What if a a group of people raid your home, hijack your space, beat you up and take control over you and deny any basic right? What if someone snatches your food and shoos you away from your home where you have grown up and hold sweet memories of your home and your people? And then, someone comes in and decides you must be beaten up and thrown away so that the person can live thence in peace. When all this is happening, imagine that you do not have any means to communicate to express your anguish and helplessness and that you are being tortured in a living hell.
Few weeks ago on a lazy Saturday noon, my mom called me up. I sensed that her voice quivered. She told me that few of her neighbors beat up a group of monkeys which ventured into the neighborhood in search of food. She recently relocated to an area which had newly constructed apartment blocks. The jungle there was cleared to make way for this concrete jungles. The animals had lost their natural home and nowhere to go. The monkeys came each noon in search of food, few good souls offered them food and thus got habitual and would visit the neighborhood every noon. The others in the surroundings deemed these monkeys to be a menace and so one day just decided to beat them to death. That noon as these monkeys came for food as usual, few men beat them up with iron rods; bleeding them. My mom said few of them were fractured and baby monkeys were running helter-skelter helplessly. One of the baby was yearning for some food - in my mom's words "The baby is begging me for care and food. I cant stand this scene"
My mom seemed very disturbed and did not know what to do. She was abusing those guys who committed this heinous crime. I am a very sensitive person who has more affinity to animals than humans. I could hear no more of that and disconnected the call. But I was deeply disturbed and decided to do something about it. I searched for organizations for animal rescue and such other groups on internet and got some contacts. Private organizations informed me that they dont tackle monkeys as they are wild and asked me to contact Bangalore's municipal authority. I begged and somehow got contact numbers which didnt go through; even if I was able to reach them; the response was not encouraging.
Finally I got through an executive who gave me the contact number of the head for department of forest. I called him and explained the situation and pleaded him to rescue those monkeys. He even seemed to be supportive and mentioned how humans encroach their natural habitats and then shoo them away; denying them their rightful place. He asked me to email my complaint with contact details. When I asked him his email id he shared his gmail id. I was apprehensive as to why should I email to his personal id and why not his official id. He promised to look into this matter. Even when I was in doubt about his response, I went ahead and lodged a formal complaint and mailed it to his id. NO RESPONSE. Tried calling him and no response.
We talk lengths about discrimination, racism and all that crap. Is this not racism? Why are we inhuman and prejudiced? What happened to our moral values? Is that a life worth living by destructing someone else's home? We take pride as the superior beings; are we not responsible enough for weaker species? Maybe animals are not on par with this "superior beings"; but they do suffer; they feel pain, sorrow, joy just like the way we feel.
We fight for women's rights, children rights, rights for minorities. Is this not applicable to dogs, cats, cows, monkeys, snakes? Religion says God created man out of his own form, does that mean we are superior and so we can dominate? We do have a greater degree of reasoning capacity and hence more responsible towards our actions. What prevents this superior being to act sensibility with morality? Every other species on earth lives in harmony but humans. We are digging our own grave.
I strongly believe we have snatched their rights and freedom and living as if we are worth it. We are a species of uncivilized heartless rogues. Shame on us!
Super post, as always. Yes, they deserve dignity and respect. They don't deserve to be beaten. However, we should not allow them to be "stray". Stray animals are a menace. They should be handled more humanely.
ReplyDeleteRecently, I was in Chennai. I stayed in Adyar (supposed to be a posh locality). Each street had hundreds (I am not exaggerating) of stray dogs. I was afraid to walk in the street.
We live in a country where even human beings do not have rights. We build dams and other industrial structures and in the process relocate thousands of people, without their willingness or givimg them any rights to their property.
ReplyDeleteRelocation of animals is more dangerous because unlike human, they would find it difficult to adapt to the new environment.
The destruction or modification of habitat is the leading cause of biodiversity loss around the world. Letting animals have rights over their habitat could be the answer.
When we think of constructions, the animals that live in the vegetation, that use it to meet their needs and those of their offspring, are effectively absent and forgotten. They don’t have serious representation in their own right.
One admittedly radical suggestion would be to give animals rights over their habitat, administered by a human guardian.The call for extending guardianship — when a person or trust manages property on behalf of a mentally incompetent person — to animals or the environment has been gathering momentum in philosophical and legal circles since the early 1970s.
Recently, the Austrian parliament passed a law requiring each province to appoint an “animal solicitor” to advocate on behalf of animals in court proceedings.
As far as biodiversity loss due to habitat destruction is concerned, it really is a case of desperate times call for desperate measures.
I second your thoughts. Whenever an animal is being bothered, I feel so helpless. All I can do is watch the poor thing get beaten up and tortured.
ReplyDeleteEven if we plea on behalf of the animals, our voice won't be heard. Just because they don't speak doesn't mean that humans have right to manipulate them and their habitat.
B, invoking religious directives may not be helpful. When the scriptures say those animals, birds and other animate and in animate things were created for Man, what do you expect of man? Compassion, Understanding, empathy? Leave that.
ReplyDeleteAnd when you have certain faith that talks lowly of the dog and a pig, what can we expect from Man?
The act, the cruel conduct that you narrated is not a stray conduct. That is ingrained in man.
As doc Antony mentioned, human beings are being thrown out of their place of domicile.
Sadly we are already a species devoid of compassion and respect for creatures that has to co-exist.We think that we are decreed to be imperious and the Lord of all we survey. I wonder if the B-cross or the SPCA is in any way effective. I feel helpless and unable to suggest a via media.
Surfing through the web. Found an article very interesting. Here is a program called “Helping Hands” in USA. Under this program, monkeys are trained to help quadriplegic and other people with severe spinal cord injuries or mobility-impairments. They train the monkeys to act as live-in companions and to assist with daily activities. For example, they could take the food from the refrigerator and heat it up in the microwave.
ReplyDeleteIn Bangalore, instead of beating and killing the monkeys, they can be trained to be of help to handicapped humans.
I have nothing to say, B.
ReplyDeleteI am too overwhelmed by emotions, by the loathsomeness of my fellow human beings. All one can hope is that humanity would be wiped out one instant. Signs are already appearing.Humanity is the cancer on mother Earth.
ReplyDeleteI too think the same way, we need some more organisations and strict laws to tackle this.
ReplyDeleteI wish people were more sensitive towards stray animals.I don't understand what joy do they get by hitting at harmless animals.Even small children find it amusing to throw stones at a small yelping puppy! I guess children should be taught how to be sensitive towards animals in general.We sabotage their habitat,and beat them too.Sad!
ReplyDeleteMy god!!!
ReplyDeletewe are dgging our grave, jumping into it and covering it back.
recently i read a news of how a national athele was thrown off a running train ... no wonder animals are treated like this...
this is very sad!!!!
VERY true 100% with you on this ..
ReplyDeleteWhen a lion or animal kills a man they are proclaimed as maneaters and SHOT .. the same rule should apply other way too ..
We should be called ANIMALEaters and SHOT ..
No second thoughs about it and you did not get response cause maybe he is like hundreds others who want the salary but not do the waork they are supposed ot do
Bikram's
sad incident indeed! beating up animals is not a solution! I know monkey can cause a havoc, but there are other ways too!
ReplyDeleteStray dogs in any city in India is a reality which no one intends to sort out.
ReplyDeleteBeating up the animals is not an answer. We have to have a peoples movement to protect the animals.
SHAME indeed !
ReplyDeletejust goes to show yr good heart..keep the spirit buddy...
ReplyDeleteVery brutal..I cant even imagine someone beating poor animals, what a cruelty..
ReplyDeleteI feel the same about stray dogs. I even started feeding stray dogs around my workplace during lunch breaks. We are indeed inhumane. I must say that I'm ashamed of being a human. I would rather be an insect.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, if it was a rural area then people would have treated the animals differently. If education makes us cruel then I would rather stay otherwise.
great that you complained.
ReplyDeleteTry to find out do they got Peta office in that area should inform them or animal rights org.
Once what happen is going to happen again.
These same people say we pray the God Hanuman.
Here in mumbai, there is panther menace (I would not call it menace though).
ReplyDeleteYour sentiments are shared by my mom who feels bad for the pigeons that try to come into our house. She says why should they not encroach our place, when we humans do it.
I would also like to add that the head of forest dept is useless, he should atleast have given a solution if not send his officials to your mom's area.
SG,
ReplyDeleteThank you. Stray animals are menace. But they dont choose to be stray. We make them stray; robbing them of their home and habitat.
Chennai has worse civic sense. I can understand
dr.antony,
Right said. A country where human life has no value; who would think about animals?
Rampant destruction of the habitat for short term gains without a foresight is foolish
Enigma,
Yeah but we should try to voice against cruelty towards them as much as possible.
Anil,
Religious texts preach about compassion and respect for animals as well. Educated people also treat these animals with cruelty. Its sad. I cant express beyond; I am out of words and such incidents break me down.
SG,
There are such programs in India as well. A group of monkeys were trained to handle stray monkeys and other animals as part of security during the CWG games in New Delhi. If you go to any rural India, couple of dogs always accompany herd of sheep to control and safeguard them.
Yet not everyone make these animals life easier.
Balan,
I understood that you are choked by emotions when you said you have nothing to say. I do hope we are wiped out in one go.
Renu,
Yes law and order is not enough. We need human beings with compassion and love
Anu,
Yes, man is a cruel creature. Children should be taught how to behave with animals and that they also have feelings and have equal rights on our habitat and environment as us.
Rajlakshmi,
Yes we are. Its sad indeed
Bik,
Yeah my doubts came true. He is just one among them
Neha,
No animals cause harm and destruction without a reason but only man. These animals lose their habitat and they trying to reclaim is labelled as havoc. Sad.
Chowla sir,
Its not only stray dogs. Others as well; we first have to behave well and give them the respect they deserve
Kavi,
Yes SHAME!
Ramesh,
I dont know if respecting your fellow living beings is a sign of having good heart or not. But they too feel pain and suffer just like us but cant communicate. That doesnt make them lower than us!!
Tomz,
Brutal yes!
Nethra,
Rural areas - oh yes, the love and compassion those people have; we have to learn from them
sm,
These org cant handle all cases. As SPCA told me, monkeys are wild and hence only the municipality can handle it. SPCA and such handle only cases w.r.t domestic animals.
G3,
I read the report about panthers straying into slum areas in Mumbai. Again there its a case of man encroaching their space.
lets hope this does not happen again.
ReplyDeleteI think such incidents would be the norm of life in days to some. No organization would be in position to handle these encroachments of forests lands by humans. We barely have laws which respect humans.. laws for animals are a far cry.
ReplyDeleteEarth is over crowded.
Man is the most intelligent and most selfish species on earth. they have invaded the whole earth inch by inch with total disregard to other living beings .
ReplyDeletei appreciate your effort.
sm,
ReplyDeleteWe can only hope
Vivek,
Its a sad thing isnt it?
chitra,
Right said. Thanks chitra, but I feel sad that I could not do anything to help those monkeys