Big Revolutions Need Small Efforts – A Story on Mahi Indra and ‘Mutes’

Mahi Indra’s love for dogs wasn’t just a casual encounter, but a journey of personal enlightenment and discovery. Mahi Indra identifies himself as ‘A jack of all trades’ for many reasons. He has wandered around various job profiles and is exceptional at it too. He has been a media person, a DJ and an RJ; name it and he has done it. While speaking to us, he also mentioned his interest in film direction and photography. Being a Hindu devotee, he spent much of his childhood in temples, worshipping and idealizing god. It is fascinating how he has become an atheist now – the process was long, and so was the realization.  

After working as an RJ in Dubai and having enough money, he decided to go back to his origin, his homeland Kerala. He was unaware of the fact that this one decision would change his life entirely and give him a new direction and purpose to live for. He became free; he observed, and he questioned.

After spending quite a lot of time in Kerala, he decided to adopt a dog, on a friend’s recommendation. His very first dog, which he named Indra, became an inspiration for him to change his name to Mahi Indra. Indra was the first and last dog he had bought, a Labrador. Mahi and Indra spent a lot of time in his deserted house away from contact. He observed him and his loneliness and learned about dog instincts and their natural yearning. In the interview, he revealed that dogs have only two basic emotions – loyalty/honesty and love/hate, making his heart melt.

One day, he left Indra alone, while he was waiting for his friend, he saw a gruesome accident of a dog trying to cross the road. He rushed to the hospital, while patiently waiting outside, he got his purpose, that moment of enlightenment he had waited for his entire life. From then, his life has been for the dogs.

Mahi Indra spoke about how humans are still capable enough to earn a living while dogs are completely dependent on humans for their survival. Humans can be both a dog’s best friend and their worst enemy. Mahi Indra declared firmly on how children should not be taught about politics, freedom struggle and crime. Instead, be taught about Nature and the world around them. While talking about it, he also narrated a personal incident. While walking, he saw a dog across the street and noticed two boys, who while passing, picked up stones to hit the dog. When Mahi questioned them on their behaviour, they mentioned that their Amma (mother) had told them to do so whenever they came across a stray dog. This incident left him shocked and speechless.

Here are excerpts from our conversation –

How did you manage funds for the dogs you take care of? Would you like to elaborate on the milestones you have covered and the challenges you have faced while doing so?

It takes only 300 to 400 rupees. So basically, it takes two bike washes, one costs 200 rupees. I never accepted or received any funds. Very recently, three weeks back, my Facebook friend asked me, ‘How are you managing your things?’ I said, ‘It’s okay, fine. I am managing everything.’ He said ‘I would like to spend money on something’, and then I said, ‘No we are fine, we are doing good.’ Then he was like, ‘I don’t want to give people who ask and tell that we need to take care, I would love to give it to you.’ After that, he sent me 5000 rupees, and that’s the only amount I have received in my life, and seriously I have not spent that money on my dogs and spent it on my personal things. I don’t think that this money should go for this purpose only. Money is just money for me wherever you spend it.

You love music. What’re your plans for DJing? Will you take it as a career, or is it just a passion for music?

I see DJing in a very different way. So basically, I was very good at DJing. I have been DJing for 16 to 17 years and started around 18 or 19. In music, it’s all about timing; if you have the timing, you can be a musician. With proper timing, anyone can be a DJ in two days. I was very good at the jog wheel and didn’t use headphones, and I used to do all the beat matching. I was done with it. I used to start hating DJing. But now I love DJing because I found a different stream, we can make music. I am using a different finger size, and I am also planning to perform live now. I don’t understand what these DJs tell in their interviews. I feel DJing is a form of recreation. From morning to evening we work, and in the evening for our body, we need to relax. I feel DJing is like recreation. Now parties are happening on Wednesdays, Thursdays and all; before it was only weekend parties, I used to think why only on weekends? Two words changed me, why and how. I was following these words. Whatever happened in front of me, I feel why. So during the weekdays, everyone was working and only had two days off from work. These people entered clubs, thinking that there was no tomorrow; they would relax in different ways.

That means body relaxation and mind relaxation. We are over there to relax, mainly through music. I play house music; it’s a different thing. In clubs, people come in front of you, and your heart will be beating faster due to alcohol influence. There is some logic behind the music which DJs don’t tell. The music we are playing isn’t going to the ears; it’s actually vibrating the complete body. Our body is vibrating according to our heartbeat, but when we are under the influence of liquor, our body pumps will go, it’s an inner connection between the frequency, vibration and the vibe. I feel DJing is a superb job. But I don’t know why DJs hype it. You play music and enjoy the vibe. 

What do you think plays an important role when we talk about the decline in humanity among humans? Social media or capitalism?

Humanity, in my opinion, is understanding human/superpowers. Write something good and valuable for the coming generations. Something about Nature and the world outside: I don’t see any humanity around me. Humanity should come from a group of people, and then we can call it humanity. But there are only a few people around in some places who have a little mind. So good humanity, we need to understand our superpowers and respect other creatures.

If you are allowed to talk on behalf of “Mutes”, what would you like to tell the people in this world?

I am actually making a mark for my heir. I am gonna start a small channel, and I am gonna talk about them. It’s my craze; maybe I am gonna add a video. My friends are gonna make me a proper mask. So I am gonna wear that mask and talk to humans shortly. Basically, people tell that they don’t have a voice now, they’ll have a voice, the voice will be mine, and the face will be theirs. I was planning to do a small video on the misconceptions about dogs people have. People think that if stray dogs bite, they’ll get rabies. If you google it also it isn’t clear how rabies is transferred. Rabies is not transferable if it is generated in a dog, during any time, it’s because of starvation. If a dog doesn’t get food or water for a few weeks, his or her lungs, small intestine and stomach will contract. At the time it was generated, as they were in horrible starving conditions for 3 to 4 weeks because of which they can’t drink anything. People are affected by rabies because when a rabid dog bites, it directly affects their lungs.

“Dogs don’t like bones. Dogs like meat.”

says Mahi Indra

Follow Mahi Via Instagram @mahi_indran369

Rabies patients get violent because they are thirsty and cannot drink water. The aggressiveness is because we cannot drink water and people have some other misconceptions about it. People think dogs love bones. Why would dogs consume bones? They are consuming because we are consuming meat and throwing bones. That’s why they are eating it. If humans found that bones are useful, they wouldn’t have left that also. It’s a misconception, change that. Dogs like meat. Our waste they eat. Humans don’t like bones. Bones are harmful to all animals because it’s hard to digest. We are conscious while eating, if we eat bones also, where it is going. If you feed a hungry dog with bones, he will just swallow it. Bones will be stuck in his throat. Never feed any animal with bones. Only humans can have bones because only they are conscious while eating.