Shoot The Dog?

“Tell that to the parents of the children who were killed by the dogs”

So say people if you so much as broach the topic of Bangalore mass canine genocide.

Emotion is the antithesis of reason, of clear thought and logic. Classic right-brain, left-brain manifestation.

People, we are NOT saying that one shouldn’t do ANYTHING about the stray dogs. Do something we must!Because 2 small children dying is no small matter. But is killing them all in the worst possible manner!! is that the solution? Are we imagining this eradication will ensure there will be no dogs left anymore? Would that solve the problem? What IS the problem? Stray Dogs? Unattended children playing in the streets (or irresponsible parents in other words) or mismanagement of a city? Or intolerance for other life forms? Or lack of education about canines? Who is the problem? Us or Them?

And, hey.....because I love dogs and am a voice for them (no matter how small, it still counts) it doesn’t mean I don’t like people or children! How does one follow from the other? Why is not having any sympathy for the parents of the children who died a necessary condition for being against the killings?

The issue is NOT Dogs Vs Children here. Read it.
The issue is NOT to kill the dogs indiscriminately and certainly NOT the way the Bengaluru municipality is doing it. We are still human beings – a higher intelligence animal – capable of logical thought, empathy and what is called ‘humane – ness’. Should a sorry incident so cloud us with emotion that we exile logic?

Would killing all dogs be the answer? Is that what would bring Manjunath back? Will it be solace enough to his parents?

That’s an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth and all this against an animal! We have picked up a really worthy adversary – the dog – who has no voice to come to his rescue, who cannot plead his case like Surendra Koli can. But Koli would never be clubbed to death or his arms pulled apart or die in another inhuman manner – because he is a human being and he deserves ‘dignity’ even in the manner he is punished. Dogs don’t. They can't give an alibi, they can't hire a lawyer and they can't proffer proof for momentary insanity. Koli can and he will be probably ( and hopefully) sent to his death with dignity that is reserved for a human being. Dogs are just a bother.