Continuing Cruelty

OCTOBER 2002 - So we have been to another controlled election and more controlled results should have flown out by now so that the carefully drafted script created out of Islamabad should have, what government functionaries like to call, ‘desired results.’ The answer to bad democracy is more democracy but in Pakistan, it has been more army and that’s the way it goes, whether it is Basic Democracy or Real Democracy. The terms change, but mostly nothing else does. Of course a controlled election is better than no election and even if it throws up the same jokers, we should keep shuffling and dealing. Whether we will, is another matter and one, too hazardous to guess. One must confess a churning of the stomach at the sight of the grunting Ch.Shujaat Hussain with words like integrity, decency, honesty clipped to his torso or of the Millat Man, Mr. Leghari and his weirdly-spun rather strange mixed up story of Cinderella and the tailor. Perhaps Mr. Lehgari should have asked a ten year old to write it for him; it might have been a little more palatable. Whatever or whoever rolls in, we can be certain of one thing; the plight of the commoner will get worse, not better. The number of people who comprise the embarrassingly large pile of living (is it living?) below the poverty line will rise just as surely as power rates. As long as we have so many chiefs and so many leaders who all live opulent and extravagant lives, the rest of the country will have to take a hike, as our on-off friends the Americans put it.

No, whatever the dispensation is at the center of power where platitudes outweigh performance, the outlook for the nation is dismal. It is therefore somewhat irrelevant to talk about the plight of another species who share the country with us – the country’s large and mostly neglected animals who suffer from excessive mistreatment, cruelty and deprivation. In one sense this is perfectly understandable since the majority of the people in whose land the animals live – and die, fare no better. But does that mean that since this is so, therefore the cruelty must continue? Whatever that may or may not be, many of us believe that a nation which is cruel to its animals cannot flourish in any real sense of the word. This week there is a letter full of anguish from Peshawar which recounts the barbaric whipping of two horses which fell while carrying unimaginable loads. In one case it was an overloaded ‘tonga’ and once the horse fell – as is natural particularly if it is not even shod properly, it was unable to get up since the passengers were unwilling to alight. Thereupon, the owner who has a livelihood thanks to this animal that cannot complain, unleashed a whipping frenzy on the fallen horse supported I have no doubt, with the choicest expletives. A fallen animal when whipped is not likely to rise automatically. That would be very basic common sense. Asking the passengers to alight and helping the horse get up would accomplish the task more easily but why not whip the animal and take out your frustration? It is, after all, the done thing, is it not? How many of us have seen this act in our lives and how many of us have actually stopped and rectified the situation or even prevented a beating? No first prizes for guessing the answers to that. We click our tongues, if at all we notice this barbarity, and go along our way.

There is a sadistic demon inside every Pakistani and it begins from childhood. Look around and see the number of maimed animals scurrying about like thieves, with broken legs, an eye missing, wounds and scars, the handiwork of the great citizens of the Islamic Republic. No street dog walks straight; it has learnt through genetic experience that it is safer to slink because sooner than later, stones, missiles, tins – anything handy, would be hurled at him with relish. Cats fare a little better because they are not hated as much as dogs but it will not be surprising to find any number of them with serious injuries and wounds. What is it that drives us in such a way from our very childhood and right through our life ? Is it that across the land, in very much a collective sense, we are all taught not to respect other forms of life ? Is it that we are never taught the existence of other species that inhabit the planet and are also creations of God ? Is it that none of this finds any mention in our text books from early classes right through ? Little boys are known the world over to exhibit, at one time or another, some form of cruelty to helpless birds or animals but it seems that this is a trait that never relinquishes its hold on the mind set of people. Therefore, the most natural things in the world is to throw a stone and enjoy the pleasure of hurting someone else.

There was once an SPCA – Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and in some muted form, it still exists, of course with neither the vision nor the determination to succeed in this hostile to animals country. The argument often advocated – and it is as ill-logical as anything can be that since the plight of people is miserable why should we care at all about animals. What we are talking here is not about outlays of millions of rupees and grand schemes but a basic change in attitude that does not require funding from the World Bank or others who constantly loan us money so that some of us can live like lords. As in most problems with our country, the solutions are not impossible or beyond our reach. We may not have the funds to have the latest commercial aircraft but why can’t we have clean bathrooms? It is the same with looking after animals. A change in attitude is what is required and the hate and cruelty we depict should be replaced by some consideration and kindness. How can this not impress the good lord above since he is the creator of other creatures as well and since we are always looking for opportunities to score a few points with the Maker, this one is fairly easy. However, we exhibit the opposite. It does not require a Presidential Ordinance to breathe life into the dead and defunct SPCA but it does need compassion and the willingness to devote time and resources to bring about some improvement in the state of fear and terror which is on show at all our public places all days of the year.

The zoos we have in this country have made some improvements although the very concept of caging animals is getting less and less acceptable worldwide, but there is much that remains to be done and funds are squandered on projects of commercial nature and little in the way of animal welfare. Outside the zoos there are any amount of people who are making money from practising cruelty to animals. Among these, the circus owners deserve to be put in jail for what they put their captive animals through in order to run their business. Similarly, bear baiting, dog fights and even crow fighting is not only prevalent but on the rise. What joy and pleasure they bring to the fiends who gather and lay bets on these despicable activities remains a mystery. Again it does not require a national movement to stop such vile practices, but sadly they continue. The barbaric methodology adopted by our various municipalities to eliminate pye-dogs is cruel and while there are other more humane and accepted methods, these do not find favour with those who see things differently.

Only the really unlucky ones come into this world as animals in Pakistan. Elsewhere, they have a relatively great time but here they are the victims of a blood letting that escapes explanation. Unfortunately, our animals who cannot speak and do not have political clout will always be at the receiving end.