food for thought

Some disturbing visuals of cruelty to animals have been circulating in social media lately, causing much outcry and calls for a tougher law. In the heart of Hyderabad, a group of minors are seen burning three puppies alive after playing with them for some time. As the poor creatures tried in vain to escape, the miscreants video recorded their ghoulish act, which has now gone viral. But there is nothing the police can do as the boys are all juveniles, so they have been sent for counseling. In another ghastly incident in that city, a person armed with an air gun is seen shooting a dog dead just for the heck of it. A few weeks earlier, two medical students in Cheni threw a dog from the terrace of a three-storey building. They too proudly uploaded the video footage on social media. After outraged netizens identified the heartless duo, they were arrested but released on bail. What was heartrending about this incident was that when the unfortute female dog was discovered with a broken hip, she still wagged her tail at rescuers. Slowly recovering, this dog has now built up a huge fan following; they are saluting her as a braveheart and wondering how her faith in humans still remains intact. This is what some humans are perpetrating on an animal considered as man’s best friend. The cruelty to some other animals, domestic or wild, can hardly be imagined. Animal rights activists are now demanding amendments for a stricter law to deal with cruelty to animals. The maximum pelty for killing an animal is just Rs 50, which makes a mockery of the spirit of the law. But what kind of mindset lies behind such wanton cruelty? It is sobering to see how some people, particularly minors, lack a humane spirit just like some other people are colour blind. Such depraved souls draw vicarious pleasure in making animals suffer, more so as they are helpless and dumb. Down the ages, some of the best minds have pondered over the ture of human evil. Nobel Prize-winning English author William Golding in his disturbing 1954 novel ‘Lord of the Flies’, showed how a group of boys, marooned on a lonely island, descend into mindless savagery. Even as society tries to grapple with such cruelty, the law must at least ensure that offenders do not get off lightly. If humans believe in growing towards a true world civilization, it is the duty of all right thinking people to take their roles seriously as custodians of their planet and its myriad creatures.