Cruelty towards animals

Cruelty to animals is so common here that no one notices it. Perhaps it is a symptom of deeper psychological malaise

Last month villagers beat a leopard to death after it attacked the mayor of Sribordi municipality at Shait Kakra village in Sribordi upazila. Witnesses said the tiger entered the village from forests in the morning. As local people chased the animal it took shelter in a hole made for shallow engine. Now the leopard (or as many claim a big fishing cat) was only doing what it was supposed to. The mayor hand no business going so close to the jungle cat which is genetically programmed to lash out when it feels threatened. As a punishment the animal was beaten down to death. In an ideal situation the people who saw the leopard would have called the authorities first. The people from the concerned department would come, sedate the animal and take it back to jungle where it would be released. However it would be expecting too much in this country.
Sometime back I read a report on a couple of dolphins which had strayed on one of the shores. The dolphins were beaten to death after being caught in the fishing net of a fisherman. Instead of freeing the struggling creatures, a whole mob gathered around them and beat them with sticks, stones and all they could find just for the sole purpose of their entertainment.
 Cruelty to animals can be defined as the infliction of physical pain, suffering or death upon an animal, wantonly, for mere sport, for the indulgence of a cruel and vindictive temper, or with reckless indifference to its pain.
“The greatness of a nation is judged by the way it treats its animals”, Mahatma Gandhi. By the standard of the Mahatma we must be judged rather poorly as a nation. Cruelty towards animals is seemingly ingrained in our genes. Cruelty to animals is so common here that no one notices it. Perhaps it is be a symptom of deeper psychological malaise.
 From little children to adults almost everyone has at least once kicked a sleeping dog merely for the twisted pleasure they get out of a yelping dog. What we as a nation are failing to realize is that these creatures are part of our ecosystem and as they go extinct, the human race endangers itself.
Kids throwing rocks at a stray do–not to mention other despicable things–throwing warm water on a domestic cat, catching house sparrows and killing them, breaking beautiful nests of birds is common. Many rural teens adventure consist of drowning with water fox-caves and if any manage to escape through sheer desperation beat it to death. And can we blame them? Not really, because their fathers and grandfathers did the same thing in their childhood. Pregnant cows are killed off and the meat of both the unborn calf and the cow is sold. Bullock carts are forced to carry way more goods and people than can be reasonably expected of them. To top it they are beaten mercilessly by the riders if they slag even slightly. The farmers beating bullocks during ploughing is another common scene. The bullocks used to operated the mustard oil press face similar abuse. Greedy milkmen sell off the milk (never forgetting to adding water and other spurious elements by the way) often depriving the new born calves.  
Dozens of foxes are slaughtered everyday because it is believe that fox meat is a sure-fire cure for arthritis and other pain-related ailments. Bats are massacred because their meat supposedly cures asthma and other bronchial diseases. And it would take a long list to cover all the animals–some exotic and endangered–animals who have to die for the bogus claim of them having aphrodisiac properties. Sweet water dolphins have been killed of to extinction for supposedly having medicinal qualities. Same has been the fate of Pangoli or Bon Ruis.
Killing an animal does not require any reason to kill animals. We often hear about exotic fish or other sea animals swept ashore only to be killed by the locals.    
Most people in Bangladesh just don’t understand that birds and animals have emotions and can feel pain and joy.
In fact if anyone protests against these kinds of wanton cruelty they are ridiculed and harassed. Even acts of kindness towards animals are looked upon with some degree of suspicion. There is this gentleman who regularly feeds the monkeys of old Dhaka. He told this writer he had to face incredulity initially and later even hostility from the local people.  
“Unseen they suffer, unheard
they cry
In Agony they linger, in loneliness they die
Does it mean anything to you or anyone who passes by?”
These words penned above epitomize the pain and suffering that millions of animals endure at human hands daily. We are more often than not mute witnesses to acts of animal cruelty happening all around us. The fact is that laws do exist in Bangladesh against cruelty towards animals. However the law has become antiquated and is extremely inadequate for the present days. According to the Cruelty to Animals Act  “If any person kills any animal in an unnecessarily cruel manner he shall be punished with fine which may extend to two hundred Taka, or with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months, or with both. Provided that nothing in this section shall render it an offence to kill any animal in a manner required by the religion or religious rites and usages of any race, sect, tribe or class, or for any bona fide scientific purpose or for the preparation of any medicinal drug.” As you can see the law is rather lenient. However few people and apparently even fewer law enforcers are aware of these law in the face of such ignorance animals are helpless victims. There is an urgent need for amending the Prevention of Animal Cruelty Act and its strict implementation.
There have been documented reports that hundreds of claves are slaughtered everyday to satisfy our taste buds. Few people have any compunction in eating restaurants that sell such meat.
Thankfully the number of snake charmers, monkey and bear displayers are fading out. But they are disappearing for economic reasons rather than moral ones. The circuses continue to be popular. The circuses display a mockery of the magnificence of animals like the lion or the elephant.
The various animals are made to do stupid acts to thrill people. In fact these animals undergo starvation and beatings before they learn to perform an act.
Now let’s talk a bit about the pet markets. The deplorable state in which these animals are kept is abhorrent The cages are packed with kittens, chicks and puppies so much so that there is no room for proper ventilation.
 Many of the shops have secret chambers where exotic animals are kept. Dogs, deprived of affection and food, yelp constantly for attention.
Violent acts towards animals have long been recognised as indicators of a dangerous psychopathology that does not confine itself to animals. Anyone who has accustomed himself to regard the life of any living creature as worthless is in danger of arriving also at the idea of worthless human lives. Murderers … very often start out by killing and torturing animals as kids. Studies have now convinced sociologists, lawmakers and the courts that acts of cruelty to animals deserve our attention. They can be the first sign of a dangerous pathology that threatens humans as well. Animals, such as humans, are capable of emotion, thought, and pain; when you support the exploitation of them, you only promote indifference and establish that you are unsympathetic to suffering.
Many people respond to any animal rights’ debate by saying that this country does not provide basic human rights and animal rights’ is the last thing which should be on anyone’s mind. However, what most of them fail to realize is that without animals, there might not be any humans left in the not so distant future.
It can be argued that the common man here does not have the awareness and education to think about the above mentioned factors. However, isn’t it all the more reason to start thinking about such matters and teach our children at a young age? The general public needs to be made aware of the hazards of animal cruelty. It is not only the responsibility of only media houses to ensure this but also the duty of each and every individual of our society.
In the Quran it is said  “All creatures on earth are sentient beings. There is not an animal on earth, nor a bird that flies on its wings - but they are communities like you. The Prophet has said 'It is a great sin for man to imprison those animals which are in his power' People should be made aware that animals, birds, fish, plants are God’s creation like human beings are. They should be given the love, care and respect they are due. No one should be allowed to ‘own’ a life form they are not prepared to honour.  Cruelty, in any shape or form, cannot be condoned and the perpetrators must be taken to task.

The writer is Assistant Editor of The Independent and can be contacted at: [email protected]

Cruelty towards animals

Cruelty to animals is so common here that no one notices it. Perhaps it is a symptom of deeper psychological malaise

Last month villagers beat a leopard to death after it attacked the mayor of Sribordi municipality at Shait Kakra village in Sribordi upazila. Witnesses said the tiger entered the village from forests in the morning. As local people chased the animal it took shelter in a hole made for shallow engine. Now the leopard (or as many claim a big fishing cat) was only doing what it was supposed to. The mayor hand no business going so close to the jungle cat which is genetically programmed to lash out when it feels threatened. As a punishment the animal was beaten down to death. In an ideal situation the people who saw the leopard would have called the authorities first. The people from the concerned department would come, sedate the animal and take it back to jungle where it would be released. However it would be expecting too much in this country. Sometime back I read a report on a couple of dolphins which had strayed on one of the shores. The dolphins were beaten to death after being caught in the fishing net of a fisherman. Instead of freeing the struggling creatures, a whole mob gathered around them and beat them with sticks, stones and all they could find just for the sole purpose of their entertainment. Cruelty to animals can be defined as the infliction of physical pain, suffering or death upon an animal, wantonly, for mere sport, for the indulgence of a cruel and vindictive temper, or with reckless indifference to its pain. The greatness of a nation is judged by the way it treats its animals, Mahatma Gandhi. By the standard of the Mahatma we must be judged rather poorly as a nation. Cruelty towards animals is seemingly ingrained in our genes. Cruelty to animals is so common here that no one notices it. Perhaps it is be a symptom of deeper psychological malaise. From little children to adults almost everyone has at least once kicked a sleeping dog merely for the twisted pleasure they get out of a yelping dog. What we as a nation are failing to realize is that these creatures are part of our ecosystem and as they go extinct, the human race endangers itself. Kids throwing rocks at a stray donot to mention other despicable thingsthrowing warm water on a domestic cat, catching house sparrows and killing them, breaking beautiful nests of birds is common. Many rural teens adventure consist of drowning with water fox-caves and if any manage to escape through sheer desperation beat it to death. And can we blame them? Not really, because their fathers and grandfathers did the same thing in their childhood. Pregnant cows are killed off and the meat of both the unborn calf and the cow is sold. Bullock carts are forced to carry way more goods and people than can be reasonably expected of them. To top it they are beaten mercilessly by the riders if they slag even slightly. The farmers beating bullocks during ploughing is another common scene. The bullocks used to operated the mustard oil press face similar abuse. Greedy milkmen sell off the milk (never forgetting to adding water and other spurious elements by the way) often depriving the new born calves. Dozens of foxes are slaughtered everyday because it is believe that fox meat is a sure-fire cure for arthritis and other pain-related ailments. Bats are massacred because their meat supposedly cures asthma and other bronchial diseases. And it would take a long list to cover all the animalssome exotic and endangeredanimals who have to die for the bogus claim of them having aphrodisiac properties. Sweet water dolphins have been killed of to extinction for supposedly having medicinal qualities. Same has been the fate of Pangoli or Bon Ruis. Killing an animal does not require any reason to kill animals. We often hear about exotic fish or other sea animals swept ashore only to be killed by the locals. Most people in Bangladesh just dont understand that birds and animals have emotions and can feel pain and joy. In fact if anyone protests against these kinds of wanton cruelty they are ridiculed and harassed. Even acts of kindness towards animals are looked upon with some degree of suspicion. There is this gentleman who regularly feeds the monkeys of old Dhaka. He told this writer he had to face incredulity initially and later even hostility from the local people. Unseen they suffer, unheard they cry In Agony they linger, in loneliness they die Does it mean anything to you or anyone who passes by? These words penned above epitomize the pain and suffering that millions of animals endure at human hands daily. We are more often than not mute witnesses to acts of animal cruelty happening all around us. The fact is that laws do exist in Bangladesh against cruelty towards animals. However the law has become antiquated and is extremely inadequate for the present days. According to the Cruelty to Animals Act If any person kills any animal in an unnecessarily cruel manner he shall be punished with fine which may extend to two hundred Taka, or with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months, or with both. Provided that nothing in this section shall render it an offence to kill any animal in a manner required by the religion or religious rites and usages of any race, sect, tribe or class, or for any bona fide scientific purpose or for the preparation of any medicinal drug. As you can see the law is rather lenient. However few people and apparently even fewer law enforcers are aware of these law in the face of such ignorance animals are helpless victims. There is an urgent need for amending the Prevention of Animal Cruelty Act and its strict implementation. There have been documented reports that hundreds of claves are slaughtered everyday to satisfy our taste buds. Few people have any compunction in eating restaurants that sell such meat. Thankfully the number of snake charmers, monkey and bear displayers are fading out. But they are disappearing for economic reasons rather than moral ones. The circuses continue to be popular. The circuses display a mockery of the magnificence of animals like the lion or the elephant. The various animals are made to do stupid acts to thrill people. In fact these animals undergo starvation and beatings before they learn to perform an act. Now lets talk a bit about the pet markets. The deplorable state in which these animals are kept is abhorrent The cages are packed with kittens, chicks and puppies so much so that there is no room for proper ventilation. Many of the shops have secret chambers where exotic animals are kept. Dogs, deprived of affection and food, yelp constantly for attention. Violent acts towards animals have long been recognised as indicators of a dangerous psychopathology that does not confine itself to animals. Anyone who has accustomed himself to regard the life of any living creature as worthless is in danger of arriving also at the idea of worthless human lives. Murderers very often start out by killing and torturing animals as kids. Studies have now convinced sociologists, lawmakers and the courts that acts of cruelty to animals deserve our attention. They can be the first sign of a dangerous pathology that threatens humans as well. Animals, such as humans, are capable of emotion, thought, and pain; when you support the exploitation of them, you only promote indifference and establish that you are unsympathetic to suffering. Many people respond to any animal rights debate by saying that this country does not provide basic human rights and animal rights is the last thing which should be on anyones mind. However, what most of them fail to realize is that without animals, there might not be any humans left in the not so distant future. It can be argued that the common man here does not have the awareness and education to think about the above mentioned factors. However, isnt it all the more reason to start thinking about such matters and teach our children at a young age? The general public needs to be made aware of the hazards of animal cruelty. It is not only the responsibility of only media houses to ensure this but also the duty of each and every individual of our society. In the Quran it is said All creatures on earth are sentient beings. There is not an animal on earth, nor a bird that flies on its wings - but they are communities like you. The Prophet has said It is a great sin for man to imprison those animals which are in his power People should be made aware that animals, birds, fish, plants are Gods creation like human beings are. They should be given the love, care and respect they are due. No one should be allowed to own a life form they are not prepared to honour. Cruelty, in any shape or form, cannot be condoned and the perpetrators must be taken to task. The writer is Assistant Editor of The Independent and can be contacted at: [email protected]