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Intolerable Cruelty: Dogs culled indiscriminately in India

India has the reputation of learning things the hard way. But sapience is something that still hasn t found its way home here. Consider the recent culling of dogs in places like Hyderabad and Bangalore. It continues to this date, but not a soul claims responsibility for the wrongdoing.

It all started over 2 months back when a 4 year old boy was mauled to death by the stray dogs in his locality in the Bangalore suburbs. The news wasn t new. Less than a month earlier, a young girl met her fate in the similar way in a nearby street. The news was met with disbelief and anger. And with 2 similar incidents in less than a couple months, reactions were soon to follow. TV Channels and newspapers had articles screaming the dangers of the stray dog menace that had gripped the city. Local authorities took a hard stand and stated that the matter would be looked into. And it was – this time by unknown miscreants. Images of stray dogs- both healthy and sick, being injected with cyanide were strewn all over the channels. While local authorities rejected all claims that these were undertaken under their supervision, non-government organizations and animal rights activists were quick to point out the apparent helplessness and recklessness with which the whole issue was tackled.

Bangalore has over 60000 stray dogs. Unlike the west, India has no concrete program to tackle the complexities involved in managing and curtailing the breeding of dogs in general. Though a few voluntary organizations like the SPCA and others try and bring about a change by sterilizing the strays, there hasn t been much success in this regard. Nevertheless, man and dog have been living in perfect harmony all this while until now. Though many have censured the local authorities on their inability to bring the antisocials to task, the blame game continues and so does the culling.

It is a pity that man s so called “best friend” has to meet with such a fate. Since time immemorial, man has depended on his companion for love and safety. The question that everyone is throwing around is that what made the dogs act in such a beastly manner. The locals in the affected area have the answer: Apparently open garbage dumps and raw meat shops have found their way into the city. The constant struggle to survive and simultaneously time guard their locality pushes the envelope and impels dogs to take more serious action. While man can reason and work things out, the same cannot be said for animals. So while most may want to believe that the dogs are to blame, its time to retrospect and figure what exactly went wrong.

Activists aver that the garbage dump theory stays. So if it is really the cause for the recent killings, one tends to wonder what is going to be the next step the Government will take. Garbage disposal has always been an issue with most of the states within India. And though a lot has been said over the years, the respective State Governments have been unable to find scientific ways of waste disposal. Adding to the worries is the lack of civic sense that prevails in the country. While politicians are busy filling their pockets, the average Indian has to put up with unhygienic conditions, inadequate water supply, and lack of sanitation.

And while everyone seems to be focusing on the stray dog menace in Bangalore, the Hyderabad incident had a different story to tell. The parents of the 8 month old child claim that it was the apparent recklessness and unwillingness to act on time by the local hospitals that killed their son, and not the actual dogs bites that triggered the entire issue.

Article Published: Monday 9th April 2007