In 2009 the Honourable Supreme Court of India gave a clear stay on any kind of selective or mass killing of nuisance dogs, holding the ground that nuisance cannot be defined and conditions create nuisance dogs which need attention rather than removing the animal. The court upheld the ABC-AR until further notice.
The matter is pending in the Honourable Supreme Court of India mainly over two issues –
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- The killing of Selective Dogs.
- The conflict between the Municipal Act & Central Act in which the local bodies act gives powers to ULBs to destroy dogs in certain cases, while the central act clearly prohibits. Since the municipal act is age old and not updated since the British Raj, the court is yet to decide on the provisions.
But despite the clarity in the law, on July 13, 2015, an all party meeting lead by the Chief Minister of Kerala declared that “selective killing” of rabid and nuisance dogs can be done. The government along with some NGOs even proposed the removal of all dogs into pounds.
AWBI immediately sent a letter to the CM and other agencies informing them of the stay by the Supreme Court on any removal – small or big; any killing – selective or complete, as an act of blatant violation of the Hon’ble Supreme Court’s orders amounting to CONTEMPT of court.
Despite this the government of Kerala, NGOs and other participants including certain businessmen, (earlier quoted by vernacular newspapers, of proposing sending dogs to Korea for meat and skin), continued to flaunt the laws and operate at will, upholding the claim of the genuineness of their actions, even though the matter is SUB JUDICE.
In addition, there are unconstitutional organizations like Stray Dog Free Kerala at work, supported by local governments, offering Rs 500 per dog to anyone bringing in a dog to these illegal dog pounds.
Hence the intention and activities are clearly pointing towards dog meat and skin trader’s nexus at large, operating in the guise of human welfare, instigating hysteria amongst the people of the state. This new rewards & declaration of selective killing has lead to a state of social disorder and panic, where every second person is going to misuse this to settle a score with neighbours owning pets or dragging innocent street dogs to the pounds. The process has already started. It’s open animal brutality and trade happening all over Kerala.
WHAT LEAD TO BOYCOTT MOVEMENT? (Chronology of events) –
Since 2006 and even before there have been continuous exercises by most of Kerala regions to mass and selectively kill street dogs and pets. There is documented evidence on these killings.
Many cases of contempt against the corporations have been filed in the Kerala High Court which are dragging, which provide evidence that Trivandrum Corporation has been killing dogs and not doing ABC.
“Suraksha Program” which was launched by the same corporation in 2007 has been used as a disguise to kill more than 80% of caught dogs, as admitted by the corporation in news reports published then.
Since 2007, many NGOs, Government bodies, Ministers have been writing to the Kerala government pointing out the gross cruelty and violation of the law the entire state is carrying out.
But all appeals have fallen on deaf ears.
But on July 13, 2015, the threshold of autocracy practised by Kerala government came to the public when they declared that they would selectively kill dogs, even against the Supreme Court’s Orders.
Despite legal interventions by the government bodies like AWBI and other AWOs, the CM and the government refused to budge. Public statements were given to that effect.
Apart from dog killings, almost all regions of Kerala violate other animal laws relating to –
Cow slaughter
Skinning alive of protected species like turtles.
Torture of elephants.
This attitude of Kerala government has set a bad example for the adjoining states of the southern part of India. Quoting Kerala as an example some states also feel that if Kerala can break the laws and implement their own solutions, why can’t they?
In short, respect for the constitution & the Law & Order of the country is at stake, if Kerala is allowed to openly disregard the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India.
So if Kerala can boycott the law, the people of this country have been forced to boycott the government of Kerala who is flouting the laws.
Hence this peaceful movement called “Boycott Kerala Tourism & Products” has been launched indefinitely to force the government to resolve to law and order and to wait for the Hon’ble Court’s decision which is due very soon.
This movement is not against the people of Kerala. It is aimed at sensitizing the residents of Kerala who have been kept in the dark for a long time and who alone are facing a serious conflict situation with the urban wildlife, while sustainable solutions have already been implemented successfully by many states long time back.
WHAT DOES THE CAMPAIGN MEAN?
- This campaign simply means that parts of the world and the people of India that are supporting this movement refuse to interact or communicate with the governance of Kerala in all realms of interaction be it – economic, social, cultural, spatial or any other. This is why it is called a boycott movement.
- The campaign is a peaceful mode of expressing one’s anger for, and protest against this disregard for life and law.
WHY BOYCOTT ONLY?
India is the land of compassion, love and tolerance. This is the basic structure of the constitution.
Anybody not following this structure is challenging the constitutional framework and needs to be dealt with, by the strictest possible provisions in the law.
Since the people of this country cannot take the law in their own hands, they can at least express their reservations towards such autocracy by disowning the status of such individuals, bodies or institutions flouting the laws, to be unconstitutional and not belonging to India.
Hence boycott is the only word which segregates the offenders of constitutions from the rest of the law abiding, tolerant country.
We gained our independence from oppression through a process of Boycott and Satyagraha taught to us by the father of our nation, Mahatma Gandhi. It is time that the animals of this country be made free of oppression by us humans and given the status of ‘citizens of the state’, following the example of Spain.
WHEN WILL THIS END?
When the C.M. will legally and immediately stop all programs running concerning this issue and wait for the hon’ble court’s orders.
When all private offenders including businessmen, bodies, NGOs who have openly violated the constitution and incited public outrage against animals via verbal statements or other modes/ activities/ campaigns, are put to trial, for contempt of court and also under sections which do not permit them to try to directly/ indirectly, influence court’s judgments in sub judice matters.
When public press statements would be issued by the present government stating and upholding the law clearly and instructing the entire state to follow the laws.
Stage One of the Boycott Campaign is a worldwide protest in more than 25 major cities of the world on the 26th of July 2015 to appraise the central and state governments of the grave ground situation in the whole of Kerala.
