Milking A Cow Without Security Gears Is Really A Herculean Task Worth Emulation In Other Arenas!

India has been a country of villages since time immemorial. Farmers and foresters have occupied the land and forests respectively for their livelihood. 

Today I was watching an agricultural program on YouTube about dairy farming. This started my train of thoughts about husbandry.

Cattle are reared like family members in the backyard or nearby land. Cows, camels, goats, cows, buffaloes, and many more occupy a large domain in Indian social and economic life even today.

"Blessed are we that we have domesticated cattle. It could be otherwise too! That'd be Zombish!"

In my childhood, I too was very curious to know the nitty gritty of husbandry and agriculture as I belong to landowners' families from both sides of my parents.

I know very well about my company with my maternal grandfather who used to till his land with plough and bulls and later with tractors. I remember my childhood summer vacations and the joys I encountered with zest with all my cousins there and had a lot of fun and naughtiness.

I happened to encounter milking buffaloes and sowing crops in the course of time with some unknown fear and excitement. Though I'm not an acute and active farmer nowadays. Still I observe the latest technological interventions in this field apart from my own.

Since time has changed and modern ways of agriculture have reached the Indian soils. We too are now dependent on 21st century agricultural machinery in almost all aspects.

This summer I was compelled by the prevalent circumstances to milk a cow in my ancestors' village for more than a week. I learnt a lot of husbandry business and inherent requirements. Though I am not going to change my profession. I like my more civilized herdes metaphorically that will benefit the future generations when they are out of schooling. 

For the first time in my life, I have milked a cow without any security gears or any specter of violence. Cows are considered more ferocious than buffaloes or goats in the milking process. I felt it like a blessing to sit unafraid under a cow and fear no frequent haunt of rear leg kicks.

Whenever I sat to take her teats to squeeze milk, a terror came to scare me. The cow could kick my bucket or hit me with her head or move to and fro. Fortunately this was my fancy. Nothing as such happened. However, milking cows is not an easy task compared to slurping it.

The cow which is now familiar to me knows very well that I'm not a typical and traditional husbandaryman. She also understands my pitiful predicament and my civilized scoldings. So she stands quite quietly and lets me milk her. She only licks her nearby tied calf intently during the milking process.

In the beginning, I too was very frightened of going near her. But later I gave her sweets, fruits, water, and fodder myself and her calf is very cute and naughty. It never misses a chance to let me go without licking my hands profusely. It tickles me a lot and I don't stop laughing and scolding it.

There's been a very deep bond with animals in human history. As we have been dependent on them for thousands of years for our survival.

Kumar Mukesh

Blogger and Scholar

msguru123@gmail.com

kumarmukeshz.blogspot.com