Deformed vegetables and discoloured grains are often discarded from a meal. When the discarded is thrown away in the backyard, they grow back into healthy plants and give back new vegetables and grains that everyone accepts happily.
It’s common in our society to treat humans in a similar way. I met a person who did not wish to reveal his identity. He laid next to a wall besides a tea stall. That place was his home. He was alone and handicapped. Crutches were used mostly for necessary mobility. It seemed that reaching out to beg money wasn’t necessary. He stayed in one place and the passerby threw money or food at him, with which he fed himself and his dog.
The small female street dog was a discarded mongrel with short dark fur. It was a weak and helpless creature that struggled to gather food by itself as It had not yet learnt how to beg. It could perish easily without anyone noticing.
The man had little belonging and not much food. Discarded clothes on body, plastic sack to lay on, a blanket, a vessel from which he drank and ate, one sandal and crutches. Since he contributed in puppy’s upbringing, everyone around him accepted his unclaimed ownership of the dog. He called the puppy “Chhoti” which meant “Small” in his language.
On my subsequent visit to the place after 3 years, it was a positive experience for me to meet “Chhoti” who had grown into a capable and agile creature. She was active and alert. She still hangs around that corner where the man had nurtured her. The man had passed away.
The photo below was found in my computer’s bin. I had discarded it a long time ago, due to poor image quality.
