Manika is the name given to the dog which was tortured and physically abused at Sanjay Gandhi Animal Care Centre. She was a stray dog who was brought to the centre by a noble soul for treatment but instead of treatment she received injury and bruises. She was bashed against the wall by the paravet who was treating her just because she bit him. This is how he took revenge on her. This incident has shaken everyone. Right from the caregivers and animal lovers to the SGACC management including its founder Maneka Gandhi. Never in her dreams she had ever imagined that such a cruel incident will ever take place in her own centre and people will come up in arms against the management and accuse them of this most heinous crime.
Diksha who was an employee of SGACC was brave enough to have exposed the culprit and his crime. It's not easy to become a whistleblower but Diksha chose to become one.
In response to all this a petition was started seeking justice for Manika:
The petition initially had tones of personal vendetta against the SGACC and it's management. But now thankfully after being edited by the petitioners it looks like a petition made for justice for the poor soul who died a cruel and untimely death.
In response to this terrible incident that took place at SGACC, the PFA founder Maneka Gandhi has issued a statement (pic in the post). Some of the points mentioned are given below:
1 FIR was made against the two paravets and they have been arrested. The doctor in charge was given a notice to leave
2 SGACC has faltered in its mission and needs to be rebuilt again. Hence it will be shut down.No more animal rescues after 1/8/21
3 complete overhaul of the hospital management and it's staff while ensuring everyone working there is provided with animal sensitivity training.
https://www.facebook.com/124993247519255/posts/4572942179390984/
Ambika Shukla is the lady who runs this centre and has been running it for more than three decades. One can see her tirelessly working for the animals at the centre day and night. But this incident has tarnished her image. All her good work all these years have been mared by this one incident. According to her she was out of the centre when this incident took place. To listen to her side of the story kindly go on the link below:
https://www.facebook.com/124993247519255/posts/4580654461953089/
It takes years to build name and reputation and just one bad incident to ruin it all. This incident has definitely shaken the management of SGACC and they are not refuting it or hiding it. They have with full dignity accepted their folly and done everything possible to bring justice to Manika.
But will shutting down of SGACC help Manika get justice in anyway?
Manika and all those countless animals who died a death due to human cruelty will get justice only when their perpetrators are put in prison.
This will be possible only when our Govt amends the existing weak animal laws which releases any murderer on a bail amount of Rs. 50. and replace this toothless law with stricter laws.
The paravets who killed Manika would have never dared to do anything like that if they knew that their actions will give them life imprisonment. They too knew that animal life is very cheap in India.
Well! there is now a petition by a group of individuals who are against the shutting down of the centre. For them this is the only place where any kind of animal (monkey, dog, cow etc) may be treated for free. That too round the clock and all 365 days. There are various other positive aspects about the centre which they have highlighted in their petition. Kindly go on the link below to read the petition in detail:
An animal right activist and a caregiver himself Shakul Bhalla is also against shutting down of the centre. He says that the centre is the only hope for street animals:
This is what Kuhu Roy an animal rights activist from Baroda, Gujarat who raised her voice against the killer management who used to kill dogs in the name of ABC (animal birth control) wrote on her face book page
"The goons that killed and dislocated dogs left Ludhiana. It was a ten months long struggle with repeated complaints to Punjab CMO. But that is half story said. They left unpunished. Why? Because there is just no system for accountability and transparency in animal welfare, more so, in animal birth control. It is the entire system that needs an overhaul".
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1254024521703602&id=100012881987835
What about such management who leave without being punished? Management which have been responsible for the murder of hundreds of Manika?
No guilt and no apology from their part and needless to say never seen a petition seeking justice for those dogs who got killed in the name of ABC and for punishing the management which was responsible for their death.
Anyway coming back to SGACC why can't overhauling of the centre be done section wise or area wise while the centre is still operational?
Shutting down the centre completely will neither be in favour of the animals nor their caregivers. Because there are many caregivers who cannot afford to send their animals in paid shelters. Also where will the accident cases go who have no caregiver to look after them?
But yes the centre does require a more humane and sensitive staff. The management has to find ways to recruit right people in their organization and they have to be receptive to the feedback and views of their employees.
And last but not the least SGACC should get back the brave and courageous employee Diksha and her husband who kept the life of the voiceless above their own life and safety. Their inputs and feedback will certainly help the centre improve and get back its lost glory.