DON'T FORGET - Literacy is equivalent to Humanity

Animals are one crucial component of this beautiful ecosystem we live in. We are familiar with this very fact, but still our attitude towards animals is unalterable, it’s menacing .

 

Our harsh atrocities on this land is turning various species of animals endangered and extinct. We are contributing well to make our place more suffocated and retarded. According to the Red Data Book of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) there were 47 critically endangered species as on September 2011 and 4 species of fauna has gone extinct in India according to the Wildlife Survey Organisations as per the data tabled by Ministry of Environment, forest and Climate change earlier in July, 2019. The numbers and graphs are steadily increasing with the passage of time.

"Animals are not brethren, they are not underlings; they are other nations, caught with ourselves in the net of life and time."                                                                  - Henry Beston

 

Recently, earlier this week, a case was reported from Kerala against a cruel death of a pregnant Elephant. It was alleged that an Elephant was injured after it was fed with a pineapple stuffed with explosives and crackers. How inhuman this act of wickedness sounds, isn’t it? This case of brutal atrocity against a pachyderm flooded social media with whole lot of condolences and anguish for the barbarous action of killing an animal. 

Looking into the insights of the case, eventually after the examination of injury, a veterinary surgeon told officials that it cannot be tranquilized and this led to a tragic death of the poor animal in agony. It's more depressing to know that this incident took life of not just an Elephant but in addition, the death of an inborn baby Elephant along with the death of trust in humanity. Preliminary forest department inquiry reports suggest that tragic death of Kerala Elephant was not because it was 'fed' pineapple laced with crackers by villagers but because the elephant strayed into a trap laid for wild boar and pigs who destroy the crops. 

Hence, the real cause of the incident, the spot where the incident happened, the culprits of the incident are still to be recognised and the case is under investigation. Till then,  blaming the literacy of Kerala and it’s people is not the appropriate way to criticize but yes, literacy is equivalent to humanity is the universal message we should not forget.

Factually, the Elephant herd is led by the most experienced and oldest female member who decides upon all the decisions like where to stay and which direction to move. She knows it all. Therefore, losing such a member from the herd makes all the members of the family vulnerable and gives birth to serious problems and struggle they need to deal with. Hence, understanding the crux and trauma those petty animals had to face because of our disgusting behaviour is our duty.

Another disturbing case of March 2016, reported in Jalahalli West area in Bengaluru where a local woman killed and dashed to death, all the puppies just to teach mother dog a lesson who was living a drain outside her house. How insane the idea behind mass killing of animals is? 

The cases of cruelty against stray dogs and other animals is also increasing rapidly. Serious action upon this issue and a positive attitude of being kind to every kind, not just mankind is the need of the hour.

“The Animal – Person Connection plays a    big role.”                                                             

- John Dee

 

 

Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 aims at stopping the infliction of unnecessary suffering and pain on animals. Then, Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 was enacted by the Central Government to help the cause of protection of not just animals but also birds and the flora. The government also launched Project Elephant in India in the year 1991-92 with the objective of protecting elephant and their habitat; to address the issues of man – elephant conflict and welfare of domesticated elephants. Animal rights are protected under Article 51A(G) of the constitution which makes it a citizen’s duty to protect our wildlife and show compassion towards the living creatures.

A lot is there on the papers, now it’s the duty of each one of us to not let any stone left unturned for sake of those innocent animals, for sake of humanity and for the sake of our existence in this universe as a saviour.

Whatever comes out in an investigation of the Elephant case, the truth lies in the fact that we could not save it from intense, traumatic and painful death due to severe negligence that lies on our and authority’s part. Negligence is to be eliminated, Culprits need to be punished the same way they treated those innocent beings. Awareness is required, Actions are to be taken and Progress is to be checked thoroughly. Then only, we will succeed in winning over the concept of humanity, no matter how literate we all are. 

In a nutshell, Don’t ever Forget – Literacy is equivalent to Humanity.