On 2nd October 2014, Swachh Bharat Mission, the vision and dream of our honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi  was launched throughout India. The campaign aims to make India clean. It has today become a national movement where every municipal corporation is in the rat race to become number one. 

There is nothing wrong in making India clean and our Prime Minister has a beautiful dream of making India clean. 

But the impact of this drive has not been very favourable for street animals and their caregivers. There has been a rise in intolerance towards street animals especially stray dogs. People often shoo away the dogs, beat them and even kill them in the name of cleanliness.  

Shanti (M- 91-8929307936) a resident of Pocket A, Mayur Vihar Phase 2, East Delhi is a caregiver who feeds the dogs of her area. She has been constantly facing resistance from her neighbours for feeding the dogs and for taking care of them. She has got all the dogs sterilised of her area and takes care of all their medical problems. But she is neither thanked for her invaluable contribution nor appreciated for her dedication towards these voiceless souls.  Instead she is charged with all kinds of allegations like she is responsible for dog overpopulation and making her area dirty. The residents often tell her that because she feeds the dogs therefore the dogs stay there. These respectable residents are neither aware about dog behaviour nor dog laws  which clearly says that dogs shall not be relocated and hence cannot be shooed nor they can be killed or beaten. 

As winter has made Delhi very cold so the caregivers are trying to make arrangement for their furry friends. They often put jute sacks, cushions, wollen sheets and beddings to protect them from chilling cold.

Shanti too has been doing it but all the sacks she placed for her dogs have been removed by either the residents or the sweepers hired by the municipalities or the RWA. They remove it in the name of cleanliness. 

Shanti is absolutely heartbroken because in this chilling cold these voiceless and helpless souls sit on cold cemented floors. Because not all are lucky to be living in parks where they dig hole in the mud and make themselves warm in it. Hence her dogs will soon catch pneumonia. And then Shanti alone will be taking the dogs to the vet and get them  medicated but there will be no guarantee that they will survive. Many street dogs die of pneumonia, cold and flu during winters in India. 

Shanti today had a verbal fight with her own neighbours because they are not allowing her to put jute sheet and cushions for her furry friends. 

They say the dogs make the area dirty and they bark at night which is not good for their health. However, the area where the dogs sit is full of garbage and filthy things for which they themselves are responsible (pic in the post). They have illegally encroached the land (this is very common in the city of Delhi). And then dumped all rubbish of their houses ( like old grills, gates, broken furniture, pots etc.) In the encroached area. 

Isn't this a barrier to swachhta abhiyan? 

The dogs never bark if their stomach is full and they have a warm bed to sleep in. 

These people who shoo the dogs, beat them and kill them in the name of swachhta have to actually clean their own backyards which is full of junk and have to clean their dirty filthy minds which is devoid of compassion and kindness for the voiceless. 

How long will Shanti and thousands of caregivers like her suffer emotionally, physically and financially just trying to keep their furry friends safe and alive?

When will the Delhi Govt, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying create awareness about dog behaviour and dog laws in Delhi? 

There is nothing wrong in Swachtta Abhiyan (drive) but the way it's being implemented in many cities.........it's been reduced to a rat race between municipalities. Each one wants to come first.....

This is not what our Prime Minister envisioned. He dreamt of Swachh Bharat, Swastha Bharat (Clean India, Healthy India).

How is India becoming clean and healthy by killing dogs, relocating them and removing their beddings in this cold winter?

What about illegal encroachments and illegal construction? Dumping of home garbage and junk into that illegal encroachment and construction?  How is all this making India clean and healthy? 

Doesn't the MCD officials, Councillors and mayors see all this??? 

Prime Minister Modi in his latest Man ki Baat has asked people to be kind to street animals especially during this cold winter.

https://www.facebook.com/1760506307/posts/10208735233215780/

When will the Municipal corporations, Ministers, Councillors and Mayors of India follow the footsteps of our Prime Minister? When will they ask people of India to be kind to street animals especially during cold winter nights?

Prime Minister of India

@narendramodi

https://twitter.com/narendramodi?s=20

Ministry of Fisheries, Animal.,Husbandry and Dairying 

@Min_FAHD

https://twitter.com/Min_FAHD?s=20

New Delhi Municipal Corporation 

@tweetndmc

https://twitter.com/tweetndmc?s=20

South Delhi Municipal Corporation 

https://twitter.com/OfficialSdmc?s=20

@OfficialSdmc

East Delhi Municipal Corporation 

@EDMCDELHI

https://twitter.com/EDMCDELHI?s=20

North Delhi Municipal Corporation 

@NorthDmc

https://twitter.com/NorthDmc?s=20