BY MOHANAN NAIR*
Kerala is once again in the spotlight — but not for its routine hartals, political groupism, or even for its serene tourist locations, backwaters, eye-catching temple festivals, ancient churches, mosques, or the rhythmic Chenda Melam.
This time, it’s for something quite different: the defense of stray dogs’ rights.
I first wrote about this issue in 2015, when social media was similarly abuzz with debates. Back then too, some passionate voices had launched a #BoycottKerala campaign, urging tourists to skip the state. Their message was loud and clear — that Kerala’s main attraction isn’t its coconut palms, lush backwaters, elephants, Kathakali, or warm-hearted people — but its stray dogs.
But let’s not forget: a vast majority of Keralites depend on public transport and walk significant distances daily.
For them, stray dogs are not a philosophical or political issue — they are a daily, growing menace.
Take my aunt, for example. She was in her late eighties when she was bitten by a stray dog while simply walking to a neighbor’s home. The physical pain was one thing, but what followed — the hassle of anti-rabies injections, frequent hospital visits, and the lingering trauma — was exhausting. She is just one example. There are countless others across Kerala who silently suffer.
And this problem is not unique to Kerala — it’s a national issue.
A Personal Incident from Gurgaon
In my 2015 blog post, I recounted a chilling experience from 1987. I was then living in Sector 17B, Gurgaon — now known as IFFCO Chowk. At the time, Gurgaon was still developing, the Jaipur highway was under construction, and public transport was minimal.
One cold December night, I went to drop my sister at New Delhi Railway Station. She was traveling to Allahabad (now Prayagraj) on the Prayagraj Express. On my return, I managed to catch a Jaipur-bound DTC bus from the Ajmeri Gate side of the station. The driver agreed to drop me near HUDA Garden for four or five rupees — no ticket, of course.
After getting off, I began walking towards Sector 17B. The route passed through Sukhrali village — a two-kilometer stretch of deserted road. It was well past midnight. No rickshaws. No people. Just silence.
As I neared the village, a pack of over thirty stray dogs began barking furiously. It felt like a procession of dogs. I froze. There was no way I could pass without being attacked. I waited, hoping they’d disperse. They didn’t.
Nearly an hour passed. The dogs barked and patrolled the street like they owned it.
Suddenly, I saw a torchlight. A man on a bicycle — a night watchman from a nearby factory — approached. Seeing me stranded, he asked what I was doing there. I narrated my story. He listened quietly, then offered me a ride on his bicycle.
I hesitated, asking if he wasn’t afraid of the dogs too. He smiled and said,
“I am. But I’ve learned how to deal with them.”
As we approached the pack, he pulled out a few chapatis from a cloth bag and threw pieces in different directions. Instantly, the dogs scattered, chasing the food. The road was clear. He pedaled fast, dropped me at my home, and quietly resumed his duty.
That simple act — a few pieces of bread — possibly saved me from serious harm.
It’s Easy to Judge, Harder to Understand
These stories — mine, my aunt’s, and many others — highlight how dangerous and overlooked the stray dog issue has become. Another friend of mine was in a serious scooter accident in Prayagraj, while being chased by stray dogs.
It’s easy to talk about animal rights from the comfort of a cozy home or a luxury car. No one here is advocating cruelty. No one enjoys harming animals.
But for ordinary people — schoolchildren, senior citizens, workers — this isn’t about ideology, it’s about safety.
My Humble Appeal
To dog rights activists:
We too value life — including that of dogs. But let’s balance compassion with reality.
If you truly love stray dogs, adopt them. Give them a home. Don’t run performative campaigns from air-conditioned rooms while ignoring the real dangers others face daily.
To the High Courts and the Supreme Court:
Cruelty of any kind must never be allowed — be it towards animals or humans.
But in the same breath, let us remember: there are human beings rotting in jail, awaiting justice for decades. Priorities should be humane — not just symbolic.
Empathy must extend both to animals and to the people living around them.
Anything less is hypocrisy.
*The views expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of NRI Pulse.
