Mind-it
Monday, March 11, 2019
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Who let the dogs in? Stray dogs and India Shining
This is not an aberration in just my colony in Gurgaon. This is the ugly side of new Shining India. Suddenly people have come into money and this money is used as muscle power to deal with anything that doesn’t fit the scheme of things — the homeless, beggars and dogs.
Going by how we treat humans though, it’s not surprising that there’s total disregard for animal rights. But everything must have a solution.
The homeless can’t just be carted off and locked into colonies outside city perimeters because we don’t want to see them outside our gates. Similarly, there needs to be a system in place for us to co-exist with animals in the city — and in Gurgaon’s gorgeous gated communities — till we reach a stage in our country where there is no garbage or vermin on the roads.
Simply put, if people in Gurgaon and Delhi want their cities to be animal-free like Singapore, they should also adopt civic duties that citizens in Singapore follow. No chewing gum in public transport, no littering, no shouting in public, civic amenities which are state-of-the-art, and only then eradicate all things unpleasant from sight.
While there’s nothing you can do about intolerance, there are certain laws, procedures and humane and rational practices that should be kept in mind if your neighbours, or even you yourself, want to save the country from the onslaught of all these animals:
You cannot relocate a healthy dog from its location. This is totally illegal, although that is a fact which does not bother most citizens. Reuters
You cannot relocate a healthy dog from its location. This is totally illegal, although the fact does not bother most citizens. The complete lack of adherence to law is not unique to the residents of the colony I live in, but is pretty much par for the course for Gurgaon and Delhi as a whole.
According to Section 11 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960:
Any person who beats, kicks, over-rides, over-drives, over-loads, tortures or otherwise treats any animals so as to subject it to unnecessary pain or suffering or causes or, being the owner permits, any animal to be so treated needlessly, he shall be punishable with a fine or with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months, or with both.
And while residents and associations are free to address institutional agencies for redressal of grievances in this matter, no resident or association will interfere with the freedom of other residents in tending animals. Intimidation in any form is a criminal offence and action can be taken against them under criminal law.
If you know of anyone trying to forcibly relocate a dog, or you are trying to do it yourself, keep in mind that this is a criminal act. And any organisation such as People for Animals or Friendicoes in Delhi will help you to stop this kind of illegal action.
You can get street dogs spayed and neutered. There are organisations which will spay and neuter and vaccinate the street dogs in your colony at a minimal cost of Rs 25 per vaccine. If you’re really concerned about the increasing mongrel population in your neighbourhood, don’t try to take matters into your own hands. Instead, pick up the phone and call any animal welfare organisation in your city to help you. Almost all are aware of the Animal Birth Control programme.
Moreover, before taking a foolish and inhumane step, remember that as per Indian law, street dogs cannot be beaten or driven away. They can merely be sterilised in the manner envisaged in the Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rules, 2001 (Rules under Indian Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960), vaccinated, and then returned back to their original locations.
The best option is to get the dog sterilised. With no mating or crossing of territories, dog fights reduce dramatically and since fighting reduces, bites to humans also become rare. Since the dogs are immunised, they don’t spread rabies. And over time, as the dogs die natural deaths, their numbers dwindle, the dog population will become stable, non-breeding, non-aggressive and rabies-free.
You can befriend the dogs, instead of antagonising them. If you feel that the dogs are growling at you or your children, try and befriend them. Dogs are not the brightest of animals. And they never bite the hand that feeds them. Take a Marie biscuit and just leave it near the dog. If you do this repeatedly over a number of days, you’ll notice that when you walk by, the dog will neither growl at you nor grimace at your child. It’ll, in fact, wag its tail at you. As dogs have food in their stomach and realise that the people around them are not a threat, they immediately become more even-tempered and friendly and sleep through the night and not make a racket. Much like well-fed children.
In fact, just this week the Delhi High Court has asked the Animal Welfare Board of India to identify dog feeding sites all across the city for feeding stray dogs. This was in response to a petition filed by animal lovers who had approached the High Court to intervene and save them from physical and verbal attacks from other residents opposed to them feeding stray dogs. The petitioners alleged they were harassed by residents of their colonies for giving food to stray dogs. The court agreed with the petitioners that feeding stray dogs is both lawful and helpful and instructed the cops to give protection to animal lovers who wanted to feed stray dogs.
There are organisations which will spay and neuter and vaccinate the street dogs in your colony at a minimal cost. AFP
You can form a Canine Care committee. Garden Estate in Gurgaon has a group of young children who look after the colony’s mongrels. They raise funds for the dogs’ vaccinations by setting up stalls during the colony fests and other get-togethers. They wake up at 7am and visit the dogs before heading off to school and also make sure the vet visits the dogs regularly. Meals are given by them to the dogs as well. This has resulted in these dogs being happy and friendly and accustomed to people.
If there is a problem, call animal welfare. If there is a diseased or ill animal on your street, you can call any animal welfare organisation in your city. In Delhi, you can call Friendicoes at 24320707 and 24314787 or People for Animals on + 91 (11) 27862810. They’ll come and pick them up, treat them, wait for them to be cured fully before releasing them back on the same street again.
So, instead of pelting stones at and plotting the downfall of the homeless animals in your colony and street, I’d strongly recommend that you pick up James Herriot’s books. And remember that children who look after animals grow up to be more responsible, less skittish and much more caring adults. They might even bother to look after you in your old age.
Reference with thanks http://www.firstpost.com/living/who-let-the-dogs-in-stray-dogs-and-india-shining-155919.html/2>
Reference with thanks http://www.firstpost.com/living/who-let-the-dogs-in-stray-dogs-and-india-shining-155919.html#.Tu48kiQRqNc.facebook>
FIR For Hindu’s Holy Scripture Bhagavad Gita Insult, Against Facebook
An FIR has been filed in Lucknow against social networking site Facebook and a journalist from Jalandhar for allegedly asking people to burn the Bhagwad Gita.
A social activist from Lucknow has lodged an FIR against social networking site Facebook and one of its users for allegedly posting comments and spreading hatred against Hindu’s holy scripture Bhagavad Gita.
Nutan Thakur has filed an FIR against Jalandhar resident CI Chumbar and the networking site under section 153 (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of communities and other grounds), 153 A (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national-integration), 153 B (public nuisance), 290 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 504 (criminal intimidation) 506 and 66 A IT Act (using Information Technology for these purposes).
Acccording to report, Circle officer Alok Singh said, “The FIR has been registered at Gomti Nagar Police Station on a complaint lodged by Nutan Thakur under various sections of the IPC on Saturday.”
In her FIR, Nutan alleged that the user calls himself the Editor-in-Chief of a Punjabi daily newspaper and he had asked people to burn the Bhagwad Gita on Facebook.
She added in FIR,The journalist claimed the scripture made derogatory references to women. In her complaint, Nutan alleged that the comments on Facebook were enough to provoke anger and trigger communal riots.
She claimed the words and abuses were of such nature that they are wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Damage by Power Fluctuation ... Is there any compensation ?
Due to Carelessness and Corruption of Electricity Department >>1- POWER FLUCTUATION >>
2- DAMAGE OF DOMESTIC EQUIPMENT >>
3- LOSS OF CONSUMER . . .
KYA SIRF NARAZ HONE SE KAAM CHALEGA ... YA IN PAR COMPENSATION KA CASE BHI KARNA CHAAHIYE jaise in logon ne kiya hai . . . Reference from Hindustantimes.com
Power firms responsible for high-voltage damage
Whenever we buy appliances like air conditioners, refrigerators or even personal computers and printers, we buy with it, voltage stabilisers or spike busters to protect the appliance from variations in voltage. But there are instances where the voltage variation is so sharp and severe that even the spike buster is unable to protect the appliance. When that happens, obviously, the service provider responsible for such deficient service has to indemnify the loss suffered by the consumer.
However, power supply and distribution companies often do not accept responsibility for such shoddy service, forcing the consumers to approach the consumer court constituted under the Consumer Protection Act for relief.
Take the case of Rajendra Kumar Tripathi, a resident of Kanpur. On November 10, 1991, the entire family was watching a Sunday movie when a sudden voltage surge resulted in all their electrical gadgets, including television sets and a refrigerator, going out of order.
That was not all. Even the internal wiring in the house and the electricity meters were also burnt and damaged. On investigation, it was found that a high tension line, passing in front of his house had snapped and fallen on the road and subsequently had connected with the low tension line supplying power at 220 volts to Tripathi’s house.
When the service provider failed to make good the loss or even send an electrical inspector, as required under the law, to assess the loss, Tripathi sought the help of the consumer court .
Holding the service provider liable, the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in this case awarded a compensation of Rs 1.75 lakh along with 6 per cent interest to be calculated from the date of filing of the complaint in 1992.
It also awarded litigation costs of Rs 5,000. (Rajendra Kumar Tripathi Vs Chairman, UP State Electricity Board, Lucknow and General Manage, KASA (presently KESCO,) First appeal no 80 of 2001, decided on December 12, 2006.)
In the case of Haryana State Electricity Board Vs Anand Medicos (RP No 563 of 2002) the National Commission awarded a compensation of Rs 2,19, 316, along with 12 per cent interest, on the basis of the loss assessment made by a surveyor called by the consumer. Here, a steep surge in voltage had caused a short circuit and the resultant fire had destroyed all medical supplies in the shop owned by the consumer.
Praveen Kumar Chaudhary: On two occasions — on the morning of May 27, 2010, and a week prior to that — a very high voltage of electricity, 320-340 volts, supplied by the power distribution company caused me and many of the residents of my colony, huge loss as many electrical instruments were damaged. How do we get compensation for the loss suffered by us on account of this deficient service?
Answer: I guess you have already complained to the distribution company and it has not responded positively. Since in this case, a number of residents have been affected, you can file a class action petition.
Or to put it differently, all of you can file one common complaint, only the compensation being sought will vary, depending on the loss caused to each individual. Of course, each one of you will have to accurately calculate the loss or damage suffered and seek adequate compensation. . I have already quoted the case law that would support your case.
However, I would suggest that you first try out the State Electricity Regulatory Commission. If you fail to get justice there, you can approach the consumer court.
Do you have any problems? Send in your queries to: pgirimaji@gmail.com
