Without fear, without hatred

Every few days, the WhatsApp group of our RWA in New Delhi is host to a slanging match between the pro-stray dog faction (a minority), and the anti-stray dog faction (almost everyone else). A normal exchange runs something like this:

‘The stray dog that you feed, bit my child. If you feed them, you’d better take responsibility for them.’

‘I have nothing to do with this. I only give food. One must help these animals.’

‘In that case, you are responsible to make sure they don’t bite.’

‘It is an animal, how can I take responsibility? And I don’t like your tone.’

These acerbic comments help gear up the residents for the rest of the day. When the big boss of the RWA sees the messages, he requests all and sundry to ‘kindly refrain from using inappropriate language’ and then, dutifully, deletes all messages. Till the next time.

On the subject of dogs and in another town, a good friend of mine has a Yorkshire terrier. He adores the dog and the dog adores him. Another friend refers to the dog as his four-legged son. We all accept and respect this great bond between master and pet. Or to use ‘woke’ terminology, between human-parent and non-human offspring. Those perimeters of genetics and provenance established, one must point out that the terrier is tiny. Despite its small size, the breed is known for its carriage and exaggerated sense of self-importance. Left on his own, that ‘Yorkie’ would have no standing in the dog-eat-dog structure of the wider canine society. But his bark, all sharp ‘yip-yips’, is expected to strike terror. As he can’t reach higher, he sends his little teeth to nip and bite around the ankles. When both dog and parent/master step out for a walk, their presence can be heard from a distance. The little chap cannot stand the presence of bigger dogs — especially the ones that move with an air of nonchalance and are dismissive of the little ones of their species. The moment the Yorkie sights another dog, he goes into a spin and barks his little head off. He strains at his leash. He takes unnecessary ‘pangas’, as one could say. He wants to get into a fight to establish his own worth. He is aware that he can’t win on his own, but knows that someone will come to his rescue. If not, he will just back off. There are, of course, times when both pet and master have to be kept in check as both can go on a rant. One yips, the other yells.

This, as you would have guessed, is not about dogs and masters, fictitious or real. It is about humans, countries and belief systems that could have learnt better from the canine world. They’ve not understood or bothered about the wonderful qualities that man’s best friend has. You just have to take a look at our neighbour, General Rant-About. He tried to establish himself as top-dog. Never mind that he hasn’t. But, he was absolutely right on one thing when he raked up the specious ‘two-nation theory’. At the time when Jinnah propounded this, it had no validity. Today it does. Over the years, the army, the ISI and Pakistan’s politicians have conducted a successful heist on their own people. The result is that Pakistan’s ordinary citizen has been reduced to a dull, grey-brown life with a hatred for India as his primary sustenance. The people of Pakistan have been herded and reduced to become that ‘second nation’.

While I may not agree with some of what he had to say, I have great admiration for the journalist and author, the late Christopher Hitchens. He was ruthlessly honest. He demolished shibboleths and myths with scathing wit and by the sheer power of his formidable intellect. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair said of him: “He was fearless in the pursuit of truth and any cause in which he believed. And there was no belief he held that he did not advocate with passion, commitment and brilliance.”

With Mr Hitchens’ assistance, let us, for a moment, also summon the feline world. In his bestseller, ‘The Portable Atheist: Essential Readings for the Nonbeliever’, he wrote: “Owners of dogs will have noticed that, if you provide them with food and water and shelter and affection, they will think you are god. Whereas owners of cats are compelled to realise that, if you provide them with food and water and shelter and affection, they draw the conclusion that they are gods.”

Barbarism has been cultivated by Pakistan, and it has sprouted terrorism. As a nation with every right to protect itself and its people, we have to do whatever we have to do. Let it be done: ‘Nirbhau, Nirvair’. Without fear, without hatred.

— The writer is an author based in Shimla

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