Stray Hatred in India

Hate and fear are two totally different words with entirely different meanings.

But with current scenario in India, people who fear dogs have somehow started spreading hate for them among people and society even though not all hate or fear those animals.

Zoophobia is the fear of animals and there is a word "Cynophobia" meaning fear of one specific animal, that is, dog. Does the fear of something should make us humans kill it? How is it that we have become so egocentric and self-serving that we consider ourselves above everything in this world. 

In school, we are made to learn the importance of flora and fauna around us and how they are crucial for our existence. But certainly, parents of those students are somehow making them understand about life from an altogether different scenario. Sometimes, I feel those parents themselves never understood the importance of environment, so how could they possibly make their children appreciate it.

It's not like those parents do not like trees in the environment. They even plant trees on special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries. But when those trees grow and monkeys take shelter on those trees, people hate them. When cows or dogs take shelter under those trees, people scare them away. This is how people love trees in this country. 

These people scare street animals away if they take shelter near their house or under a tree near their house. But they would feed cows and dogs after some pandit tells them to, so as to correct some of their Karma. This is today's India. And yes, I don't know how Indians are proud to call themselves Indian, because I am not. After getting to know the harsh reality of animals in this country, can anyone even call themselves' a decent human being??!!!

In my region, first of November every year is celebrated as Haryana Day and people do not hide away from saying "doodh dahi ka khana desan main des haryana" meaning haryanavi people love their curd and milk. And not to forget, all this comes from cattle. People will do everything in their power to extract every good thing from nature and its animals. But when that cattle poops near their house, they hate the same animal that provides for their daily needs.

Mentality of urban population in Haryana who have not exposed themselves outside of their self-centered life wants everything from cattle but can not bear them near their house. They would go to shelter to give food to animals for their personal agendas but when those animals find shelter near their house, they scare them away.

I understand people want their surroundings clean. But they should not forget that they are living in a developing nation and not an over developed one. If they wish to live in environments like those of UK or USA or Europe, then they should visit those countries first and learn to follow cleanliness rules themselves and ask government to build shelters for cattle and stray animals like in those countries. People here just want the stray animals out of their sight without thinking that they are living beings just like us. They feel pain, crave for love and need food for their survival.

Human with time has become the most dangerous breed in the world. Danger for everything around them. Selfish, egoistic, self-obsessed and what not. I can not argue about other regions or states but in my city, I have seen rather a larger group of mainly senior citizens who not only dislike dogs but significantly hate them to such an extent that they give them poison mixed with food, pour hot liquid (water/ oil) on them, mercilessly beat them with sticks until they die. These are the scenarios that I have witnessed. There are even larger violent crimes committed against street animals everyday in this country. 

In my opinion, other than fear, it's the frustration of men in our society that they could only take out on these animals. Because they won't be answerable to anyone after injuring them or torturing them.

I can not even imagine a man sleeping peacefully after committing such a heinous crime on an innocent soul. That poor puppy who did not even fathom the thought that the man who they trusted for food would poison them. Such people pride themselves in doing such acts of cowardice. And they could do this only because of poor laws against animal cruelty in the country. These people not only behave violently with those poor dogs but also with people who feed them, befriend them and look after their vaccination and sterilization. 

Municipal corporations do nothing. They shell out tenders once in several years for the vaccination/ sterilization programmes. That too only after something like a rabies incident happens. 

But sterilization and vaccination still does not help the situation. 

My husband and I have sterilized around 15 dogs without any government agency's help. But still after vaccinations and sterilizations, the people where those street pups live just want them gone and relocated in different parts of the city. One man even killed the mother of those pups who were still dependent on their mother for milk. People do not intercept these situations emotionally. They become so illogical in solving the problem in front of them that they stop being a human. I feared so much for those pups' safety for around 6 months that I used to skip all my work and visit them 2-3 times a day only to be sure that they were still there. Because if they got relocated, I would never be able to find them. Also, relocation of street animals in our country is illegal and punishable offense. But who cares. 

I.P.C. Section 428 and 429 provides severe punishment (up to 5 years imprisonment) to people resorting to dislocation, abduction and acts of cruelty towards community animals or pets.

After 6 months, people still do not refrain themselves in throwing insults. According to them, people like me who care for street animals are some inferior who are meant to be insulted for what they are doing. What they do not understand is, we take out time aside from our own life to care for other beings around us. Be it financially, physically or mentally, caring for street animals in this country, is tedious in every way. The care for animals and environment which could be beautiful and exciting, is made cruel and hell because of these people who cause obstruction in every way possible for the animal care takers in this country.

I do not know when this country will have a Police Force only for Animal Rights and stricter rules will get implemented to create fear among street animal haters. In this country, people do not even follow normal rules and regulations made for people, how could we expect animal rules to be followed. 

No expectations from this country. Not at least in the near future.