The Hindu Editorial Vocabulary– Mar 26, 2023; Day 417

Antigone (a daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta who defied her uncle, King Creon, by performing funeral rites over her brother, Polynices, and was condemned to be immured alive in a cave) in UP: Tale of sarus crane and her human friend underlines the unavoidable tragedy inherent in some friendships

All law carries the potential for tragic consequences — dealing in universals, as it must. But once in a while, the exceptional (Far beyond what is usual in magnitude or degree) relationship — across borders of all kinds — appeals to a more fundamental part of us all

It is either cruel irony (Incongruity between what might be expected and what actually occurs) or prophecy (Knowledge of the future (usually said to be obtained from a divine source)) that in Carl Linnaeus’s 18th-century taxonomic (Related to practice of classifying plants and animals according to their presumed natural relationships) classification, the sarus crane — the state bird of Uttar Pradesh — is called Antigone antigone. In ancient Greek tragedian Sophocles’ play, Antigone, the eponymous (named after a particular person or group) character defies (Resist or confront with resistance) the king to mourn her brother. When the princess is told that she is breaking the law, she defends her defiance by stating that there are rules more fundamental than the laws of man. But, her pain and eloquence (Powerful and effective language) notwithstanding, Antigone meets a tragic end. Centuries later, in UP, a sarus crane and her human friend are the main characters in another tragedy when human-made rules trump (Get the better of) affection.

Mohammad Arif of Amethi district in UP, rescued an injured sarus in February 2022, who recovered in a couple of months. But rather than fly away, the crane chose to stay, and the unlikely friendship between man and bird provided much heart-warming content. The sarus, however, is a protected species (A specific kind of something) under the Wildlife Protection Act — as such, the forest department had no choice but to intervene and relocate Arif’s friend, away from his care.

Laws, no matter how well-meaning, carry the potential for tragic consequences. Wild and exotic (Being or from or characteristic of another place or part of the world) animals must be protected from poaching (Hunt illegally) and trafficking (Trade or deal a commodity) — and they are not pets. Yet, at times the oddest of friendships can be the most beautiful. That is why many viewers likely stifled (To suppress) a sob  (Convulsive gasp made while weeping) when the young elephant, Raghu, is taken away from his caregivers — parents, really — Bomman and Bellie, in The Elephant Whisperers. The law deals in what it imagines as universals, as it must. But once in a while, the exceptional relationship — between man and animal, or across borders of all kinds — appeals to something fundamental. Therein lies the tragedy of Antigone in ancient Greece and Antigone antigone in today’s UP.

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