A Crow Assembly

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Let us go, now, to the unofficial gathering of the crows in the thicket in the compound of Internationally famous ‘Indian Institute of Management (IIM)’ at Ahmedabad (India). These are the home trees of the crows participating in the post discussion on the episode of a fable ‘A smart crow’. It is said that the environment is the best natural teacher for the learner. Here is the environment of the Management Studies where the crows dwell. The crows have acquired a very good knowledge from the discussions of the students sitting under the trees. Their (crows’) conversation is as follows:

“Today, I heard an interesting story of a fore-father of ours narrated by a human mother to her kid while I was sitting in the Nimb tree there. How clever that our fore-father was! How smartly he drank water from the pitcher!” said a crow.

“No doubt, it was a wonderful work. But, he could have tried by some other way rather than that of a laborious job.” the other crow replied.

“What sort of other way, my child?” said an old crow.

“He would have made a hole on the sidewall of the pitcher by poking with his beak!”

“No, No way! It is a foolish idea. We have no right to damage the property of others. Moreover, there would have been the wastage of plenty of water contrary to the use of very little water for a single thirsty bird.” said the old crow.

“Damage of property! What a foolish talk! Don’t we see the students doing so when they are on strike damaging the national property in ways of burning buses, rooting out rail tracks etc.?’

The old crow said, “What they people do is not our look out. But, I honestly believe that such destructive activity is against the ethics of our community of Crows. The earthen pot might be belonged to perhaps a very poor man and why,just for some drops of water, should we do such a major damage? Remember that the Gentle-crows never behave so.”

“Will you, please, throw light what we should do in such situation?” asked a very young crow with curiosity.

“You should try to find out some other sources of water by flying here and there a little more before undertaking such laborious job. Presence of pitcher with water there is the great evidence that there must be the water somewhere nearby.” the old crow replied.

In between, a female crow entered the discussion after finishing her feeding of some grains to her young one and said, “Excuse me for my comment on our ancestors. But, should our honorable forefather not offer his discovered water to other crows to drink besides simply his own praise?”

A quite grown up young crow that was an outspoken bird and against feminism also fired the poor female crow angrily and said, “When the males are talking, you females should not interfere, understand?”

All the crows cried out loudly saying, “Shame, shame! You should not behave like this towards the females. After all they are also poor creature being, the half population of ours and therefore they have the equal right as we have in all fields of our life.”

A witty crow taunted the Indian Political Parties in these words, “We are not like those Politicians who are not prepared to allow even 33% Reservation in Parliament and State Legislative Assemblies to the women. Actually, they must have 50% Reservation instead of 33%.” All crows cawed out joyfully.

The old crow who was the Chief of his community in the IIM Campus shouted loudly in the style of a Speaker of Parliament, “Order, Order! Now let us come to the point raised on ‘offering of water to others’. My inner soul tells me that the fabulist or the narrator might have missed to point out this matter. It is also possible that during the course of uncountable centuries, the people would have dropped down this point. I don’t believe that our forefathers would have been so selfish like human being. To share the benefits of one’s own labor with others is the great motto of our crow community. Human capitalists snatch away the benefits from labor of others and they get rich and rich leaving thousands behind to live below poverty line(BPL). Any way, our today’s discussion has remained very interesting. We unanimously agree with the smartness of our forefather who has been a mentor for human kind also for centuries. The episode shows how one should utilize own intellect in adverse circumstances. It is the dusk now. Let us pay our homage to the Late our Forefather, the Hero of the fable ‘A smart crow’ by keeping silence for two minutes.”

And lastly, the old crow announced, “Our formal meeting is now adjourned. It is the time for our meditation. Good night to all.’

– Valibhai Musa