Celebrating celibate peacocks

The peacock has been widely discussed following the retired High Court Judge’s comments

As a judge went into retirement in India, the words he shared on his last day of work have left the country in splits.

In an increasingly polarised society, one can hope that legal mechanisms upholding secular and democratic principles would come to the rescue for the aggrieved. However, if one is to go by the words of a certain High Court judge in India, hope is reduced to justice delivered by individuals who believe that peahens get pregnant by swallowing the tears of a peacock. Never mind concrete scientific evidence that can be observed regarding the rituals and process of mating for peacocks and peahens, it seems that even the guardians of the law of the land seem to have fallen prey to superstitious beliefs and equating virtue with ancient ideals.

Justice Mahesh Chandra Sharma, from the High Court of the western Indian state of Rajasthan, on his last working day mentioned the need for declaring the cow a national animal as well as recommending a “massacre” for those who slaughter cows, citing the Vedas, a holy scripture for Hindus. To add to his argument, he stated other perceived benefits of the cow, “Cow urine has the miraculous property of destroying any kind of germs. It provides strength to mind and heart. It stops ageing.” He also stated, “Agriculture scientists Dr Julius and Dr Book German have said cow is the only divine animal that exhales oxygen,” while adding, “According to German scientist Rudle Steiner, cow uses its horns to acquire cosmic energy. Famous Russian scientist Shirovich says houses plastered with cow dung are safe from radio waves.”

The cow as a holy animal is an assertion that is increasingly turning violent as vigilante groups have found themselves emboldened after statements such as these are being shared by political and community leaders. As cows become central to politics in India, and a tool that is increasingly being used heightened violence – that was not what caused people around the country to react as much. The judge in question also spoke to the media on his views on peacocks, which is the national bird of the country. While speaking on the virtue of the peacock, stating on how its “pious” nature qualified it for the role, Sharma elaborated, “The peacock is a lifelong brahmachari (celibate). It never has sex with the peahen. The peahen gets pregnant after swallowing the tears of the peacock. This is why Lord Krishna used the peacock’s feather.”

Netizens shed tears

While Sharma’s absurd statements were shared by him with the media on the day he undertook retirement from his position, perhaps what he didn’t expect was his comments to catch on with the country so quickly. Reactions to his statements came in varied ways, yet mainly centred around jokes on the absurdity of such an observation being made by someone who was expected to be an educated and well-informed person, owing to his stature as the judge of a High Court.

Adding the iconic dialogue “Pushpa, I hate tears” from the Rajesh Khanna starring Bollywood movie Amar Prem (1971), a writer from the country shared his views.

What does the peacock say to the peahen when he is not in the mood? “Pushpa, I hate tears” #RajasthanJudge#bramhacharipeacock

— T S Sudhir (@Iamtssudhir) May 31, 2017

Another netizen shared her views:

Cow intakes oxygen, emits oxygen. Peacock is a brahmachari. Some wise words from Judge saab. Must correct our textbooks ASAP. https://t.co/XHmR1iFqEX

— Priyanka Chaturvedi (@priyankac19) May 31, 2017

Comedian Tanmay Bhat shared an image capturing the ridiculousness of the assertion of Sharma.

Rare image of peahen drinking tears. pic.twitter.com/m9xOKFKBS2

— Tanmay Bhat (@thetanmay) May 31, 2017