Gay-neck: The story of a pigeon!

Hello. When I was glancing fifth Standard Hindi textbook of my daughter, I came to know about one book. Out of curiousity, I purchased that book and then I read it. It is the only book of an Indian writer which has received the greatest award for children- literature in the U.S.A.! ‘Gay-neck: The story of a pigeon’ written by Dhan Gopal Mukerji! By gay-neck, the author meant a pigeon with a colourful neck. This book is the story of this pigeon. Published in 1925, this book is a glimpse of the golden childhood experienced by the author. Today we have traveled a great distance from those times. But in this book, we can read how were those times of roaming freely in the nature, staying in forests and mountains for days and nights!

This book narrates experiences of the author with his favourite pigeon. The author talks about his experiences during early 1910s. While reading this, I was reminded about my childhood. When I had seen the famous song “Kabutar Ja Ja Ja”, I too had longed for one pigeon for some time! In those days, pigeons were pets brought up in almost all households. They were trained and even their competitions would take place! Knowing about this is surprising. Mother pigeon knows the exact time to open up the egg by pressing her beak, how does she know this, how the pigeons build up their nest by bringing straws, how they can fly hundreds of kilometers- all this is very stunning! For assessing navigation skills of his pigeon, the author and his friends take his pigeon towards Darjeeling and Sikkim region. An eagle- assault, defense of the pigeon and the author’s search to get back his pigeon- all this is just wonderful.

After the assault, the scared and injured pigeon takes shelter in a Gonpa of one Lama. The Lama who soothes the pigeon with warmth of his hand later on tell the author, "Now onward this pigeon will never be afraid. His entire fear has been wiped out by the touch of a person who meditates for four hours a day since last twenty years.” Entire the narration in the book is very lively. A person becoming aware and hearing vibrations in the soil much before a group of wild animals come, miraculous capacities of birds and animals and many mysteries of the nature- there are plenty of such references in this book. As the author was brought up and got education in the U.S.A., and due to written around 100 years ago, its English sometimes looks difficult. But due to excellent visualizing style this becomes enjoyable reading. The author has described several birds and animals we never heard of! He has minutely described how he had taught the pigeon. Description of the birds experiences when it was lost are shared as its narration!

A war was started in Europe in 1914. As the author is young, he cannot go. But his friend brought up in forests goes to Europe with the pigeon and joins British ‘pigeon force.’ The author’s friend and the bird go to France. The author’s friend stays with the main base camp and many pigeons are sent near the battle front. After they have inspected the front area, soldiers tie maps and information about the enemy posts to their legs and free them to go back to their master. For the pigeons, they had to endure burning eagles and barking machines to reach their home. After some time, the author’s friend and the bird come near the battle front. The friend enters mountainous land occupied by the enemy forces. One incident here is worth mentioning- When he goes with his pigeon, suddenly one wild dog finds him. But the dog gets startled, how this man does not have a slight trace of fear! And when the man opens his hand for the dog, he starts licking his hand.

Here, the author has written, fear in our mind is immediately known to others, especially the animals smell our fear and they also get afraid and only then they become aggressive. But if someone is totally unafraid, then the animals too become free of the fear and become friendly. While reading this, I remembered one incident read in another book. Monk Nagarjuna meditating in a forest and many wolves standing silently near him! As he does not have any trace of fear, the wolves simply become unable to attack him!

Through this book, we come to know how excellent medium of information this bird was! (Even today, the pigeons carry messages of Odisha Police force in remote region!) Due to the war, the pigeon and the friend get depressed. Again to heal themselves, they took shelter of the wilderness and get healed! Thus, this is an exciting and thrilling book. It tells us that so many birds and animals, even small aspects of the nature have so much mysteries and life has much more depth than we know. We should read it, but this book is excellent to give as a gift to this generation of kids who read more English. When we read this book, we realize how vast and how subtle the nature is and how little we know. This book is available in English on the website of National Book Trust.

(Thanks for reading. You can share with your near ones. - Niranjan Welankar 09422108376 Conducts fitness, meditation, sky watching sessions and fun- learn sessions for children.)