No matter what we do but the law breakers are busy breaking the law. Honestly people in India just want quick fix solutions to all their problems. They just don't want to make any extra efforts to implement law in the right way and proper manner especially when the law pertains to animals in this country. The Dog rules 2001 clearly says not to relocate dogs and the only way to control their population is by getting them sterilised then why is this rule not being implemented in India? That too by the most educated? Are they not aware about the rule or they don't have the will to implement it?
A letter got viral today which has been written by the Assistant Director (Estate) Indira Gandhi ESI Hospital in Jhilmil, East Delhi (pic in the post). The letter is addressed to the Security Agency who have deployed their security guards at the hospital. The letter says that many stray dogs walk in groups in the hospital premises here and there. The staff and beneficiaries of the hospital are facing problems because of them. The dogs have attacked their staff. Hence the agency is required to instruct their security guards to prohibit entry of stray dogs in the hospital premises. The letter has been issued with the approval of the Medical Superintendent of the hospital.
Is the Estate Director aware of the dog rules? May be yes and may be no but his asking the security agency to do something illegal is definitely not right.
There are so many things which come out very clearly from this letter:
1 The hospital autnorities probably do not know that dog is a territorial animal. The dogs who come and go and roam around in the hospital premises belong to that area. Any foreign dog will be drived away and attacked by the dogs of the hospital. So no new dog will come and go freely in the hospital.
2 Has the hospital authorities taken the trouble of getting all the dogs living in and around their campus sterilised? If they had got the dogs sterilised then probably today they would not be struggling with such a problem and writing letters to security agency to stop the dogs from entering the hospital premises.
3 There are dogs living in the premises of the hospital but has the hospital authorities ever shown any compassion towards them? . Have they ever made any arrangement for their food and water?
It's freezing cold in Delhi and for the last three days it's raining non stop. Imagine if we were to stay in this cold winter night under open sky and on cemented floors and water pouring on our body. How would we react?
Has the hospital authority made any arrangement for the dogs to beat this cold weather? Have any blankets, sacks or warm sheets put for the dogs? The answer probably is no.
If only the people who write such letters put themselves in the stray dog's shoe and see what it feels like to be drenched in this cold winter night with an empty stomach.
And then they complain that the dogs attack them and roam freely here are there. If only the hospital staff had placed warm blankets for them to sit and given them food just once a day then by all probability the dogs would have never roamed here and there. Because they generally roam here and there in search of food, water and shelter (especially during rains).
It's time every organisation, institution and residential colony took the responsibility of food, water and sterilisation of dogs living in and around their area. Community ownership of the Indian dogs is also a step towards making India Atma Nirbhar (self reliant).
Atma Nirbhar Bharat is a policy formulated by our visionary Prime Minister Narendra Modi. And all citizens of India should work towards it.
Dumping stray dogs in some far off shelter as envisioned by many policy makers is not only faulty but also unfeasible both financially and operationally. And throwing them out of colonies, hospitals and colleges will only increase their population on the streets of India. And this will further add to dog-man conflict which is already on a rise in India.
ABC program with people's participation is the only ethical, humane and legal solution to the man-dog conflict.
Union Minister of Labour and Employment
@santoshgangwar
https://twitter.com/santoshgangwar?s=20
Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying
@Min_FAHD
https://twitter.com/Min_FAHD?s=20
Employees State Insurance Corporation (under ministry of Labour and Employment)
@esichq
https://twitter.com/esichq?s=20
East Delhi Municipal Corporation
@EDMCDELHI