CHANDIGARH: Congress legislator Ajit Singh Mofar moved a resolution in the Punjab assembly on Thursday seeking to tackle stray dogs in the state by sending them to China, Mizoram or Nagaland, for “whatever they do to them”.
“We can make arrangements to catch the dogs, put them in jungle or zoos or maybe send them to China, Nagaland and Mizoram where they are more needed. Stray dogs are a big nuisance now, even going on an evening walk has become dangerous because of them.”
Mofar’s suggestion was accepted much to the amusement of the House. “People in China and the northeast have their own ways of using the dogs. We cannot be really bothered with that. We have to solve our problem first. Stray dogs are killing children, attacking the elderly,” Mofar told TOI.
But Mofar’s leader in the house, Sunil Jakhar, disagreed with him. “Dog is considered to be a man’s best friend and even Mahatma Gandhi felt so and advocated care for stray dogs. Saying things like these trivializes the issue and is not in good taste at all. I am personally against this kind of attitude,” he told TOI.
The resolution has angered animal rights groups. “This is an inhuman thought and completely against ethics. Dogs have a right to live. If the state government attempts any thing on these lines, we will take them to the court,” People for Animals president Saurabh Gupta said.
Ruling Shiromani Akali Dal legislator D S Cheema also opposed the suggestion. “There are scientific means of controlling dog population. We should explore advanced techniques now available and sterilize these dogs and put them back in their own territory.”
