Kolkata Report #8

Kolkata Report #8
My close friends all know that I have a 'thing' for bulls. My main collection is back at my main home. Even so, somehow these bull figurines keep chasing me. What can I do, but to take them home with me?
Now I have a small collection in my Kolkata home as well. A couple of terracotta bulls from Biswa Bangla store- the local government's showcase store for traditional Bengali crafts, a couple of very rudimentary clay bulls picked up at an artisan's fair at the Rabindra Bharati University, and even one of a most amiable mustachioed Shiva sitting a atop a sweet little Nandi, created from a historic mold of children's clay toys.All these were the only pieces in the various venues, and it seemed that they were waiting for me.
Years ago when my family lived in a house close by to where I now live, there were a lot more cattle roaming around Kolkata. In fact there was a 'khatal' or a dairy right behind our house and right next to a junior college.
It wasn't unusual to hear the soft lowing of the cows and water buffaloes. They were all ladies, kept at the khatal at night and let loose during the day. Among the various bovines roaming around and parked hither and thither, contently chewing cud or grazing on what little grass that grew on the sidewalk, they lent a bucolic sensibility to our neighborhood. Even the stray dogs that lived in the neighborhood 'para' knew which our local bovine ladies were, and kept their peace and distance from them. Then there was this humongous white bull with a shadings of black, a black hump and a black tail. He walked around with great nonchalance and paid an occasional visit to Lake Market, a thriving and bustling fresh produce market. Yes, he would go right in and saunter around the fresh fruit and vegetable stalls, occasionally taking a sample of this or that to sample. As what he culled was generally a mouthful and since he was of the tribe of 'sacred' beasts, he got away with that. His visits were like those we do at out Farmer's Markets with free samples. On one occasion, he sampled some vegetables at a stall, which was obviously going through lean times. The irate shop keeper descended fro his perch, high among the vegetables, scolded the bull and whacked him with an umbrella. We were sure the bull would react angrily and got ready to escape if there was a stampede. But the bull cast a sorrowful glance at the vegetable seller and began to move away. The vegetable seller hurled and a few more choice curse words and landed a few more blows on the bull's rump. An elderly South Indian gentleman wearing a veshti lower garment, mildly remonstrated with the shop keeper, 'Sir, please! He is a good animal! Very fine and very good.. Don't beat him!'
The irate vegetable seller turned towards the interlocutor, and hurled some sarcasm in his direction as well, 'If you are so fond of this bull, why don't you take him home and feed him?'
Well, that was then, the bull was not deterred from his jaunts, carrying on a few more.
A few years later, khatals were declared illegal to be within the city and the herd of cows and water buffaloes and Sir Bull, all disappeared from the scene.
Just this morning, I read an online news report of a popular politician in the distant state of Punjab who was jabbed or nearly jabbed by a bull. Yes, you might groan. I do descend into bad puns at times!
The news report (from NDTV) is as follows
'AMRITSAR: Punjab Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu had a narrow escape when a stray bull attacked a group of people standing with him outside a temple in Amritsar on Wednesday, police said.
The minister had gone to inspect the ongoing beautification project in Durgiana temple when the incident occurred.

He was chatting with some media persons when the stray bull attacked them, the police said, adding that Mr Sidhu was unhurt while two media persons got minor injuries.'
Clearly, this Punjabi bull had no tolerance for politicians or their entourage. Quite unlike our local Kolkata bull of yore.
However, I bemoan the lackluster reporting of the incident, which I suspect, was far more exciting than related above.
Of course, I have many bull stories to relate, which will have to wait till a later date.