Show as much Sympathy for Human as for Dogs

... Maneka Gandhi had shot off a fiery letter to George Fernandes when she was informed about the killing of a dog by an army major in Poonch sector for the anti-national act of having barked at the army men instead of militants. "it would only be a Pakistani who could bark at us", the major was reported to have yelled before pressing the trigger. Though this incident and Maneka's outburst were carried in detail, by a newspaper from Delhi, all others blacked it out in the supreme national interest.

The reason for that is obvious, as Mrs. Gandhi widow had raised the question, "if this could be done to a dog, I can understand why the security forces are hated by Kashmiris".

There is no news of further shooting down of dogs ever since. But, innocent killings of men, women and children seems to have undergone a manifold increase during the period. It is in this context that the special session of the State Assembly should include the subject of human rights in the autonomy package that it is likely to deliver. Animal rights for the Muslims of the state could be included in the last schedule of the constitution of J&K as a leap forward in securing their future. How great if they could be granted a more merciful end ...

.. In our world ... Maneka Gandhi, a minister could hear of human beings in Kashmir only through the reverberations of a dog's death pangs ... My advice to . (dogs) would be: Beware of Kashmir, my dear dogs, you could die a man's death here ... (Source: The Greater Kashmir, 21 June, 2000)