November 28, 2007
I've been told that cows are considered sacred in India. They can also be seen nearly everywhere. And not just in the rural settings: cows wander the streets of most cities, even some of the largest. They lumber onto sidewalks, into markets, partly up steps, into the gutters, and anywhere else they want. They lounge on the streets, eat trash from the sewers, and even when they're not around, leave impolite evidence of their domain. Rarely, have I seen roaming cows hit, whipped, or pushed, like other animals, and only then because they were eating fruit from a vendor's stand or about to cause massive property damage, like one I saw about to walk into a glass fronted store. Mostly, they are just ignored. Cows are symbol of prosperity. So usually, without the usual honking, traffic just veers around them. Hoofing through the streets in India, I have started to feel like a cow.
I don't feel precisely sacred here, but something near to it. I can't help but stand out as different. I'm often made to feel important, like in a supermarket when I, as a Western, don't need to check my backpack with security. Or, when security guards or service people dote on me, ignoring Indian tourists, in the expectation of a big tip. In the streets, I lumber, not with a hump of fat behind my neck, but a backpack hump. Traffic doesn't honk as frequently at tourists and, while I don't eat garbage exactly, I do occasionally eat the junk food aimed at tourists. Most disturbingly, I'm made to feel prized or as a symbol of prosperity. To stop me on the street or be briefly acquainted with me has an inexplicable importance. Is it simply racism? Or, is it that tourists are expected to have money, and I'm like a pigeon to be plucked?
Or, maybe, I'm misinterpreting Indian friendliness and hospitality. Maybe, I'm being too cynical and shouldn't utter complaints. Not being honked at is pleasant, and I don't like to check my backpack with security at the supermarket. So, being like a cow isn't always such a bad thing. Maybe, I should fall into the role.
Moo.
