DIBRUGARH, Nov 10 - �Di� and �Kom� are two horses of Dikom Tea Estate. They were named so as these animals share special bond with the tea estate. They were called �Di� and �Kom� by the management.
Their union with Dikom Tea Estate was an accidental one. Yet their genesis and sequence of events that unfolded thereafter is heart stirring and generates human interest. The story revolves around an act of kindness. It goes like this:
One fine morning, the Superintending Manager of Dikom Tea Estate Samarjyoti Chaliha, while on his regular round of the tea garden, saw a lean and malnourished white mare grazing. At first sight, Chaliha�s first thought was that it had strayed into the garden and might belong to someone. But she was there for the second day and also the third.
Moved by the mare�s deteriorating health condition, Chaliha brought her to the tea garden factory compound and later consulted a veterinary doctor. It was then discovered that she was expecting. Medication was prescribed by the attending veterinarian, following which her health improved. But the story doesn�t end here.
One evening, the management and the employees of the garden noticed some unusual excitement in the eyes of the expecting mare. A little distance away from the factory, one could hear the neigh of another horse.
The gate of the factory was opened and all present at the time were witness to the two souls meeting. And that is how �Di� and �Kom� came together, Rishi Bharali, Assistant Manager of Dikom Tea Estate narrated to this Correspondent.
It�s been more than three years now and Di and Kom are now the proud parents of �Valentina�, as she was born on Valentine�s Day, and Camellia and they are now very much a part of Dikom Tea Estate. They are looked after by the garden management. They have a stable and available green pastures to graze on.
It is believed that with the pace of development catching on fast, many people who owned horses, mules or donkeys earlier shifted to Chota Hati or some other small vehicles. Not surprisingly, these poor beasts of burden were readily discarded without as much as a second thought by their ungrateful and often selfish owners.
To relieve themselves from the burden of looking after their equine wealth, some among the owners abandoned the horses which had served them selflessly by the sweat of their brow over the years. Left unattended and unfed, as is evident on the streets, where one can find horses with untrimmed hooves, thereby making it painstakingly difficult for the horses to walk on macadamised roads.
A small act of kindness like the story of �Di� and �Kom� has ushered in a lot of change in their otherwise thankless lives. The management of Dikom Tea Estate, without even an iota of doubt, deserve kudos for this act of immense kindness, a section of the socially-conscious local people opined.