Even a donkey has its day here in Karnataka
In Aurad taluk of Karnataka, a farmer is as rich as the number of donkeys he owns.
How do you assess the worth of a farmer? In terms of
his land, his produce or the number of labourers he employs? At Aurad
taluk in Bidar district, a farmer is as rich as the number of donkeys he
owns.
In this backward taluk, with undulating land
and many villages atop hillocks, donkeys are used to transport seeds,
fertilizers, grains and vegetables. A lot of villages or hamlets
(tandas) here still do not have access roads.
A
visit to the Aurad countryside reveals how donkeys are part of the
household. For instance, the Koragar family in Koundagaon village has 14
donkeys. They are all tied to a rope that is wound round their ankles
and not through loops around their necks. “They are not dogs to be put
on leash, are they?” says Saibavva, matriarch of the family. Her husband
died 20 years ago and she has raised two sons and two daughters, thanks
to these donkeys. “Donkeys are like our children,” she says.
Interestingly,
one can see many white donkeys in these villages and they are five
times costlier than the dark ones. “We use both of them for the same
purpose though,” she explains. While the white ones cost Rs. 50,000 to
Rs. 70,000 each, the greyish beasts can be bought for Rs. 12,000 to Rs.
20,000 per head.
The local police say that at least
one donkey theft case is registered every month. “It is difficult to
crack such cases as all donkeys look the same,” says a senior police
officer. “We face a lot of pressure from the public or leaders when 10
of 20 donkeys are stolen from a single home,” he says. This is why the
police have been urging donkey owners to keep at least one dog per
flock, the officer says.
No comments:
Post a Comment