|
|
|
  |
| Sunday, 31 October 2004 |
 |
|
 |
Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
Life with William From bird activist to champion of animal rights by Carol Aloysius Ever since news of William's Protest March (Virodhatha Pagamana) to halt the indiscriminate killing of hens spread throughout our neighbourhood, my phone has never stopped ringing. Dozens of callers - both neighbours and old friends keep ringing me for permission to `borrow' my Man Friday, to conduct a similar march on behalf of their pets.
"Why?", I asked her in surprise, for William and Amitha have never been on the best of terms specially since William refused to `tone down' the sound of his nightly rehearsals whenever he was staging one of his plays. "I want William's help in an awareness campaign I'm conducting for the neighbouring kids on the evils of Cat Abuse, because thy attacked Ginger (her favourite cat) with stones last night", she explained. My friend Leela wanted to `borrow' William also for the same reason. "The kids in my neighbourhood have a nasty habit of throwing stones at my dogs (she has five). Perhaps William and his friends could stop them from attacking my dogs in the future with a peaceful march down our lane to create awareness on the ills of Dog Abuse", she says hopefully. Ramya, an Animal Rights Activist for the past ten years, was so impressed with the success of William's march to halt the killing of chickens, and the fact that most of our neighbours have now switched to a chicken free diet, that she rang him up to congratulate him. "Your Protest March was the best thing that happened to save those hapless birds. We hope we can count on your help when we next launch our protest against the abuse of animals including bulls" she told Man Friday whose chest visibly puffed up with pride at her words of praise. Due to the rising demand for their services, William and his friends have now begun charging fees for conducting their protest marches. When I cautioned him about commercialising what should be a spontaneous gesture on his part, he told me," What to do Nona. This is the only way to make some extra money no?" (Mokadda karanne Nona?. Me vage avasthawaka api salli hamba karanne oona"). Man Friday now struts around the road carrying a little notebook to jot down names and addresses of persons who may need his services. As for his charges he tells me, Apith ekke Yana pirisa vadi nam, gaana vadi vei (Our charges are according to the number of people taking part in each protest rally'). To make these (Rasveem) or Protest marches more professional and effective, William has now bought a drum which he has learnt to play. Me beraya ekk ape paminima prakasha karanawa (The sound of this drum will announce our arrival to the place of our destination)", he tells me. He has also hired a set of singers and dancers from among the street urchins down our lane to spread the message of Animal rights in song and dance. These extra gimmicks however don't come free. A roll of drums costs two rupees, and for every song and dance or mournful cry by the street urchins he charges fifty cents extra. William and his friends, Pancha, Dias, Gamage, Simon and Piyasena meet at the garage behind my house in the evening after work, you could find them busily counting the money every evening to compare `orders' and count the money they have collected so far. In reply to my question as to what they intended doing with the money, Man Friday promptly tells me", Me salli pavichchi karanne mage anith natyata. Ema natya sathungeayithi vasikam araksha karadeema sandaha (We will be using it for my future play. I have already started writing the script. This time it will be on "Animal rights. So you see we are using the money earned for a good cause". Fair enough, I tell him. |
|
| News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security
| Produced by Lake House |
Take for instance my immediate neighbour Amitha who owns seven cats of
varying sizes and shapes and breeds to whom she is so devoted that she
hardly, rarely leaves them alone at home and hires a "cat
sitter", when she is compelled to be away from home. The other day
she rang me frantically and begged of me to `loan' Man Friday for a couple
of hours.
