The Rishi and the cow

During January 1989 in the mission compound of Chuknagar ⁵⁷ a cow fell seriously ill. The missionary decided to call the veterinary surgeon who diagnosed that the animal had eaten something contaminated by a dog or jackal with rabies and that eventually it would die. The vet advised the missionary not to kill the animal so as to avoid spreading the infected blood. The cow was thus tied to a tree and left to die. Even before the animal died, the Rishi approached the missionary trying to convince him of the benefits to be gained from the cow’s meat and skin. It was not improper, according to them, to eat the meat of this animal since the cause of death was known; the authority of the neighbouring Muslims was quoted as a sign of their good faith, but the missionary would not accept their plea and insisted that the animal be buried. When the mission gardener started digging a hole in the field, many Rishi gathered around; there was a greater crowd than for the burial of any elderly person or child who had died in the Rishi para. Once the cow was placed in the hole, a young man taking off his cadar ⁵⁸ covered the cow. The missionary reacted to this, and picking up the cadar told the young man that if he did not need it, there was certainly some old person in the para who would be able to make good use of it during the winter months. The young man’s mother picked up the cadar without saying a word. All the others present kept silent and even though they did not dare to contradict the missionary, they agreed with the young man’s actions. Meanwhile a child came along with some incense sticks to be used for the funerary ritual, but he too was discouraged by the missionary.