Eight Hours Under The Scorching Sun: No Place To Go, No One To Tell

Moo - Ving Sight

- Antony Fernando

Little did Manya* know that it would be a monotonous, and yet a tiring day ahead, when the nascent rays of the sun coloured the Wednesday morning sky. She turned up for work at half-past nine. Bright and shiny as it always is, the sun matured as the morning hours passed, suggesting warmth in the beginning, but getting more punishing as the day went by.

But Manya was at work, standing on a place, tied to a pole.

Throughout the day, she stood as several people came to her, some chatted, while many examined her body. But Manya stood there until it was dusk. Did she eat anything throughout the day? Did she have fun at work? Could she even complain if anything hurt her? This is the story of Manya, a cow, who was made to stand outside the animal husbandry department in Nagappatinam during a practical examination for candidates. She was the question paper for candidates being interviewed for the post of an assistant on the day.

Over 1,100 candidates appeared for the interview, and all of them were made to examine a single cow, tied under the sun for more than eight hours, leaving onlookers, animal lovers and even candidates disturbed.

“The cow was exhausted by the time it was my turn to check its teeth and udder. It felt like I was abusing it,” said a candidate on condition of anonymity.

Concerns were raised on why the department did not use multiple bovines for the interview.