I happened to notice a pair of Bulbul in the pepper creeper, looking for ripe berries from the plant. Their search seemed to lead them to raw berries. The frequent bird calls by both of them bought more Bulbuls to the plant.
What happened after that, was what surprised me. One of them found the ripe berries and plucked one. Seeing this, the other Bulbuls also turned to the ones that looked ripe. Each of them had enough to feed on. In fact, one stayed on even after all the others left after their sumptuous meal.
The individual effort versus the collective! It was a lesson and a message arising out of this activity!
Yesterday, following the visit of Mr Rahul Gandhi to the ethnically divided state of Manipur and being with the displaced people living in transit camps for over a year now, one press reported asked, 'what can come out of the effort of one person' to resolve the divide! To this, one of Mr Gandhi's colleagues said, 'we will work together to bring a respite'! The recently elected members of the Parliament from that state said, 'we shall labour for peace'!
I confess that what is more evident than the collective efforts is individual striving to acquire space to thrive and prosperous! The number of millionaires in India has gone up ten times in the recent ten years, whereas those hovering around the poverty line seem to stay where they are! The prosperity of the rich and the able and the disadvantage of those who are waylaid by adverse circumstances of life, is a an ugly reality we face in India!
A pharmacist who started his medical shop in our village forty years ago, ran the lone retail medical shop until ten years ago. Since then there are six other medical shops in our village. His income has dropped and he talked about it being non viable. At late sixties in age, what else can he do! While delivering some medicines to me he remembered my father going to buy medicines from him. His resources are limited to give a face lift to the appearance of the shop. Its old cupboards for display of medicines give the shop a dampening look. He sells some medicines below the market price although it reduces his profit because, he feels that most of his customers are from low income groups. He also keeps generic drugs of high quality that helps to regulate the price. He regretted that the association of pharmacists he belongs to, looks after the interests of large shops and firms. Small retail shops like that of his receives no attention to feel protected from the market forces.
Listening to his story of being alone in his struggle to run the shop brought the memory of the lone Bulbuls calling out for help to find ripe pepper berries. They received instant attention from other Bulbuls. Each of them had enough and more, with enough left over for other birds. who would come during the day.
The language of new entrepreneurs is 'success somehow'. That is the management slogan. They seem to carry the day!
I shall remember the behaviour of the Bulbuls as a social habit to promote. 'Grow up belonging to others and promote feeling for each other'! That call springs from the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth: 'Love your neighbour as yourself'!
M.C.Mathew(text and photo)
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