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[b]Ram bhakt Hanuman incarnate: Langoor hurt by tribals dies hugging idols

pioneer.com

Sutapa Mukkerjee | Moirapara



Tears rolled down the cheeks of the dying langoor as it dragged itself from one deity to the next, taking turns to hug each one of them. Its mates sat helpless atop trees and rooftops as they watched him die.



No one heard the animal pray, but its mates seemed to know that it sought justice — for the rest of its clan, said a casual observer. The killings were on a rise and every other day an animal died.



And as the animal, all of five years of age, lay in front of the stone idols at a nondescript temple in Baskur Moirapura village, 30 kilometres from Kolkata, it drew people belonging to all age groups and communities who arrived in large numbers to witness its unusual behaviour. Dedicated to Mansa Devi, the Hindu snake goddess, the temple has idols of Sita and Rama on either side of the sanctum sanctorum.



The langoor had been shot down with an arrow by a local tribal around 11 on Monday morning. Tribals, who thrive by hunting in the wild cover adjoining the village that is frequented by porcupines, fox, fishing cat, hare, squirrels and langoors, had injured two of the animals. One was lucky and escaped to an adjoining garden. The villagers fed it biscuits and bread. It was fine in an hour's time.



The other animal headed to the local temple. When it was spotted, the arrow was no longer on its body. No one knows who removed it, but the cut was deep and it was bleeding profusely.



Soon, locals crowded around, trying to help. "As I was on my way to work, I saw a troop of langoors walking near the temple. I heard one of them was dying and I rushed back," said Samit Das, a goldsmith.



Like Samit, most villagers here save the 30-odd tribals who practise hunting are animal-friendly. They claim they do not even hurt a snake unless it bites them. They claim that local wildlife has been hit by the tribals' presence. The villagers lament that the tribals for 30 years now have been killing any animal that comes their way for food.



"The animals flourished in large numbers here till the tribals reached and settled in our village. We often explain to them that it is unfair to kill the wild animals for food. At that juncture they seem to understand but soon they get back to their hunting," Das said.



Villagers recount how desperately they wanted to hold the injured animal and to feed it ‘but it refused all ministrations.’ Eyewitnesses claim the bleeding animal hugged all three idols in the temple. As a local teacher commented, ‘Why else did he have to die at the feet of Lord Ram?’



Only one man from the crowd, Bharat Ghosh, managed to pour some water on the bleeding langoor. A day later the locals here believe that Bharat must have been the blessed one, 'why else would the Hanuman allow him to pour water on his head?'



For over three hours, people thronged the temple. Some even dipped their fingertips in the blood and anointed their foreheads with it. However, some say that the gathering was due to humanitarian reasons.



Akhtar Ali Khan, a trolley driver from the village, said, "How does religion come into play when a dying animal is breathing its last? Many from my community came here and prayed for the poor creature."[/b]



As the news spread, senior panchayat member Provash Ghosh informed the Forest Department and it removed the animal. According to the villagers, the langoor struggled for life for around three hours before succumbing to its injuries.



The temple has now gained renown after being almost abandoned for the past one month since its owner passed away. A medical practitioner, Dr Ashok Pal, had built it about six decades ago. Initially, it was more of a family prayerhouse, it was later opened to locals. In mid-April (Baisakh) every year, a fair is organised here and on full moon days, devotees gather in the open courtyard for bhajans.



"Here in India," as Swami Vivekananda stated, "religion is the one and only occupation of life," and the spirit of Moirapara since Monday reflects the same