Amidst scores of children falling prey to canine bites in Srinagar the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Viva, an NGO, came up for hearing before the High Court earlier this week. Srinagar Municipal Corporation submitted the status report and informed the court about the steps being taken to start sterilization of stray dogs in the City. There were five lawyers pleading the case for canines and only one represented the humans. Detailed news stories done by M Hyderi in Greater Kashmir about the dog menace have been stirring the subject consistently. Hyderi has highlighted how dangerous dog menace is, but it seems that his attempts have failed to wake up the government, and the people who seem to be in the deep slumber. Let’s hope they wake up before dogs barge into our homes.
The Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) and the Society for Prevention of Cruelty against Animals (SPCA), pleading the case of canines have been maintaining that “sterilization” is the sole solution to the problem. Top lawyers are fighting for the rights of dogs but none of the lawyers seems to be interested to plead the case of humans. The President of the High Court Bar Association (HCBA) Mian Abdul Qayoom had recently admitted that dog menace is deadly. He had expressed his desire to fight the case personally if somebody comes forward with a complaint. It is strange that despite HCBA making tall claims about it fighting for the rights of Kashmiris it is waiting for someone to come up with a complaint. Why doesn’t HCBA raise its voice against the canine menace? If journalists can come forward why can’t lawyers.
There were rumors that five lawyers representing canines are getting a handsome amount as fees from AWBI and SPCA. On the other hand people are not ready to spend much on the lawyers to plead the case of humans.
If people in each mohalla make a committee and decide to plead their case against the dogs they can hire topmost lawyers. We need to understand that canine menace has made our children vulnerable and they can be mauled by these dogs anywhere any time, and many such cases have been reported till date.
People need to wake up and look for practical solutions. They can file PILs, launch awareness campaign and hold protests. It can put government in a tight spot as government cannot book people under Public Safety Act (PSA) for asking it to save them and their children from the wrath of dogs.
The government has been claiming that sterilization is the sole solution to the problem, but experts have expressed reservations about its benefits saying by the time 40 dogs would be sterilized, 400 more will be born..
Recently Minister of State for Home, Nasir Aslam Wani had revealed that there are 91,110 dogs in the Srinagar city alone and steps are being taken to sterilize canines. If steps are being taken to sterilize dogs then why is their population increasing? It seems someone needs to tell the people at the helm that our children have to walk through lanes and by lanes to reach to their schools every day. Who is going to take care of them. Government needs to wake up and address the problems faced by the masses. Revealing figures is no solution. More needs to be done.
“From January to March 2012 over 1600 cases of canine bites were registered at SMHS Hospital run Anti Rabies Clinic (ARC) in Srinagar. The dog bites have broken all previous records with almost 80% increase in the cases within a year. From 4230 cases reported in 2010, the number swelled to 7257 in 2011. The actual figures could be even higher as this data pertains to cases administered at the ARC in Srinagar alone. There’s another record about the dog bite cases as most of the cases were Category-3 Bites, considered deadliest,” Greater Kashmir reported on April 12, 2012.
People who claim to be so called animal rights activists need to answer one simple question. When any wild animal becomes a man eater he is killed, then why dogs can’t be killed when they pose a threat to human lives, especially children.

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Lastupdate on : Fri, 13 Apr 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 13 Apr 2012 18:30:00 GMT
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