The Monkey Thieves

The Monkey Thieves

It’s a TV series from the National Geographic channel the season of monkey thieves. It shows the gang of monkeys on the outskirts of Jaipur. This bunch of monkeys live in luxury because worshipers believe that they personify Lord Hanuman, who banished evil in the epic Ramayana. When the monsoon fails and there is less to eat, they move from the outskirts of the city, to the city. They now steal fruits and vegetables from the market and from the houses of the city dwellers. It is not done by a single monkey but a gang of monkeys. And the gang creates terror in the hearts of the people in the area. They eat whatever they can lay their hands upon. The temple of Lord Hanuman is their favourite place.

The growing mischief of the monkeys forces the city dwellers to employ a monkey catcher to capture the monkeys and to leave them in the jungle. The monkey catcher puts in a series of traps to catch the monkeys and succeeds in catching the monkeys. He gains popularity in the city and the people praise him for his work.

Now there is the twist in the story, though the monkey catcher is praised by the people but gains serious amount if disrespect among the monkeys. Monkeys start hating him more than anything else for separating their beloved ones from them. The monkeys fear him for his work but the growing grudge against him increases as the day passes.

Now comes the day of Hanuman Jayanti and the monkey catcher decides on this very auspicious occasion not to catch any monkey as he worships Lord Hanuman and is a true Devotee of Him. Giving up his daily work of catching monkeys, he rather decides to offer the monkeys some nuts and fruits.

The monkey’s action stuns him and he is taken aback by the reaction of the monkeys. The monkeys don’t touch the food offered by him but accept the food offered by other people. He is shattered with this weird kind of behavior of the monkeys. Tears flow down his eyes when he realises his mistakes and the disrespect he has shown towards the monkeys. He has to pay the price for separating the monkeys from their family. He has to bear the pain that he has caused in the hearts of the monkeys.

Nature is a strange entertainer. The good for someone may be hurting someone else. He has no personal grudge on the thieves, but he has do it because it’s his duty to make the city free of monkey thieves who if not controlled can destroy the city.

The real question is

v  Will he regain the respect of the monkeys if he stops catching them?

v  What is his mistake?

v  Why don’t the monkeys accept him?

v  Will he change his profession after this incident?

Whatever may be the result of the situation the monkey catcher has undergone some seconds ago will surely leave a mark, the monkeys have given to him. Not physically, but psychologically and mentally.

"The monkey catcher has to leave his profession for the betterment of living organisms" or "will he continue catching." Next season awaits the aftermath of the monkey catcher.