Anupam- The Dreamer

Of all the living beings in the ecosystem, including the animals, birds and amphibians, I think the “frog” is a kind of creature which did not get the truest attention that it deserved! People like to keep many animals as pet like dog, cat, mouse, rabbits; birds like parrots, sparrows; fishes like ornamental ones, and even dangerous reptiles like snakes, pythons; but what about the amphibians as a class? And frog undoubtedly as its most suitable representative! Despite that, you may have never seen a person keeping frog as a pet. But, it is because we have hated frogs or there is something else?

Its monsoon season again and the frogs are jumping around everywhere, in the streets, in the parks, on the footpaths, on the trails, near the ponds, in the mud. If you aren’t careful while walking in the night, you may find one crushed like a sauce beneath your feet. And it’s a bad omen, you see! They say, if you kill a frog you become one in your next rebirth 😀

But the humanity as such, has found limited uses of a frog. You may have heard stories that whenever it doesn’t rain at a place for long, the people around catch hold of a मेंढक and a मेंढकी and get them married! I’m not kidding. If you don’t believe that, just Google it. But, is that all, that we can do with a मेंढक? No, we aren’t finished yet. If we go to the childhood, we may notice that our schools used to have a “Frog race”, wherein the class 2-3 kids had to jump like a frog from the race start till the end and the best “frog” won the race! That was pretty much fun to watch the kids as frogs, hopping around with their hind legs. But alas, now we don’t see frog races anymore! Maybe, because being called the “best मेंढक” of the class was more of a slur than an achievement! Apart from that, the frogs doesn’t seem to have much utility to humans, until we see the cross-sections of a frog cut in half in the biology lab in Class X. We were told that frogs have similar heart, lungs, stomach etc as that of a human, that’s why the doctors cut the frogs into two parts for their practise. What a poor destiny of this incredible living being. “All pins” pinning the four outstretched limbs of a poor frog, who gave up his life for the cause of science. I found one more utility of a frog- in some South-Eastern countries like Vietnam, Cambodia, China etc., some people relish the frog legs as a delicacy! Yukkkk! But, thank God, haven’t heard of that in India atleast. Maybe because of Wildlife (Protection) Act.

That’s it! I don’t see a much larger use of frog and its characteristics in a good way. Infact, being called a “frog in the pond” (कुएं का मेंढक) is an abuse for someone, who has never ventured out of his own place and thinks that he is the best. But the frog is unmindful of the fact that there is a big world outside his pond and there are many other who are way better than him. Additionally, being called a frog is understood ugly and useless. People may feel pride in calling themselves kangaroos, kiwis, lions etc. But, why not a frog? Infact, frogs are harmless to humans (apart from a few venomous ones, which are not found usually in human habitations). There are no big renowned cartoons or series on the frogs, even when the frogs witness the best of both worlds i.e. the land and the water. They have an interesting niche in the ecosystem. They can adapt well in both the environments. So, its high time that the frogs are given their true place in the folklore and made popular among the children.

Maybe, organizing the “frog races” for the adults can be a good starting point! Also, the one who jumps several companies to gain a pay hike or a promotion, can be suitably called a “मेंढक”, who possesses super-human ability to “jump” out of his “pond” (read company) and venture out to face the world’s competition. And then, we could have a “Frog of the month” in the workplace, a person who has made giant leaps to achieve the company’s targets and contributed to make the organization big. Being called a “मेंढक” should be cultivated as a matter of pride.

So, learn from मेंढक and be a good one 😀