Losing my religion!

Disclaimer: – The following post may ripple through your religious sentiments…so be it!

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated…I hold that, the more helpless a creature, the more entitled it is to protection by [people] from the cruelty of [human kind]”—Mahatma Gandhi

Grr…Grrr…

The nefarious acts against animals seem to be on a never-ending spiral loop

Every 5 years, the otherwise pristine Himalayan state of Nepal witnesses the gory bloodshed which notoriously relates to the ‘World’s largest animal sacrifice’. Animal rights activists have termed the sacrifices a ’shame on Nepal’ and urged for immediate actions to stop the barbaric killing of animals. Come December 2009, the heinous act would be resurrected again and 200,000 animals would go under knives to please goddess Gadimai in Bariyarpur, Bara District. Call me an illiterate canine, if you please but then I fail to understand how the slaying of mute species would please a goddess? Gadimai mela’s carnage has animals attributed as the symbols of the mental smokescreens which are to be removed by the community. How enlightening is that? How can decapitation of 60,000 young buffaloes and 1, 40,000 wild rats, pigs, goats and little birds bring inner peace and sanctity to humans? Such an episode of atrocity and ruthlessness…all in the name of religion! His Holiness the Dalai Lama in his book ‘The Vegetarian Way’ had quoted ‘Life is as dear to the mute creature as it is to a man. Just as one wants happiness and fears pain, just as one wants to live and not to die, so do other creatures’.

Don’t you find it trivial that man has always maneuvered religious connotations to kill innocent animal kind? I guess that he’s doing something more vicious – killing the very soul of mankind. If religion calls for this then us animals have learned enough about the dining table preferences of the deities. The epicurean pleasures that Gods seek are idiosyncratic to themselves, Jesus relishes a baked turkey on a Christmas Eve, Allah prefers cattle and Kali mata will have nothing but the warmest of animal blood. All of it while no sacred text has ever called for animal killing.

I wonder if in this world of thousands gods and goddesses there is one who has a fetish for human flesh? For the truth remains that no sacred text, none of the doctrines call for animal sacrifices but the pundits, the padres and the ulemas have their own interpretations.

…And all of this when the so called human Gods have us as Ganesha’s mouse, Durga’s lion or the Shivji’s faithful bovine. Guess Lord Ganesha is himself part animal!

Is this massacre of God’s worthy creations and flowing ravines of innocent blood, the only salvation for human sins? I am brought back to the thought waves which question if the world in which we live (and where some wait to die silently) is a multitude of Gods and Goddesses for the man alone. Is there not a single divinity for the fauna to be blessed with? Where is the God of small things?

We, the animals also kill but never have we connoted a religious background to our killing for food. For we believe that it’s all in the food chain mechanisms and not in gospels. We kill for survival and not to appease the bible. I have always found the killing in the name of religion, the flagitious of all crimes possible. How in the name of sacred texts, the creed, the hymns and mantras can such a massacre be justified?

From what I’ve learned through Facebook pages, ‘Beauty without Cruelty’ has joined hands with Animal Nepal in their campaign “Worship without Cruelty” to eradicate such an atrocious barbaric ritual.
I therefore request you to please sign the petition:

http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/stop-gadimai.html

Epilogue: call on your fatwa, charge me with voicing anathematized verses against the Bible…crucify me, slay me on the altars of goddess…for I know no fear as you have made me to believe my fate lies below the machete. I started out with the purest of rage in my bosom but now the feeling is also mingled with melancholy or rather regret. Regret for being the most faithful companion of man. I wonder whether my rage would match the atrocious vigor of you humans, truly you belong to a different race. Superior? I don’t think so.

PS The post got selected as one of the top posts by Blogadda’s ‘Tangy Tuesday Picks’ – Nov. 3, ‘09

Dolphin Delights;)

Dolphin kissing Dog

Happy barks are here again;)

The erstwhile state of the fauna kingdom akin to cuckoo’s nest can finally slay some cobwebs off the mantle as the twitterers welcome the sanguine news of Indian government’s epic declaration of coronating my whistling amigo from water- the good old deary Dolphin as its national aquatic animal. As a spokesperson of genus Canis and fauna the world over[Aren't I good at self promotion;)] I overwhelmingly applaud this sane move. I hope it helps in saving the pristine yet playful freshwater delight from disappearing from the country’s aqua-map. The dwindling number of Dolphins(less than 2000 as per last census) had earlier cautioned the World Conservation Union to declare it as an endangered species.

India has a national bird(Peacock) and national animal(Tiger) and now Dolphin gets the distinction of completing the triad of Earth,air and water.With this historic declaration,the Government hopes not only to ensure the survival of the species which are endemic to river Ganga but also seek cleansing of the river. The Environment and Forest minister Mr. Jairam Ramesh emphasized on the pivotal role played by my aquatic friend by drawing an analogy with the big feline,the symbol of ecosystem in forests. In his words, ‘Since the river dolphin is at the apex of the aquatic food chain, its presence in adequate numbers symbolizes greater bio diversity in the river system’.

Its hard for me to contain my euphoria over my ultrasonically blessed friend’s probable promising future! Here’s wishing Dear Dolphin all the best:)

PS: The photograph in the post has been taken from web and no matter how much I would have loved it,I ain’t that black dog.

How Dogs became a man’s best friend?

Mr. Vest's immortal speech

In sync with my promise of bridging the (despised) gap between man and canine of late, here I quote what may seem a cliché to you,’a dog is a man’s best friend’…now how many times have you heard that before? A zillion perhaps so what brings me to bring the line back in the lights? …Calling me a self glorifying dog already? Wait, I didn’t came up with this phrase…in fact neither my granddaddy dogs propounded this doctrine either…it was a gentleman from your species who is attributed for coining this immortal phrase. Here in this post, I unearth the relics from the Dog archives and present before you the wonderful tale of Mr. Vest…perhaps the best spokesperson that our muted breed ever had!

Before I go ahead with this amazing tale I’d like to thank my friends Teri Davis & Beckie Long for helping me in bringing this story to the weblog

The year was 1870, the place was peace court in Warrensburg, Missouri, USA. A short yet historic speech, was delivered by George Graham Vest on behalf of a plaintiff seeking damages from a neighbor for killing his dog(named Drum or Old Drum) in a case entitled, Burden v. Hornsby. During the trial, Vest famously stated that he would “win the case or apologize to every dog in Missouri.”

As the case progressed and reached the climatic sequence, none in audience had anticipated what would take place next would go down in the history as a landmark event. Mr. Vest’s closing argument to the jury made no reference to any of the testimony offered during the trial, and instead offered a eulogy of sorts. Mr. Vest’s “Eulogy on the Dog” is one of the most cherished literary masterpieces that were ever written on friendship.

“Gentlemen of the jury: The best friend a man has in this world may turn against him and become his enemy. His son or daughter that he has reared with loving care may prove ungrateful. Those who are nearest and dearest to us, those whom we trust with our happiness and our good name, may become traitors to their faith. The money that a man has, he may lose. It flies away from him, perhaps when he needs it the most. A man’s reputation may be sacrificed in a moment of ill-considered action. The people who are prone to fall on their knees to do us honor when success is with us may be the first to throw the stone of malice when failure settles its cloud upon our heads. The one absolutely unselfish friend that a man can have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him and the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous is his dog.

Gentleman of the jury: A man’s dog stands by him in prosperity and in poverty, in health and in sickness. He will sleep on the cold ground, where the wintry winds blow and the snow drives fiercely, if only he may be near his master’s side. He will kiss the hand that has no food to offer, he will lick the wounds and sores that come in encounters with the roughness of the world. He guards the sleep of his pauper master as if he were a prince. When all other friends desert, he remains. When riches take wings and reputation falls to pieces, he is as constant in his love as the sun in its journey through the heavens. If fortune drives the master forth an outcast in the world, friendless and homeless, the faithful dog asks no higher privilege than that of accompanying him to guard against danger, to fight against his enemies, and when the last scene of all comes, and death takes the master in its embrace and his body is laid away in the cold ground, no matter if all other friends pursue their way, there by his graveside will the noble dog be found, his head between his paws, his eyes sad but open in alert watchfulness, faithful and true even to death.”

Mr. Vest’s moving “Eulogy on the Dog” convinced the jury to decide for the plaintiff and became a classic tribute to man’s best friend. There is more to the following great lines than mere words…its a timeless gem, a transcript that our species holds in reverence…there have been never been any greeting cards for my species on any friendship day and nor do we need any; for Mr. Vest’s testimonial suffices for our friendship with anthropoids.

Dogged reviews!

Turning over the maple leaf, commencing today ‘Dog with the blog’ presents a new column i.e. ‘Dogged reviews’ pertaining to motion pictures, soundtracks, novels, websites, magazine articles etcetera as long as they have a compassionate content for the pawed species…Come on, don’t give me that look…at dogville all that you have is the Hobson’s choice:) As sane souls like Runa and Calvy always say,’Dogs are and would always remain more closer to me than humans, the best of friends fade under the savageness of the shimmering Sun, too many a souls have bidden farewells under moonlit nights…Guess, sooner or later everyone becomes the shadow of how I remembered them once…the frame remains the same but the picture fades. And you ask me why I love and trust a dog more than humans?‘

Hachiko monogatari, the 1987 movie based on the true incident of a dog’s undying loyalty to his master even after his death remains my favourite movie to date! I guess Japanese directors are the masters of the craft! In one of these posts, I’d also cover another gem from Japan…Nankyoku monogatari (Antarctica).

Coming over to Hachiko, I remember how Gucci, Runa, Calvy & I were all in tears by the time the credits rolled…the face of Hachi was never obscured from my head nor was the legacy that he had left behind. Perhaps beneath the veil that transcends social circles…there is a society, where none intrudes. The utopian dream is realised…believe me, if this story fails to arouse an emotional outburst (though unknown to prying eyes…so be it ) through your lachrymal glands then perhaps you need seek psychiatry help! Adorned with the 1987 Genesis Awards (awarded for films that contribute to the humane treatment of animals) the motion picture’s honors bears a testimony to its legendary cult status in the genre of movies celebrating the bond between man and canine!

This poignant tale, the profound commentary on the concept of “interspecies altruism” is directed in a subtle manner unlike most of the other movies in the genre. This film presents to us the inexplicable bond between two souls of different species. None of the other characters in the film seem to understand it; the man’s own family cannot appreciate it; and I wouldn’t be surprised if we, the audience, are not expected to understand it either. This adds even more value to the magical bond which Professor Ueno & Hachi shared. A review on Imdb.com reads,” If this movie doesn’t affect you, you are THE DEVIL!”, I couldn’t have agreed more! If you’re an animal lover, you’ll be hooked from the first minute. If you’re not an animal lover, then you’ll be one by the time the movie’s over.

There once was a man so an old story goes
Went to the station every day rain or snow
His faithful dog would walk right by his side
And sit there and wait till he came home at night

And when the man died the dog still would go
To the station each day … why? no one knows

He was waiting for someone he loved
Waiting for someone he loved
Someone he believed in someone he could trust
Day after day waiting for someone he loved

Days turned to weeks and months turned to years
Trains came and went but the dog still appeared
Hoping to see the face he adored
His old true companion – the one he lived for
But then came the night when the dog finally died
Now I know hes there walking by his masters side

He’s been waiting for someone he loved
Waiting for someone he loved
Someone he believed in someone he could trust
Dont you think humans could learn from that dog ?
Now I dont know about all of you
But I wish that my heart was so true
To think he could miss him that much

He spent all his life waiting for someone he loved
Waiting for someone he loved!

Copyright – Jimmy Scott

Come summer 2009 and Hachiko would be brought back to the silver screen, this time in a hollywood production starring Richard Gere. For those who came in late, Hachiko is the immortal legendary dog who has been the testimony of loyalty for about 85 years now. In 1924, Hachiko was brought to Tokyo by his owner, Hidesaburo Ueno, a professor in the agriculture department at the University of Tokyo. During his owner’s life Hachiko saw him off from the front door and greeted him at the end of the day at the nearby Shibuya Station. The pair continued their daily routine until May 1925, when Professor Ueno didn’t return on the usual train one evening. The professor had suffered a stroke at the university that day. He died and never returned to the train station where his friend was waiting. Hachiko was given away after his master’s death, but he religiously escaped, turning up time and again at his old home. With the passage of time, Hachiko apparently realized that Professor Ueno no longer lived at the house. So he went to look for his master at the train station where he had accompanied him so many times before. This marked the beginning of one of the utmost heart wrenching love stories you’ll ever pay an audience to….a decade on trot, Hachiko waited for Professor Ueno to return. And each day he didn’t see his friend among the commuters at the station.

In 1932 one of these articles, published in Tokyo’s largest newspaper, threw the dog into the national spotlight. Hachiko became a national sensation. His faithfulness to his long dead master impressed the people of Japan as a spirit of family loyalty all should strive to achieve. Teachers and parents used Hachiko’s vigil as an example for children to follow. A well-known Japanese artist rendered a sculpture of the dog, and throughout the country a new awareness of the Akita breed grew. Eventually, Hachiko’s legendary faithfulness became a national symbol of loyalty. An annual ceremony celebrated each year on April 8, Hachiko’s devotion is honored with a solemn ceremony of remembrance at Tokyo’s Shibuya railroad station.

…this movie would surely capture your imagination and catapult you to a world which has only lived in your vivid memories like those of Grimm Brothers fairy tales, here’s my homage…a silent nod to Hachiko’s immortal love and loyalty!

Here’s a fan made custom video…watch it!

Korean carnage…:(

Hello humans!

The plight of dog folk in Korea is not a new newsbyte and yet no significant measures have been made to take care of the same. Time and again hue and cry have been raised by the pet lovers and advocates of animal rights over the deplorable condition of animals in states of Korea and China. The activists are gravely concerned over the repeated ill-treatment of animals in Korea and so am I.

It’s an appeal to my human friends that since ‘International Day of Action for Dogs and Cats in Korea’ is on July 14, 2009,kindly take this oath to care for animal rights, join ‘In Defense of Animals’ …I aren’t asking you to turn vegetarian overnight but would it hurt if you raise your voice atleast once when you see someone smacking a street dog in the shed or would it be a herculean effort if you would kindly put some water for a thirsty canine in a midsummer noon?

In Defense of Animals (IDA) will again be co-sponsoring this worldwide event to stop the terrible suffering these animals endure. IDA is working with the South Korean animal protection organizations Coexistence for Animal Rights on Earth (CARE) and Korean Animal Rights Advocates (KARA) to end the brutal slaughter of dogs and cats for human consumption. Forced to live in tiny, filthy cages and killed in unimaginably cruel ways, they deserve a voice. I understand that’s its not possible for everyone of us to be there at US Embassy for the event but wherever you are please take out a brief moment from your strict schedules and think for the canines & cats suffering in Korea.

May peace (…& sanity) prevail!

A gift for God!

Recently, Calvy read me a news story about the Karnataka Tourism Minister (Mr. Gali Janardhan Reddy) who ‘gifted’ a 42 crore worth of a diamond-studded crown to the ‘GOD’! I understand the fact that the minister is a mine baron and has obscene amounts of currency at disposal yet I wonder, pardon me if I sound naive, why would god need such a gift? The dogged intuition that I inherited gives me this much of an insight that Gods don’t crave for materialistic desires…the halo over their head requires no diamond studded crown to add sheen to its aura. What can a human offer to the great one? I thought it was in camaraderie and cordial coexistence of species that God would have drawn a probable gift from us.

Benevolence is often misinterpreted to be lavish show of money in sanctified places. Be it Jesus or Jagannath,Mecca or Mathura, trillions worth of offerings are made to the supreme being…all in the name of religion or god, misunderstood sometimes as the ticket to heaven such donations which in no way can add to the lord’s bank balance, only show the hideous state of careless and crippled orthodox minds. I’m quite sure that god would have loved it more if that gift was used to feed the poorer section of the society, which laments in all seasons without shelter and is forced to live on meager handful of grains. I’m not advocating to sign claques for animal welfare…if humans have no heart for their own species then expecting them to take care of others is way out of the line. Philanthropy, I guess is long forgotten. Call me an atheist, if you wish to, but I’d always believe that kind acts that touch a soul are way greater than the money vested in driving faux displays of piety. I would always stand by my beliefs that direct me to believe in actual efforts rather than reciting rituals. The only ticket that’s accepted at heaven’s gate has a price that no denomination can buy; it’s with your acts that you become owner of one.

Reminds me of these lines from a song, ‘कभी प्यासे को पानी पिलाया नहीं, बाद अमृत पिलाने से  क्या  फायदा?’ ( If we can’t provide water to the thirsty, then offering even the elixir of life is of no use.)

May sanity prevail…

Woof Wordsworth!

There is a reason why Dog spelled backwards is God…

Welcome aboard…Gucci!

 

Gucci & Runa

Woof woof!

Ladies and Gentlemen![Though I wonder if it applies anymore:)] Roll on the red carpets,raise your toasts and bow down to the disarming innocence of my pawed friend comrade Gucci! Gucci and Runa[Gucci's caretaker or viceversa,see we dogs have no masters:)] mark their debut post here but believe me.they are going to be a regular feature on this Dog diary! Gucci also happens to be the double distinction holder student from Dog Institute of Technology with majors in Feline chases and PHD on ‘Prospective hypothesis and explanations to the eternal question- Why Dog chase cars?‘  So without further adieu,here’s the canine himself,Gucci and the dame Runa…unplugged for you!

Missed the one chance we had at winning a gorgeous IPL match against stupid Zinta’s team. Last ball losses, I cant take them no more! No one remembers the brave front we put, people remember how we didn’t win any.. So my pet, Gucci decided to do something no dog must have ever attempted in history of dogkind. He is recuperating from an operation since January, and has been put on a doodh-dahi diet ever since. He also wears a weird collar that stops him from licking his wounds. Now, he has been watching all of us having good food since a long time, and has waited for the right time. His collar is off now, so he is in mood for some action.

We had samosas last evening, and kept the remains on the edge of our terrace. Around 8, after crying a bit for my team, I dressed up to go buy a gift for a friend, and by chance walked into my terrace. And there I see, Gucci walking on the edge of the wall, like an expert rope walker, and licking those samosa crumbs off the edge. The oxygen in my wind pipe or food pipe got stuck right there, and I wondered how long would it be till the soft toy of my universe would have a false stepping. Am not a person who waits too long for things to happen, I need to get into action, so I calmly called him, “Gucci..?” He turned to see me and well, now he was even more precariously placed as there was very less space for all the four paws to stand vertically in that area. Horizontally, it was still fine. But vertically, I didn’t want to imagine.. I slowly walked to him, hoping he didn’t decide to move an inch, and as soon as I got to him, I clutched his tummy and lifted him up like this was a Roadies task that would win me life itself! Gucci was saved.

I took him into the drawing room, threw him on the couch and rolled up a paper (weapon of mass destruction) and beat him up till I got tired. A suicidal dog isn’t exactly what I had wanted in life. He is getting better after months altogether, and I possibly couldn’t let him die over a few samosa crumbs!! What was he thinking!? I couldn’t calm down after hours, and later on, I almost hit Baba for giving him salad. Later I almost hit my maid with a rolled up newspaper as she tried to hug him thanking God for saving his life! Only Ma glared, and 24 hours hence, she is still glaring (it is to remind Gucci of the grave offense he has committed)

I am sure dogs don’t have a fear of heights or anything, but well, I have all those fears and more. Gucci’s samosa escapade could have costed me dearly and well, I am not ready to forgive him just yet.. It rained tonight and Gucci came to me, all wet and fuzzy (he loves the rains), and sat over my left foot, and is snoring ever so lightly now..Oh let it be, I will be angry at him some other day..You just cant resist this feeling called love ..

P.S. On a serious note…Gucci and Runa, no words which I could woof would echo my gratitude and respect for the two of you. As with the best things in life,which can’t be fit into words. Here’s hoping that Runa ji’s love for canines reaches still greater heights from here on. May the readers too get inspired to adopt a street dog or to treat their own with love compassion and care which is rightly deserved by a dog in exchange of unconditional eternal love!

The soon to be famous…one liner:)

..and there are times like these when the mere sight of  a keyboard induces me into sleep:) 

However since my breed has quite a reputation for being loyal henceforth I,better, live up to the cherished name and post regulary from here on!  So ladies and gentlemen, children of all ages, here’s my  latest quote…

You’re safe, lady…the only females I kill are mosquitoes!

PS: violaters of copyright infringements shall be dealt with my teeth:)

…the first poet!

Woof woof!

The Indian summers always cast a spell of somnolence in my beady eyes henceforth making me virtually lethargic…(if this does not explains my reason for absence from the blogging scene…how about blaming Pakistan and the Al Qaida? or the 123 deal?) Actually, when a dog is sans a sane topic, its kinda difficult for him to work on with the stylus.  What should I blog about in this dreamy state defined by delusions and hallucinations of third order?  The dogs are still laggards in literacy rates and catering to human readership didn’t appealed to my paws…until now. Thanks to the feedback from revered readers  I decided to take a fresh plunge into the lukewarm waters of the now temperate  vitual lake. Your bouquets & brickbats (or the bones) are anxiously awaited! 

Just the other day,I came across the limerick, “The Owl and the Pussycat” in the ruffled pages of Calvy’s fourth grade English book. Being the fast learner that I am…here is my take at rhyming…since Dogitarian literary tastes differ from those of the humans, limericks too, are one line affairs for us.

‘Lure me not into love..for i have killed the dove’

Whew! The impish cat is my yard again…catch ya later! 

PS  Donations for the Dog literacy funds are most welcome and are in accordance with the Canine Income Tax Act and            exempted from taxation under section BONE 11/3.