The cruel practice of coding animals in Thar is declining as the pattern of life changes in the desert.

By

Zaffar Junejo
he camel must be a coward,
re-

marked a villager in Thar upon observing the ritual of branding taking

would suggest. The act smacks of cruelty. However, the good news is that this prac-

the rod from the fire and, quickly yet firmly. fixes it on the neck of the camel. The usual

place in the village, and hearing the stricken groans of the herds. After
all, how was it possible that such a huge ani-

tice, used by herders to distinguish animals belonging to one community from another, is in decline, which seems like good news
for the animals. Branding is a particularily brutal prac-

spot for cows is, however, the rear flank,

When

the rod is removed, water is poured

on the stamped code. This step aims to get

mal could not bear the pain of a tiny burn? Crowds of spectators were amusing themselves at the scene, passing derogatory remarks over the bleating animals. The scene was telling

the burn wound infected. A septic wounc catalyses the process and the code soor:
becomes permanent. The animal's suffering is in no way mitigated, and as mentionec

tice: First, an expert in affixing codes from

the village or nearby is identified.
In

the case

of camel coding, the owner first tames the

camel to sit down, then quickly ties a rope around its bent front legs. Meanwhile, the
man who will brand the animal heats the iron

above, listening to the animals' cries even

it was indicative of ihe unfeel-

becomes a source of entertainment for

observers!

ing attitude shown to animals by their mas-

ters in Pakistan. Research in neurology sciences has proved that mammals have a f ully

Coded messages have been used for

several millennia by the herders of Thar to brand their animals. This is useful to show that livestock - cows, camels, goats, sheep. etc. - marked with a certain sign, belongs to a particular community. These codes take the form of symbolic shapes like a circle, ent letters, moulded on an iron rod.
a

rod, which has a coded design afflxed to it,

in a fire made f rom dung, dry

developed nervous system and that they

can feel pain like human beings. Also, they
can respond

twigs and bush

leaves. The burning process is quickened by

io pain and pleasure by crying,

propelling oxygen into fire, and sometimes by using kerosene oil. When the rod is red-

blinking and through various other means

beyond our comprehension. But how far is

their pain paid heed to by their owners?

hot, the owner and the brander converse and confirm timing through hand-signals.
After that, the coding expert hurriedly takes

circle with curved studs or forms of differ-

Not much, the evidence of branding

60 ] Newsline 0ctober

2013

The writer rnet various cat-

viewed as a better investment

tle owners and enquired about the history and tackground of animal coding in Thar. None of those interviewed could trace the orrgins of the practice. The

option than cattle in the rural

areas. Goats are also easier to sell, and are, therefore, preferred over cows. Goats and sheep are not coded in the
same way as cows and camels
are. A hot iron stamp can leave

only reply I was given was that

they had learnt itfrom theirfore-

fathers. Raichand Rathore, author of the estimable reference

a deep wound in the animal's soft skin, so they are identified instead by a cut around the

book, Tar e ekh-e-Registan (The History of the Desert), does not elaborate on the roots of
animal coding either. However,

ear, a spot of henna, or some

colouring.

Restructuring

of pasture

Rathore's book mentions that

lands may also have a role to

play. Pasture lands in the vicin-

there are 18 differ.ent codes, associated with various surnames, castes and subgroups.

ity of Thar decreased gradually after the Kotri Barrage was

When a family stamps its respective code, it marks ownership of the coded animal to that

commissioned. An insensitive

road network also

compart-

mentalised natural habitats.

Hence, there are fewer spaces

specific family - be it Thakur, Meghwar or Bajeer. But only five o{ the 18 codes are still in use. There may be more than
one reason for this decline.

where herds of different communities could graze together, and there

is

a lesser need for

distinguishing symbols.

From the 1990s onwards,

new agents or change' in

shape

^the Goats, of metallic road net-

rathgr than (ows, beramg the

AIi Nawaz Nizamani, an official of Thardeep Rural

Development Programme, an
NGO, has another explanation. He says, after the expansion of

ffi::Jli;Xi,,1;ffi:l:ff
factors pushed an unprepared Thari society into the stream
or consumerism.

popular animal sinte they take less

time tO fgafh a pfgdg(tiVe age, When The new.-' they (an he ustd fOr milking or saffi-

the road network in Thar, cattle traders from Karachi and South Punjab started visiting
the desert, specially on the eve of Eid-ul-Azha. They preferred

ffi ,}.Jffi:.;::ffi;:X# fited for their meat. Additionally, goats l[iffiT:J['J:::5'Jjile tan easily be managed by women,
owners to

to buy cows and camels,

but

adhered to religious practices

by demanding that the animals

accommod'".t}'l: preferences. Goats, rather

which leaves the men free to engage in

labOUf in neafby tOUlnS. GOatS

should be 'clean,' i.e. without any mark or cut. He believes that this is a decisive factor in

than cows, became the popular animal since they take

time to reach a productive

less

age, Sheep

afe nQt tOded in the Samg Way aS hot iron stamp

and

;:T'l..J,:'1?J,1XlifJllI1[ {ows and tamels are" A

l3lll,,Jll;

ffTilil ;i'Jn (an teave a dmp wound in the animal!

fffi:Jn[T[il',::"" soft skin, s0 they are ldentlfied instead by a (ut around tht taF, a spot of henna, f #:T:::Tj'* li[i::l ,, i.'?,:#;;,11':d fl:i:
Muslim communities. However,

the reduction in the usage of codes. Therefore, out of the five codes that are still in use, only two are frequently used codes today: the Tirshul and Surjio, which belong to non-

piece of furniture, a mobile

set

0f S$fne tOlOUfing.

evant for the animals that are branded.

or a motor bike is now being

I I 61

Newsline 0clober 2013