Animals deserve as much respect as human beings

The recent incident in which Shaktiman, a horse, suffered multiple fractures after being brutally attacked in public view is a shocking example of cruelty to animals in the country. The 13-year-old, belonging to the Uttarakhand Police, was deployed as part of the mounted police on March 14 during a public protest in Dehradun. Shaktiman was severely injured by protesters armed with lathis. Now, after an amputation surgery, the horse has to live with a prosthetic leg.

Sri Aurobindo rightly said, “Life is life — whether in a cat, or dog or man. There is no difference there between a cat or a man. The idea of difference is a human conception for man’s own advantages.” Even Mahatma Gandhi had said that the greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated. Research studies in psychology and criminology show that a person who commits acts of cruelty towards animals commits the same against fellow humans too.

A study conducted by Northeastern University and the Massachusetts SPCA found that people who abuse animals are five times likelier to commit violent crimes against humans.

The FBI established through an examination of criminal records that cruelty towards animals is one of the traits that is a recurrent one among serial rapists and murderers. Religion and science view cruelty to animals by humans as a crime.

In the present times, when we want to join the league of great nations, one of our prime responsibilities is to be a good citizen of a great nation. This should be based on mercy and care towards the animals, and treating them with as much respect as we treat each other.