Mandating the Dog-Meat ban is a political Issue

Dog meat is ubiquitous in Nagaland and Mizoram as well as Naga dominated Manipur. It is a well loved delicacy and is consumed regularly. The capital city Kohima's Municipal Council is afraid to implement the ban on dog meat because they fear widespread opposition and violence. The Municipal council also worries about the "economic impact" of shutting down the trade and the loss of "jobs." The dog meat ban came into existence because an Assamese petitioner sued the Government of Nagaland for allowing the illegal sale of dog-meat. Nearly half of Assam's community street dogs have been eaten by the Naga people in - from 23,000 in 2002 to less than 14,000, says Sangeeta Goswami, head of the Guwahati chapter of the People for Animals (PFA). Since I started this petition, I have learned quite a bit about the politics of the region, the ongoing tribal wars and their desire to be an independent nation as well as the nature of the people and their insatiable desire for dog meat. I'll be writing more about this on my website. So what does this mean for all of us who can't sleep at night thinking of the misery of the dogs, not only in Nagaland but everywhere where this proclivity exists? Will we stand behind India if she insists on the implementation of this ban to the greatest degree possible, even to the extent of monitoring and prosecuting households who raise dogs for food? Or will we give ear to the dog-meat consuming tribal group of Nagas who will condemn India for interfering with their "traditions" and "way of life." Photo: Sangeeta Gowswami - Dogs being "transported" on the back of a vehicle to/in Nagaland.