Thiruvananthapuram: The debate over what to do with the presence of an increasing throng of stray dogs across the state has gained more traction in Kerala after a 65-year-old woman was attacked and killed by stray dogs in the outskirts of the state capital on Sunday.
The incident has prompted none less than the state chief minister, Pinarayi Vijayan, to take note of the issue. The chief minister directed officials this week to take urgent steps to catch stray dogs with the help of trained dog catchers.
The government is planning to trap the stray dogs and subject them to sterilisation, in an attempt to control their numbers.
State and federal leaders are, however, divided on the issue.
State minister for local self government, K.T. Jaleel said the government would take the “strongest possible measures” to put an end to the stray dog menace. He said the lives of citizens were more important and that there was no legal hindrance to killing violent street dogs.
His comments came in the backdrop of the incident in which a 65-year-old woman, identified as Siluvamma, living close to Pulluvila beach in the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram, was attacked and mauled to death by a pack of stray dogs on Sunday.
However, federal minister Maneka Gandhi has taken a different viewpoint, voicing concern about local plans to kill stray dogs. Following her comments, a self-proclaimed hacker group named Kerala Cyber Warriors hacked into Gandhi’s website, ‘People for Animals’, and posted a message demanding a stray dog-free India.
Those like industrialist and social activist Kochouseph Chittilappilly have not minced words regarding what to do with stray dogs. Following the killing of the woman by stray dogs, he called for nothing short of shooting down stray dogs.
“Shoot down the stray dogs on Pulluvila beach immediately as there is a chance that the dogs may attack people again,” he said, adding that a case of involuntary manslaughter should be charged against the officials whose omissions led to the incident.
Chittilappilly said the mounting waste heaps were leading to an increase in the number of stray dogs, and that “the only solution to the problem is to exterminate stray dogs”.
While the debate rages, some have opined that the indiscriminate disposal of waste has led to the proliferation of stray dogs across the state. The situation has also turned detrimental to the tourism sector in Kerala, which is facing strong competition from Sri Lanka in recent years. Sri Lanka has positioned itself as a cleaner and more economical destination in comparison to Kerala.
