(IN) Please enlighten Malayala Manorama's leader writer

[Guest guest]

*Kerala tourism bitten *

 

(Killing stray dogs is the duty of the Government)

 

 

 

Stray dogs have attacked the major income generating tourism

sector of the state government. A rabid dog has recently bitten five persons

including three foreigners in the Fort Kochi beach area. One can guess the

fear generated in the minds of tourists from European countries where no

disturbance from stray dogs exist. Will the inflow of tourists be affected

when our state is pictured as a dangerous state where one cannot walk

fearing dogs?

 

 

 

The annual income from tourism for the state has reached

Rs.12, 0000 crores and the investment during last year was Rs.1000 crores.

The inflow of tourists has increased 20%. The state Home minister Mr.

Kodiyeri Balakrishnan in charge of Tourism while proudly exhibiting the

above statistics should not belittle the threat from stray dogs. For how

long shall we hide the fact that there are 13 lakhs stray dogs in our small

state and slaughter houses and waste dumps near the road side are good food

reserves for them? Even if it is the duty of the local self governing bodies

and the Government to ensure the safety of the citizens who face threat from

the stray dogs for 365 days, they don’t show any interest in it.

 

 

 

It was a great news for papers- on the day the Secondary

School Leaving Certificate Examinations results came out- showing Akhi M Das

a girl student got bitten by stray dogs and was bed ridden for a long time,

wrote the examination braving the great pain and came out in flying colours.

A pack of almost 10 stray dogs jumped upon a group of girls including Akhi.

While running away from the dogs Akhi fell down and broke her vein. Though

most of the victims of stray dog bites are children society does not raise

its voice for practical remedies against this menace. The rulers face this

problem with a half mind despite rebukes from the court. The only step taken

recently was that the rates of dog catchers were increased from Rs.20 to

Rs.50 per dog. But the local bodies were doubtful of getting enough dog

catchers. Nowadays it is quite difficult to get good hands even for better

employment who would venture into dog catching where one’s own life is at

peril. When Maneka Gandhi was Central Social Welfare Minister in 1999 she

stopped killing of stray dogs. The local self governing bodies in Kerala too

stopped that. As a result the number of stray dogs has increased.

Sterilization and anti rabies injections, the alternative steps recommended

were not successful. Strange rules like observation of dogs suspected to be

rabid in closed cells were recommended. How can a government which could not

give free life saving medicines even to the poor, allot man power and money

in the case of stray dogs?

 

 

 

The High Court was with the people’s side in public interest

litigations. The High Court has directed the implementation of the order of

the Panchayat Ombudsman to the local bodies to kill all stray dogs on a war

footing. The fundamental right of safety to life was the basis of this

judgment. The government explained in the Kerala Legislative Assembly that

there is no objection in implementing the order. It is a lapse from all

wings of the government that no follow up steps were taken. As a result

Kerala has got a bad name as the Land of Stray Dogs.

 

 

 

The progeny of one dog can multiply into more than one thousand

in 6 years. If you are bitten by a rabid dog and the vaccination is not

taken properly you will definitely die. Now nobody in Kerala either a

foreigner or a local could walk without fear of life. This happens in a

state proudly known all over the world as the model for social security and

decentralized governance. It is the duty of the government and the local

self governing bodies to ensure the life of the citizen. Let the slaughter

of stray dogs be officially started with the help of the people.

 

 

 

 

 

(*The above editorial appeared on 16th May2009 in “Malayala Manorama†the

most widely read Malayalam newspaper of Kerala in India. This editorial can

give a very strong and wrong impression regarding the scientific and humane

methods of stray dog management We do not know whether the leader writer was

aware of the existence of the recent order from the Hon: Supreme Court of

India banning the killing of stray dogs. The following excerpt is from

Wikipedia regarding the news paper.)*

 

* *

 

*Malayala Manorama*

(Malayalam<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malayalam_language>:

മലയാള മനോരമ) is a popular Malayalam

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malayalam>daily with a very strong

readership in Kerala. It is one of the most

credible newspapers in Kerala and also India's largest circulated " regional

newspaper " .[*citation

needed<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed>

*] The Manorama group, which manages the newspaper, also runs the Manorama

Yearbook, largest circulated yearbook in the region. Malayala Manorama,

which first appeared on 14 March 1890, as a weekly, currently has a

readership of over 16 million, with a circulation base of over 16 lakh

copies. Manorama is Kerala's largest selling and most widely read newspaper.

[*citation needed

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed>*]Malayala

Manorama has the largest readership among Malayalam dailies.

[*citation needed

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed>*]Malayala

Manorama is very much popular among Christians and the supporters

of the Congress party in kerala. Manorama is acclaimed of its highly

attractive page layouts.The Malayalam word Manorama roughly translates to

" Entertainer. "

 

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