BEING HUMAN
Public display of cruelty towards animals only reflects the sickness of human mind. The need of the hour is a comprehensive step to stop violence against fellow creatures
The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated —Mahatma Gandhi. Today, the words of the Father of the Nation hold more significance as we pray for an end to violence and cruelty against billions of animals who are beaten, crippled, and killed at factory farms and slaughterhouses.
How often have we come across slogans like ‘Mankind is cruel to animals, love animals, stop animal slaughter’? And how many of us have actually taken these messages seriously?
Even though we unanimously condemn violence and acts of terrorism against fellow human beings, cruelty towards animals and disregard for other creatures draw few reactions. We conveniently shrug off our responsibilities and pass the buck to others.
“Why should I remove carcass from the road? It’s the government’s job.” Or “We don’t have the funds and manpower. Moreover, it’s not only for the government to clean the mess.” These are frequently repeated words as the government and the citizens indulge in blame game.
Recounting an incident in his neighbourhood where a drunken security guard simply maims street dogs to vent his frustration, Dr Asit Ranjan Deb, a professor of veterinary science at Ranchi Veterinary College, says nobody bothered to complain against him. “And when I complained to the police, they laughed it off.”
Incidents of pelting stones at street dogs, hitting an animal on the road just for fun, slaughtering goats and chickens publicly with blood smearing the floor and butcher’s clothes, stacking animals together in a basket or carrying them on vehicles, slaughtering animals in front of their own species, are some common sights of our daily life.
Deb says, “What officials, butchers, and common masses do not realise is that such public display of violence and cruelty only reflects the sickness of people’s mind. Most often, children who abuse animals come from families with a history of abuse. Also, they often turn more violent as they grow up and inflict cruelty upon humans, too.”
Says Praveen Ohal, another animal activist, “Violence is violence. A person who abuses animals lacks empathy for all living beings and is a potential threat to humans, too.”
Sadly, with the judicial system being so overloaded, animal abuse is not considered as high on priority as murders, rapes and other crimes where humans are the victims. There is no provision to give first aid to stray animals injured or ill. There are no ambulances or trauma teams to carry them to hospital. There are no round-the-clock emergency facilities even in the largest cities of Jharkhand. The people do not know whom to contact for help when they see an animal in distress.
There are few shelters for treating sick and destitute animals. The Animal Welfare Board of India and other funding agencies provide financial help to set up and run such shelters but there are few takers. Even the civic bodies seem least interested in finding a plot for setting up shelters for stray animals.
During the British period, there were Pinjrapoles (old-age homes for cattle) in most of the towns, but the government’s apathy has forced them to close down over the years.
There are goshalas which are traditionally maintained through donations received from the business community. Many of these are spread over large plots and can be turned into modern shelters for large herbivorous animals.
However, the animal husbandry department’s main focus is on improvement of livestock and welfare of other animals apparently doesn’t fit into its scheme of affairs.
The department’s initiatives have resulted in large income and employment generation in the sector. Ohal says being the only department dealing with veterinary medicine, it must reattach importance to the care and treatment of ‘non-profit fetching’ animals, too.
It already has a large number of doctors and paravets. What it needs is a change of mindset to adopt a more inclusive approach. It can also rope in NGOs and other agencies, which hire sufficient qualified personnel, for such work.
Animal activists of the city say the government should bring in an effective anti-cruelty law by coordinating a number of departments, like animal husbandry, home, urban development, and public relations amongst others, to safeguard animals.
Dr Alok Kumar Singh, a veterinarian with the state government, says people are unaware that ill animals are a big threat to public health. If animals are not taken care of, they can transmit diseases to human beings living around them. So, for our wellbeing we must take care of those living around us.