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| (illustration by Chaitali) |
Snakes perhaps are among the most vilified animals in
the world. Spiders are crawly while lizards are creepy though, except for a few
species, none of them inspire terror like snakes. So much so that they have
even snaked (pun intended) their way into human language in the form of such negative
idioms like ‘snake in the grass’ or ‘forked tongue’. Recently a Bengali
Bollywood and Tollywood star set off a furore when he threatened to strike his
opponents like a cobra.
Among the few writers who have treated these reptiles
with sympathy and understanding is P.G. Wodehouse who has not only included a
benign snake named Peter among characters included in his 1921 novel
‘Indiscretions of Archie’ but has endowed him (indeed PG identifies its gender
too) with emotions that are almost human. Though I may personally hesitate to
go such lengths, from experience I would not hesitate for a second in endorsing
his implied message that at bottom every snake is a good- hearted gentleman,
despite the fact that its heart has only three chambers.
To relate how I arrived at this conclusion I will have
to go back half-a-century in time to Dehra Dun, the place where I grew up and
attended school. My father, a government doctor, had been allotted a residence that
was not only rather big but also had extensive gardens on two sides. Just next
to the compound of the house was a fair-sized orchard of lichee, mango and
jackfruit trees where incidentally I picked up most of my sporting skills. Many
people would sound a caution to me against moving about so freely in that
orchard, some even going to the extent of telling me to beware of a dangerous
‘monster’ that lived there.
Being young and optimistic, I naturally viewed these
warnings sceptically imagining that they cynically wanted to prevent me from
enjoying myself. But after many years of running around in that orchard I had
an encounter with the ‘monster’ in person. The warnings had not been without
foundation. Let me assure you that it was not a terrifying experience though it
was definitely a startling one – both for me and the ‘monster’. The encounter
revealed to me an unknown but very attractive side of the much-suspected wilds
which inspire in most of us that feeling known as ‘unnamed fear’, usually
associated with disembodied spirits.
The ’monster’ in question was a rather large and black
king cobra. My mother had passed away and I was attending university in Delhi.
As a result, there was no one to frequent the garden around our house – for the
sun in the winters and the gentle breeze in the evenings. Taking advantage of
the absence of the “human nuisance” the cobra would come to the concrete walk
next to the veranda to sun himself (or herself, it’s difficult to tell). But it
made off as soon as it heard my steps on the veranda. In a jiffy it had crossed
the 20 feet or so of the garden and disappeared into the undergrowth of the
orchard. A second time I only some days later I only heard the rasping noise as
the snake hurried off, this time in another direction along the concrete walk.
For
me it was a revelation. Hitherto I had regarded snakes as unpleasant and at
times frightening animals. The hiss of an angry snake can be quite ferocious
and unnerving. But the one that I encountered had been living in close
proximity to us and we had never come to know. We went about our business and
it went about its business. Though we made no special efforts to keep out of
its way, the king cobra certainly went out of the way to keep out of the way!!
Since then, my conviction has grown that animals are by and large harmless and it
us humans who are guilty of spreading the greatest harm by wantonly killing all
kinds of animals and insects without any provocation. Besides, our existence is
vitally depended on the birds, animals, plants and trees around us. Without
them we as a species are doomed.
