Wednesday, December 26, 2001
A call to alms
At a food stall of a Railway Station in Mumbai: An office-goer is busy eating his lunch: a vada-pav. He spots a stray dog at his feet, wagging its tail and eyeing his lunch expectantly. He promptly buys a couple of pavs and feeds the dog. Moments later, a beggar, who looks like he hasn't eaten for days, walks up to the office-goer. One disdainful look, and he summarily shoos him away.
Why is it that we are kinder to animals than our fellow human beings?
I wouldn't give the time of day, leave alone a few paise, to a beggar at a signal. But I wouldn't think twice about feeding a stray dog.
Is it that something about such a human condition stirs our revulsion more than our genorosity? Do we, subconsciously, blame human beings for the condition they find themselves in, and reason that an animal couldn't have known better?
At a food stall of a Railway Station in Mumbai: An office-goer is busy eating his lunch: a vada-pav. He spots a stray dog at his feet, wagging its tail and eyeing his lunch expectantly. He promptly buys a couple of pavs and feeds the dog. Moments later, a beggar, who looks like he hasn't eaten for days, walks up to the office-goer. One disdainful look, and he summarily shoos him away.
Why is it that we are kinder to animals than our fellow human beings?
I wouldn't give the time of day, leave alone a few paise, to a beggar at a signal. But I wouldn't think twice about feeding a stray dog.
Is it that something about such a human condition stirs our revulsion more than our genorosity? Do we, subconsciously, blame human beings for the condition they find themselves in, and reason that an animal couldn't have known better?
# posted by Ashok @ 9:55 PM 
