Rabid actions by politicians will not solve Kerala’s stray dog menace
That Monday’s protest happened in Kottayam, a town which claims to be the first in India to achieve 100% literacy, is proof that literacy has no correlation to compassion or even common sense
On Monday, youth leaders of Kerala Congress (Mani) killed 10 stray dogs and paraded them in Kottayam, Kerala. They were protesting the government’s inability to stop the increasing attacks on people by strays in the town.
Kerala has been in the news for some time now for its government’s approach towards the “stray dog menace”. Last month a 65-year-old woman was mauled to death by a pack of stray dogs in Thiruvananthapuram. Last week, another woman died due to dog bite. Understandably there is discontent towards the government’s inability in addressing the issue in a manner and urgency that it requires. This discontent has led to an increase in violence against stray dogs, with the government failing to rein in politicians who are using the problem to gain visibility.
Read | Political party workers kill stray dogs, parade carcasses in Kerala
So does Kerala have a “stray dog menace”? Yes. Figures released by the department of animal husbandry show that there have been (till August) 51,000 dog bite cases resulting in four deaths — that’s roughly 240 dog bites a day for the past eight months.
What is the solution to this “threat”? Let’s be clear — the rabid actions of uninformed individuals and opportunistic politicians are not an answer to the problem.
The simple solution is a two-pronged one. First, go about vaccinating and sterilizing stray dogs in accordance to the guidelines in the Animal Birth Control Programme, which falls under the Animal Birth Control Rules 2001.
Read | Compassion towards stray dogs does not mean putting human lives at risk
The second is for humans to get their act right. Shoddy waste disposal techniques have meant that there is a ready availability of food for stray dogs. It’s a basic principle: The more waste available, the more conducive it becomes for stray dogs to thrive. Starting from panchayats to municipalities, waste management is an often ignored aspect in Kerala. Thiruvananthapuram is facing a waste disposal crisis since it has no scientific waste disposal mechanism.
That Monday’s barbarism happened in Kottayam, a town which claims to be the first in India to achieve 100% literacy, is proof that literacy (or for that matter education) has no correlation to compassion or even common sense.
Read | Kerala steps up measures to check stray dog menace
The CPI(M)-led LDF government should protect the lives and well-being of the people — and that need not be by allowing its citizens to go on a killing spree. Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who also oversees the law and order in the state, should take quick action against the KC(M) youth leaders behind Monday’s brutality — and, at the same time, expedite sterilising and vaccination drives.
@vijucherian