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Because its like a forest

by Priyaa Trippayar Sahasranaman
(Bangalore, Karnataka, India)

The grass that grew on the land before the lion’s den was bright and green yet not one of the meek beings dared to trespass the region that belonged to the king of the forest. The growl of the lion from within the lair shook the entrails of the sturdiest herbivore. To them, He(the lion) was not just the predator, but the protector of the territory which He reigned. He hunted down only what he needed to satiate his hunger and forest respected him for that.


Time rolled by without a change until the day a hungry jackal passed by the green grassland in front of the lair as the lion had thrown out a piece of bone and it had a little flesh on it. The lion growled, and the jackal entered His lair. The lion was furious. As he roared aloud commanding the jackal to leave the territory, the jackal told the lion that he had come there to give an idea for the lion’s betterment.

The lion cooled down and the jackal told him that he could forge an agreement between the lion and the mild animals of the forest. As per his idea, if the lion allowed them the graze on the land in front of his lair, he would ask the lambs to offer the lion one animal per week and in that way, the lion would not have to hunt for his feed.

At first the lion disagreed. He believed that the forest is in order because the meek animals feared him and that He had to use his might to get his needs fulfilled, yet, the jackal uses his convincing power and makes ‘Him’ believe that His might should earn Him his prey without any effort.

The jackal then went to the gathering of wild animals. He convinced them that every day if they could sacrifice one of their kind to the lion, they would be allowed to graze the land in front of the lion’s lair and also they wouldn’t have to run about and save themselves in fear of the lion every morning. The timid animals were weak and wanted an easy life, they nodded.

The next day onwards, one of the meek animals were sacrificed to the lion every day, and the lion never left his lair. The jackal got to eat a massive amount of leftovers of the lion’s share each day. The timid animals grazed over the land outside the lion’s den. The lion grew fatter, weaker and immobile. So did the timid animals. The lions of the neighboring forests mocked at the lion, yet he had no might to fight them anymore, the jackal was the actual king who the lion listened to. The grass in front of the lion’s lair was no longer left.

As time rolled, the lion died yet no timid animal knew about it. The jackal’s share increased. He brought a few more of his family to settle in the lion’s lair, hidden, and they savored the might of the lion’s as the rest of the beings of the forest had no strength to stand up and fight, nor did they have the time. They were too busy with their own lives, even though they were the ones affected.

Predators from other forests planned to take over the forest meanwhile……..
If the timid animals were the citizens who believed that their sacrifice was for their betterment, the lion was the capable and sincere politician who was made immobile by the fear of the effects of standing up for the right and the jackal was the corrupt politician, who would you blame for the situation in the forest?

There is no use of blaming the jackal. The jackal wouldn’t be the latent ruler if the ignorant meek animals used their brain or if they were prepared to go on with life the hard way. The same was the case with the lion. He was ‘He’ no more, and his roar was no longer feared. What was the use of his might?

This is the case in India, the citizens lack awareness and hardly stand up for what is right. Police accept bribe, and the citizens do not balk at the idea of paying bribes as they are shuttled to and fro out of government offices. The ones who have power and capability on the top and tongue tied. The jackals reap the benefit for time being, while meanwhile the world looks down upon the nation as a whole. It’s time for all of us to stand up, rewrite all the wrong that has gone by and steer towards a better nation.

So please pay full taxes on time, wisely exercise your power to vote and do not pay or accept bribes.


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