New Delhi [India], July 3 (ANI): The Nagaland government’s announcement of banning the consumption of dog meat, which is the part of the state traditional and day-to-day cuisine, has received mixed responses. While animal lovers and organisations have hailed the prohibition, others have termed it as an ‘uncalled decision’ that has hurt emotions of many.
Earlier in the day, Nagaland’s Chief Secretary Temjen Toy declared that the State government has decided to ban the commercial import and trading of dogs and dog markets and also the sale of the meat, both cooked and uncooked.
“The State Government has decided to ban commercial import and trading of dogs and dog markets and also the sale of dog meat, both cooked and uncooked. Appreciate the wise decision taken by the State’s Cabinet”, Toy wrote in a tweet, tagging BJP MP Maneka Gandhi and Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio.
The decision comes in the wake of the image of dogs being sold at Dimapur markets surfaced online on social media, causing an outcry.
Recently, Pritish Nandy, a prominent poet, and former Rajya Sabha MP, took to Twitter, appealing to his followers to join a movement to ban the sale and consumption of dog meat in Nagaland markets.
“This is urgent. You can help make history by sending an email tonight to csngl@nic.in saying Nagaland must stop dog markets, dog restaurants, and smuggling of dogs into the state. Eating dog meat is inhuman, not just illegal. The issue comes before the cabinet tomorrow”, he wrote.
People also took to social media urging to sign a petition such as ‘Chief minister: Ban dog killing and eating in Nagaland’ It is to note that People for Animals, the country’s largest animal welfare organisation started by BJP leader Maneka Gandhi, while working on this received 1.24 lakh emails over a period of just three days starting from July 1.
Gauri Mulekhi, Trustee of People For Animals told ANI: “We saw in Nagaland that thousands of dogs are being slaughtered every day, not only in Nagaland but also in Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura. It is totally illegal as per the food safety and standards act and the prevention of cruelty to animals act. We are very grateful to the Chief Minister of Nagaland for taking a cabinet decision to strictly enforce the provisions of banning dog meat and to Maneka Gandhi for taking a lead role in this matter.”
“This was the habit that had to be discontinued because as we evolve we need to be more kind and considerate toward animals. Every animal lover is grateful for this ban,” added Mulekhi. The images of dog trade available on social media platforms reveal the amount of torment the canines had to undergo before making it on the platter.
Kanika Dewan, Director, (Partnerships and Strategy) People for Animals while thanking the government said: “Meat consumption is allowed in India, however, dog meat is one category that is not allowed for consumption. Most of the states have already banned this particular consumption. We are thankful that Nagaland has come forth and took this wonderful step. It is going to be a challenge for sometime, but we will overcome this.”
Gandhi had put out a statement urging the need to come together. It was through emails that the organisation asked for people’s opinions instead of going for the online signing of petitions.The government of India has prescribed a list of species to be and not to be slaughtered, which is also highly regulated. “This is the start of one of the many for us and for the betterment of the animals. This has been marked as a level for us to achieve higher. We will follow up closely on this ban and people are free to write to us,” Dewan said.
Other than People for Animals, there were several organisations including PETA, which sought the ban on consumption of dog meat.
However, there has been an uproar in diverse social media platforms supporting the traditional food habit and seeing ban as uncalled-for or even to the extent of hurting emotions.
Though the state government of Nagaland is yet to convey the norms of how to implement the banning or its legal consequences, the ban has emerged as a victory for animal lovers in length and breadth and many thanked the people of Nagaland for understanding the fight. (ANI)
