Rumpy Madaan
Boycott Kerala movement is being carried out as a global campaign as a protest against barbaric killing of stray dogs all over the State of Kerala. This massacre happened after the Chief Minister of Kerala Mr. Oomen Chandy permitted culling of aggressive and dangerous stray dogs in the state. Now who is to decide whether the Dogs who were killed mercilessly were all aggressive and dangerous? Images of brutally killed stray dogs went viral on the internet. This has hurt the sentiments of animals lovers all over the world. We all agree that we cannot put human life over the animals’ life but killing is never a solution.
If a sadist rapes a girl or a murderer kills a child do we order mass killing of all people of his family or community?. This sends a wrong message to all the states facing the same problem of booming population of stray dogs. Our own state is one of them. There is objection and concern from the tourist industry of Kerala and they are calling it a hate campaign against Kerala.
Sometime back we observed a barbaric solstice festival in Yulin,China where tens of thousands of dogs were killed mercilessly, where they were slaughtered – sometimes boiled alive, sometimes strangled, sometimes throats slit or beaten to death – cooked, and eaten. The saddest part is that some innocent dogs were still wagging their tail when they were being slaughtered! Looking at such incidences one would wonder are we the part of same evolving society who talk of Human Rights at every step but when it comes to animal rights we become even more savage.Compassion for all living beings has been the hallmark of our civilization and is manifest in the association of different gods of Hindu Pantheon with different animals. It goes against the grain of our culture to see animals being subjected to such inhuman ways.We need to understand that dogs too are sentient beings like humans.
We are at the same crossroads
The state of Jammu & Kashmir is standing at the same crossroad where population of stray dogs is becoming explosive. People are facing the same problem and it is becoming more and more difficult for the handful of animal lovers to contain the situation and prevent man-animal conflicts.
Cases of dog bites are increasing on one hand and poisoning, killing and displacing of stray dogs are being reported from different localities regularly.
Landmark judgement
In a PIL filed in the Hon’ble High Court of Jammu and Kashmir by A.R. Hanjura and others at Srinagar, the Court gave directions to the state as well as Municipal Corporation to control the menace of stray dogs, by humane methods in J&K and particularly in the two major cities of Jammu &Sinagar. Sterilizationprogramme was to be conducted on war footing. A high level committee was to be formed which takes a decision to call for bids through publication in all national newspapers for implementation of ABC ( Animal Birth Control) program which was to be completed expeditiously in the light of high inflow of tourists in J&K state.
The State Government was directed to identify the required space to make it available to the Municipal corporations of J&K within 4 weeks from 28.04.2011 (where Municipal Corporations can make pounds). The irony of the situation is that more than 4 years have gone by since the Hon’ble High Court directions were issued but both the Corporations of Jammu and Kashmir are almost sleeping on it. Who is paying the price for this?
1. The people are scared to go out at night.
2. The children who are scared of going to school alone
3. Last but not the least the victims; the Dogs who are at the receiving end of all the hatred. One dog- bite and the whole pack in that locality pay the price;poisoned, stoned and starved.
Solution
What animal lovers want is a decision not to kill the stray dogs but to establish ABC in the right manner. The government should find a place where the sterilized dogs from over populated areas can be kept and looked after.
Please understand we are not happy that people are being bitten by dogs but innocent animals should not be killed to stop or reduce man-dog encounters. . If the programme has successfully controlled the stray dog problem in Bangalore, Delhi, Chandigarh and especially Jaipur which has been successfully carrying outvaccination and sterilization program for two decades without killing the animals., Why not Kerala and our state?
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