Whose world is it anyway?

There is a lot of chatter about how the lockdown has affected us. Humans are social beings and being locked up isn’t for our species. Being locked up is for criminals and some very conveniently include animals in this category…what’s that? Did I hear someone say animals? And what crime have animals committed? Kindly elaborate. I am all ears.

So we haven’t socialized for over 2 months! We haven’t been able to meet up with friends and family. It can be mentally tormenting, this solitary confinement. You have my sympathies, but perhaps this is the perfect time to reflect. Reflect on the plight of animals who spend the entirety of their lifetime being caged or in other forms of captivity or in uncomfortable habitats because of humans, reflect on the strain we have put nature through, and reflect on the future we have carved for our future generations. Reflect on our actions from dawn till dusk! And let’s rekindle compassion while we are at it!

I have been reflecting this whole time. Have humans realized the propensity of their actions? Will they now empathize with animals in captivity? Will they now treat street animals with care? Are humans reassessing and planning for a positive change in their behavior toward animals and nature?

I tune in to the news to see if there are any reports on humans being kind to animals, or if the government has made any provisions for street animals and animals in captivity. I get disheartened; the media is mainly talking about the pandemic gripping the livelihood of humans and the death tolls. Humans are getting all the focus. Humans are allowed to be affected by the isolation. Humans are being sympathized with. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t take issue with humans. But it does make me uncomfortable that the media and government choose to remain silent about positive and negative stories of animals and nature during the pandemic.

Of course, humans are at the heart of every discussion and policy. They are losing their identity. They are losing their mind. And the government is losing its vote bank. How terrible!

The uncertainty of life due to the pandemic is likened to the challenges faced by animals when they don’t know where their next meal will come from. The hungry nursing street dog has lost her food source. And to add to her worries, the people around her don’t want her or her pups there. They may subject her to unimaginable pain and even poison or stone the family. Such is the grim reality of the life of a street animal.

During the lockdown, cases of animal cruelty have gone up. In Jaipur alone, one animal rights group I have come to be associated with- the Arth Foundation- has been reporting at least 5-6 cases of crimes against animals since the beginning of the lockdown. People are indeed losing their minds! Fortunately, activists are braving the lockdown and fighting to defend animals in their neighborhood. FIRs are being filed and injured animals are being rehabilitated.

The good too goes unreported. Raksha Foundation in Jaipur has been doing commendable work feeding 4600 dogs, 2700 cows, 80000 birds, and 2000 other animals daily in and around the city since March 22nd. They have also installed water tanks so animals can have water during the scorching summer. But the media chooses not to report this.

There is no dearth in good people. But somehow they feel unsupported by laws, government, and family. Had the government included animals in all their messaging when they were asking people to donate or care for humans or to commend those working for humans during the pandemic, many of these “good” people would find the support they need to care for animals.

The wise ones amongst us are reflecting. Ideally, everyone would reflect, but not everyone is wise. In a perfect scenario, we would never have brought the world to its knees. So we clearly have been living in a dystopian reality. Whether we choose to destruct the dystopia or not, is for us to decide. I sure do hope the wise amongst us lead the way.

This is the time to come together and stand in solidarity. All this is forcing us to radically rethink our relationship with nature. It is the time to come to terms with the fundamental truth- that this world is as much theirs as it is ours and that only together can we flourish.

The pandemic has been a wake-up call. Yet many choose to sleep with their eyes open. For those of us who choose to be awake, life will be blissful!