I have got used to the propagation of a recent ideology in India of 'one language, one election, one civil code, one ration card, one entrance test, one uniform, one educational policy, etc.' in an attempt to make this country uniform. So much division and hostility was created by this, that I had a difficult season to adjust to this imposition of a partisan approach of a political party.
I grew up in a society where 'unity in diversity' was the slogan of politicians, religious leaders, social workers and social activists. That kept the national mood vibrant and cohesive.
Now there is so much of attack on freedom to live with diversity that a worst form of that was witnessed in the state of Manipur, where violence due to religious polarisation caused street fights between communities with loss of human lives and destruction of private homes and public institutions owned by a particular community. The national media reported about it in a subdued manner. But the footage of fire consuming villages and everything in it, now brought to light, by those who visited the place is too frightening to watch.
Anna and I have talked about it and agonised over the casualness, with which national leaders of the ruling party approached the matter and trivialised this devastation, suggesting it to be only a recurring ethnic conflict between those who live in two regions in that state.
It was this overwhelming feeling of loss that prevailed in my mind for a while now.
I was on my regular walk while it was misty and early for the twilight of the morning to be felt. I noticed two ducks approaching a coconut palm, which is below our property, which was dry for a while.
What I watched was that two ducks occupied a gaping hole at the top end of the palm and converted it to be a nest with twigs inside. I would have missed it to be a nest, but for seeing one of them entering into that hollow, while the other duck stayed at the tip of the trunk of the palm. The other duck which was not visible in the hole from a distance, made an appearance with its neck jetting out of its nest.
After a few minutes they flew away one after the other. It was while waiting to see if they would return, I had another spectacular sight of one parakeet flying in to inspect the gaping hole on the top, likely to be on a search to make a nest.
Soon one more joined and the pair abandoned the idea to force occupy the hole, which was packed with twigs, and decided to move to a lower portion in the trunk, to look for a place for making a nest. One of them inspected one hole. The other moved down further and found a larger hole and began chipping its margin to make it wider.
From then on, both the Parakeets were together chipping the hole to make it large enough to make it into a nest. Parakeets have a habit of making their bills stronger by chipping on the bark of a tree. Whether it was one such exercise or a preparation for making it their nest would only be known in the coming few days.
I liked the way the two parakeets were working together with in between pauses to have conversations and rest. To be perched precariously holding on to the trunk and working away to make a nest was a laborious process. They seemed to do it effortlessly!
When both of them left after forty five minutes of intense labour, I wondered what would happen to this exercise. Will it be a nest after all!
I went out to inspect three times since then to see if the parakeets have returned. May be they would, later in the evening!
The message the two Parakeets left with me was that one tree can have a few nests. There is no enforcement that the tree is only for one nest.
That is freedom of co-existence, sharing common resources, although the birds belong two different species- the ducks are water birds and parakeets are tree birds! There is acceptance and comfort!
We as humans are created to share our heritage and live accepting the different backgrounds we represent of religion, social status, ethnicity, culture, traditions, etc.
Together we in India form a union of different states, held together by our commitment to freedom, democracy and plurality, the core values enshrined in the constitution of the Republic of India.
The avians practice togetherness, humans still have a journey to move in this direction. Shortly it would be the second year since the Russian-Ukranian territorial conflict started, with no sign of respite. It is intolerance and obstinate view of one's identity superior to that of the others which pushes humans to live confrontationally.
If the both the Ducks and the Parakeets finally have their nests in one coconut tree, then it is a loud message of how are meant to be to each other!
M.C.Mathew( text and photo)
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