Dr. N. Munal Meitei,
Environmentalist, email-nmunall@yahoo.in
Mahatma Gandhi once said, “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” The country celebrates Wildlife Week from 2-8th October. The World Animal Day is also celebrated on the 4th October. The theme for 2024 is “The world is their home too.” This theme emphasizes the idea that animals are just as much a part of our ecosystem as we humans do and deserve to live in a safe and thriving environment.
In our face, the eyes, nose, teeth and ear etc. have their respective shapes and functions. Likewise in the world of animals, each one has its intrinsic function in the ecosystem. This day also calls for increased attention to animal rights and their welfare and to explore the relationship between mankind and the animal kingdom.
As to observe the day, let’s assumed ourselves to be an animal too and feel their real needs. We can’t ignore the animals as they play an inevitable role in our live. They not only support and enrich us but give companionship to make us better. This day serves as a platform to acknowledge the problems that animals face, from abuse and neglect to habitat destruction and extinction threats. The day also highlights how interconnected humans and animals and the health of animals reflects on the overall health of the planet. While uniting under one global cause, we spark conversation movements that can lead to real, tangible changes for animals.
In any corner of the planet, animals have a strong impact on its culture and tradition. Every single culture in history contains animals in their folklore, traditions, costumes, mythology and arts. The cave epics of the oldest civilization to the modern fables, our affinity with animals is so ancient and pervasive that it is virtually universal. Many of us derive deep joy, companionship and healing from the animals that share our homes. We also connect with animals by identifying with their perceived characteristics.
Researchers suggest that an affinity towards animals is rooted in the similarities of emotional expressions that are shared across human and animals. While studying the elephant’s character, it showed elephants mourned their dead, much like we human do.
Affection of animals may differ from person to person but regardless of our feelings, humans have lived and worked closely with animals for centuries. From companion cats in ancient Egypt to messenger pigeons during 19th century, the space warrior Laika to the bomb-detection military dogs today, we have long need of animals. We cared for animals because we have needed them for our survival.
Jacque-Yves Cousteau, a French explorer once said, “We only protect what we love, we only love what we understand, and we only understand what we are taught.” But, though we are not taught, now we need to love and care for the animals.
As we humans do, the animals on earth have our similarities: that they all see, hear, touch, smell, eat, rest, play, mate, raise young and die. Animals are our best friends, they are loyal to us, love us and serve us and moreover, they can also defend and die for us. Mother Teresa said, “We should love animals because they give everything, asking for nothing back with truthful love and loyalty, they are our companions, eternal friends that never betray and they deserve for our love and care.”
We cannot imagine a world without animals. They have every right to co-exist with us on this planet. Sometimes, we have seen, dogs can better welcome us and they show more love and affection than even our friends. They can share our pain and sorrow and make us laugh and happy.
Thus, to our ethos and morality, we should include how we live and treat with animals. Neither can we claim to have love in our heart if we have no love for animals. We can never be truly in touch with our soul if we do not realize that animals can suffer pain and sorrow like us.
Hence, we should defend the animals when they are being treated with cruelty. When we save an animal and learn to live with them, we are not just keeping them alive but keeping an act of compassion, kindness and inspiration to our children and future. With this we can also leave behind a wonderful legacy of working towards a better environment of peace, safety and coexistence. We should not forget that by taking care of other animals we also take care of ourselves.
Animal rights is an ideal in which all non-human animals are entitled to the possession of their own existence and that their most basic interests. Almost all religions around the world espouse some forms of animal rights. They maintain that animals should no longer be viewed as property or used as food, clothing, research subjects, entertainment or beasts of burden.
Cruelty to animals is the infliction by human suffering or harm upon any non-human. More narrowly, it can be the causing of harm or suffering, such as killing animals for food, for their fur or even their tusks. With approximately 65 billion animals killed annually for food. Killing of animals in religions procession should be stopped immediately.
The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act was enacted in India in 1960 to prevent the infliction of unnecessary pain or suffering on animals. Now-a-days, we find rearing of animals of our country origin in the houses, schools, hospitals and farms to exhibit them which is a punishable offence and such animals should immediately be handed over to the Forest department. The country also has the Wildlife Protection Acts, 1972 to deal with all sorts of wildlife crimes. But, whatever the law we may have, the more important is to realize and understand about animals and feel the love and care for them. If we accomplished it, we can really proud to observe the World Animal Day.
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