Teach kids not to provoke strays, says Maneka

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 20

Days after a boy, who was barely two, was mauled to death by stray dogs in Chandigarh, Union Minister Maneka Gandhi said it was equally important to teach children not to pelt dogs with stones and provoke them.

“By the way, (some) children were throwing stones at dogs. This kind of aggression may sometimes result in counter-aggression, which has led to this terribly unfortunate happening. Children must also be taught by adults how to behave in a manner that they stay safe and create an atmosphere of peace,” Maneka, who is known for her animal rights activism, wrote to local social activist RK Garg.

Garg had approached Maneka through an e-mail seeking her intervention in initiating action against the civic authorities concerned and for preventive steps to check such dog-bite incidents in the future.

Responding to Garg’s e-mail, the Union Minister for Women and Child Development said, “I appreciate your concern. You must insist on sterilisation of all dogs quickly by the Municipal Corporation. I had taken this matter up when I was in Chandigarh a month ago. They said they were moving fast, but Mohali and Panchkula were doing nothing and this had become a problem. Perhaps you can take up the matter with those two corporations as well.”

On this, Garg wrote back urging the minister to issue directions to the UT Administrator and Municipal Commissioners of Panchkula and Mohali for prompt action on sterilisation of dogs. Besides seeking release of funds for the bereaved family, the social activist said shortage of funds should not come in the way of the sterilisation process in the tricity.

Maneka then responded saying: “It is not for me to issue any orders. It is for the governments of Haryana and Punjab to do so for Panchkula and Mohali, respectively. And it is for citizens like you to ask the Administrator of Chandigarh.”