No longer does a dog have its day

MUMBAI: When it comes to stray dogs in Mumbai, they do not seem to have their ''own day'' now. The protection they enjoyed for a long time from animal lovers, courts and none other than a former union minister seems to be fading away, thanks to the aggrieved citizens, who have started taking upon themselves the duty to kill stray dogs.
Mumbaikars were horrified to know last week that a small-scale entrepreneur poured sulphuric acid on 22 dogs in an attempt to kill them in Mahakali Nagar area of Malwani.Six dogs died instantly. Acid being a requirement in his business, it was easily available to him.
On learning what had happened, neighbours informed an NGO ''Karuna'' about the incident. Soon after, its activists rushed to rescue the dogs. They took them to the hospital for treatment. It was later reported that the entrepreneur was fed up with the dogs as they were preventing his customers coming to him.
This was not the only incident. It was the third incident in a row, in a span of just few days. Just prior to this, a group of young boys attempted to burn a dog after packing it in a sack. Their attempt failed when neighbours informed an NGO which rescued the dog. In yet another incident, before that, a few stray dogs were poisoned and killed.
A common reaction over the acid-pouring incident is that the method was cruel and wrong, but one can understand the feelings of the person. Stray dogs have become a major nuisance in the city. There are an estimated five-lakh stray dogs in Mumbai. They are a cause of huge trouble to kids, two-wheeler riders and people walking to home or work during night hours. The canine brigade barks on passers-by, follow and bite them on many occasions. In one case, a dog attacked a boy injuring him severely.
Besides directly targeting the people venturing out during the night, the dogs, by their series of barking interludes, keep the people awake in their homes throughout the night, destroying completely their small hope for a peaceful and sound sleep, which is already affected by various other loud noises around them. People are helplessly experiencing a Chinese proverb, "When one dog barks at a shadow, a hundred bark at the sound."
Following the animal lovers'' plea, the high court has stayed the killing of stray dogs by civic administration. Instead, now operations are performed on dogs to stop their breeding. But financial constraints restrict such efforts to a great extent, paving the way for fast breeding of the animals resulting in a tremendous increase in stray dog population. A common Mumbaikar, who is a silent sufferer in this entire process, is thus supporting the idea of eliminating stray dogs, though he may be opposing the way it is being done.
As per the Hindu calendar, the current month is of ''Shravan'', a very pious month during which many people observe different types of fasts on different days. All these religious-minded people have been joined by a social activist and none other than a minister in the state cabinet by observing a fast not only on some days but a continuous fast unto death since August 9.
Social worker Anna Hazare has gone on fast to demand an inquiry into corruption cases. He had first targeted Food and Civil Supplies Minister Sureshdada Jain by making allegations against him. Jain rebutted by finding out "corruption" in Hazare''s trusts. When Hazare announced going on fast to demand a probe in Jain''s affairs, Jain announced he too would go on fast seeking an inquiry into the Hazare trust affairs.
At the famous Azad Maidan here, the two leaders have set up their pandals a few hundred metres away from each other protesting against corruption. The Common Mumbaikar, after seeing both the pandals, heaves a sigh of relief that society will soon become corruption-free as he finds unanimity in both the camps on one point: opposition to corruption.