Kerala is in the news this time not for its routine hartals, not even for the group politics and not even for the beautiful tourist locations, lakes and boat houses. This time it is defending the rights of stray dogs. Social media is full of discussions and debates. Some enthusiasts have even started a boycott Kerala movement. The group is calling tourists to skip Kerala from their destination. The movement attempts to make the tourists believe that the main attraction of Kerala is its stray dogs and not the greenery, coconut palms, back waters, tea gardens, elephants, festivals, boat races, Kathakali, martial arts, temples and of course the great people who live in harmony.
Majority of Keralites use public transport and walk quite a distance daily. Stray dogs is a menace to pedestrians. My aunt, who is in her late eighties was bitten by a stray dog last May. She was going to her neighbors home. She narrated the hassle of undergoing the rabies protection injections. My aunt is one such person. There are numerous others who are victims of this stray dog menace.
The stray dog issue is not limited to Kerala only, it is serious in other part of India as well. I recollect an incident that happened with me. It was in 1987, I was then living in sector 17B, Gurgaon, now known as IFFCO chowk. Gurgaon was not developed then like what it is today. The Jaipur highway was still under construction. Public transport was limited to a few Haryana Roadways and DTC buses via the Delhi - Jaipur road. Late night transport was at the mercy of some DTC buses to Jaipur or truck drivers. I think it was a cold December night, I went to see off my sister in New Delhi Railway station. My sister was traveling to Allahabad in Prayagraj express which leaves New Delhi at around 10PM. On my way back, I went to the Ajmeri gate side of New Delhi Railway station. After a long wait, one DTC bus going to Jaipur agreed to make an unscheduled stop near the HUDA garden and drop me. I don't recollect how much I paid, I think it was four or five rupees. No ticket was issued as the bus was not supposed to stop in Gurgaon. I heard the conductors and drivers pocket the money collected from passengers to whom such favor is granted. It was a huge relief otherwise taxis from Gurgaon would cost over one hundred rupees.
Getting down from the bus, I walked towards my home in 17 sector. Between HUDA garden and 17 sector, on the Gurgaon - Mehrauli Road, there is a village called Sukhrali. One has to pass through Sukrali village to get to sector 17B. The distance is about two kilometers. It was past midnight and no cycle Rickshwas were available. I was alone, mustered some courage and started walking towards my home. When I reached close to the village about thirty plus dogs started barking. It appeared as if there is a dog procession going on. I knew that I cannot cross the village without being attacked by the dogs. There was no one on the streets other than me. The village was dead asleep. I also had no other choice. Not knowing what to do, I stopped where I was. The dogs were advancing towards me. I got scared and started walking back hoping the dogs will disperse and I will be able to resume my journey. Almost an hour passed, the dogs continue to bark and occupy the streets. I thought I will have to spend the night standing on the roads. It was not the era of cellphones, there was no way I could communicate to my wife or anybody.
At this time I saw a torch light advancing in the direction where I was. It was a night watchman of a factory near the Delhi border. He was on his bicycle. Seeing me at an odd place at odd time, he stopped and asked what am I doing there? I narrated my story. The man offered me a ride on his bicycle. I was still afraid of the dogs and I asked him whether he is afraid too? He told me he is and quickly added that he travels that stretch every day and has discovered the technique to divert the attention of the dogs. He asked me to watch his trick. The dogs were fierce and still barking. When he reached close to the dogs, this man took a few Chapatis (bread) from the clothe bag that was hung on his bicycle. He threw a few chapati pieces in both directions. Seeing the chapati, the dogs split and ran to both directions. The road became sanitized and the man started pedaling the bicycle fast. The gentleman dropped me in front of my house and proceeded to his factory for his night duty.
I narrated the story of my aunt and mine to highlight how big is the problem with stray dogs. I know another friend of mine chased by stray dogs met with a major scooter accident in Allahabad. It is easy for people to speak big about animal rights and run social media campaigns. Some of them may not be aware of how big the menace is. Not everyone enjoy killing another living being for fun, not the least dogs. Think about the ordinary people who has to walk to their bus stops, school, work etc. My humble submission to all the dog right activist is that we all value the right to life for dogs but the danger posed by the stray dog menace is huge. If you love dogs, feel free to adopt them. Give them a home. Don't run fake campaigns in the comfort of your home or luxury automobiles.
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