor people are at the receiving end in most cases. The one who steals neighbours chicken is considered the worst criminal than those involved in multi-crore corruption. I am not justifying any of the acts, but the way we treat people unjustly is wrong. This is becoming a daily event. In the process of trying to put some things right, we land up in unjust action. This is wrong.
Animal activists may be vegetarian. But they too kill plants and vegetables to consume. In fact, they kill more life than non-vegetarians. We are all parasite in one way or other. We cannot survive with water and air alone. Cruelty is not only with dogs or other animals. They are done to plants, trees and birds. Let the cause for animals’ right be just, and not as an imitation. We should not civilize pet animals and end up becoming wild. Indeed, that would be funny. This is not to judge anyone, but to encourage this generation towards a just cause for a just society. Laws are good. However, if we implement all the international and national laws, we would all end up in prisons. The law of the land must be promoted contextually. Let us be more human (not animal) in our approach. Let humanity live in us.
