Where are the Donkeys?

...............by Sivapriya Krishnan


Everyday I go past Vivekananda College in Mylapore, Chennai, i get to see two little "creatures of burden" standing either on the opposite side of the college building or on the same foothpath alongside the compund wall of the college building. What are these creatures of burden ?
Two cute Donkeys !!

Standing quietly, tied to a pole these creatures of burden, stand aloof from the din and clutter of the road by their side. I am at once reminded of the poem by W.H.Davies, " what is this life , we have no time to stand and stare !"

A strange sense of envy and compassion pervades my soul as I watch these two cuties.

Envy because, they can stand and stare all the time. No rush , no sms, no email no cooking, no deadlines to be met.

Compassion , because, who cares anyway about these little creatures? Who takes a second look at these tough shoulders which holds the yoke of burden so uncomplainingly?

We talk of "Save the Tigers", " Save the Lions" "Save the Elephants". Does anybody talk about "Save the Donkeys" ?

In this age of electronica,all our motor skills have been motorised by mechanical-electronic devices and the need for manual efforts have been thrown out. Where does this little donkey which once, had a place in our lives go now?

Donkey - a word used as a negative metaphor for any and everything ugly, slow and dumb,was of use to mankind once upon a time and it is at least nice to see that some dhobi in Mylapore , heartland Chennai city still thinks so.He has preserved two of them as some sort of antique relic - a la museum piece.

Does anybody have any statistics on these endangered species like their "feline counterparts" back in the Corbett or Sunderbans jungle? or does anyone even care to think for a moment about these quiet little harmless quadrupeds?

When they were of use , they got beaten up left right and centre. Now space age has made them redundant and almost extinct !! No time to stand and stare at them !!!

Take a close look at these soft little harmless creatures of burden and all of us humans in these days of intolerance and impatience, can definitely learn a few lessons from the Donkeys. I teach my daughter lessons of tolerance and patience, by using the positive metaphor of the Donkey. After all its a matter of perspective and perception !!