A Lesson from Antarctica

A random surfing of channels made me to stop on one. It was not usual for me to hook up on a particular channel, but something made me to stay on it. It was a documentary called the “Planet Earth” which was showcasing about the penguins in the southern hemisphere. At first it sounded to be a normal documentary, but as it progressed along, it invoked a chain of thoughts about being a parent. Trust me, after seeing the documentary about the penguins, I was disturbed.

We are humans, the intelligent creation of God. But is this intelligence has made us so careless!!...this is what struck me after watching the documentary. Antarctica is a place where sunlight is available only for few months. This is the time when the penguins mate. At the end of the spring, when the sunlight starts dwindling on the horizon, the female penguin lays an egg at the shore and is fully exhausted by the mating process. As a bird, the female penguin is expected to incubate the egg and take care of it till the hatching. But here, something very weird happens. This is something which is contradictory to the life cycle of a bird. As soon as the female penguin lays the egg, the famished and exhausted female transfers the egg to the male penguin and leaves for the ocean. I was taken back. How come a mother can do this!!!... But this move of the female penguin has different purpose to fulfill. This process on the dwindling sunlight gives a light on being a parent.

After, the female has left for the ocean; the males form a group (rookery) and start moving towards the land. The temperature is 75° below 0. There are no winds in Antarctica but gust of snow and darkness. This is the testing time for the penguins. It was shocking and amazing to watch these birds making their way through the gust with the egg safely tucked warm under the belly and between their feet. It was a sight of sheer determination and an effort shown by each bird of the rookery. Facing the speeding winds and the hostile temperatures, they huddle together. But as it said, the salvation looms over the horizon, the sunlight again makes it presence felt and the testing time for the male and the female penguins are over. The young one, not knowing the hardships breaks out the shell and come out. At the same time, the female penguin, each with a unique call for her male comes searching. Their ordeal of months in ocean ends when they see the young ones and gets them under their care. The young ones and the males who are starved for months are then fed by the female, whose stomach is full with fish and squid.

Some chicks are not fortunate. Their mothers couldn’t stand the ordeal. They probably must have been hunted or gave up to the hostile conditions. But this doesn’t make the chick orphan. There is a fight between other females to adopt these chicks into their family. This where I felt ashamed of being a human for the first time. There are nearly 25 million orphans in India and millions across the world. Most of them rejected at birth, some being tested positive for HIV or any other disabilities, some of them: outcome of illicit relationships. There are very few of them, who have become orphans due to the natural causes (natural disasters, accidents). Whenever, I came across a news article of a new born being dumped in the garbage bins or left at the doors of the orphanage, it did not have an impact on me as it had yesterday after seeing this amazing life. Orphaning is not only the problem; adoption is also a big issue. If a penguin can fight with the other female penguin to nurse the orphan chick, then why we humans, fear and hesitate from adopting an orphan (I accept that it is not practical). Why do we see an orphan as a recluse and a social outcast? We do sometimes…ohhh…not sometimes, but always, forget that somewhere in this social circle we too are responsible for these innocent to remain orphans and to be treated as recluse. It is we who develop these double standards and affect the entire society. Sex was gifted to man by the nature to celebrate the relationship and make it more strong and valuable. But we see the other aspects of it. We use it as a stress buster, enjoyment, an activity which happens out of excitement (without proper measures being taken) under the influence of drugs, alcohol, etc. and a process to produce more orphans.

Let’s try to put an end to this. It is hard practically, but we can try. Next time, when you plan to make out with your partner, imagine the outcomes. Whenever, you come across an orphan, don’t treat him as an outcast. If you can’t do anything for the innocent one, don’t bother to look at him and raise a hope in the little brains. If you can’t adopt, I know again, it is not quite practical, at least remember these innocents on your special occasions. You can spend a saving on throwing parties on your anniversaries and birthdays, but it does not cost a fortune to sponsor an orphan with education and a better life or a one time meal to an orphanage. Next time when encountered by an orphan, please don’t neglect, smile, it would fill his/her dark life with light for a moment. Remember, THE SALVATION LIES WITHIN AND LOOMS OVER THE HORIZON!!!!