Ani-mated

Monkey menace hits Delhi (December 2007)

The national capital is always on alert due to possible terror attacks.

However, the President’s House, ministerial bungalows, the courts, temples, markets and other well-fortressed places are on guard against another potent threat --- gangs of marauding monkeys attacking humans that have turned chilling in the recent past.

In October, the deputy mayor of Delhi, S S Bajwa died after being attacked by several monkeys in the morning at the terrace of his house in a residential locality of East Delhi.

Last month a-lone monkey, over one night, attacked and injured at least 25 people, including children and one woman seriously, at a residential colony, again in east Delhi.

Wild rumors floated about a disguised serial killer at large, though it turned out that the deranged animal was stressed about separation from his family brood.

An assessment of the fear factor can be gauged when a petrified Priyanka Gandhi, daughter of Congress party President Sonia Gandhi reportedly called up civic authorities recently when a monkey strayed into her house at the New Delhi bungalow region, a particular favorite of the simians due to the greenery and open areas. Priyanka is the mother of two young kids.

It is not that monkeys in Delhi, estimated to number anywhere between 10,000-to-25000, have not been in focus in the past.

There have been some unfortunate biting incidents, snatchings from pedestrians, but the talk has been more about their naughty and usually good-humored behavior.

As a matter of fact Delhi has always contained a fair sprinkling of cows and monkeys, considered as sacred by the pre-dominant Hindu community. The animals have freely roamed the roads and elsewhere for sometime.

Among the many Gods that Hindus worship, include the elephant God Ganesh and monkey God Hanuman, considered as the embodiment of strength; the cow is referred as Mata (mother) due to the milk she gives.

The presence of monkeys has also been seen as a positive example of peaceful co-existence in Delhi.

Thus, it is with relish that the media has reported in the past that monkeys residing in the big ministerial complexes of north and south block (that adjoin the President’s House) repeatedly run off with secret files, apart from lunch boxes, from the federal home and defense ministry.

The government has thus hired the services of a bigger monkey specimen called white langurs, unlike the smaller brown rhesus variety that proliferate, that are now tied to vantage points around large office buildings.

The langurs have been quite effective in keeping the others at bay, though the very intelligent brown monkeys have figured out that they are tied and try and work around it. The solution has been to vary the length of the rope to keep the confusion.

Any Indian visiting a temple would also vouch about monkeys, carefully monitored by the locals, who specialize in running off with hand bags of women and spectacles and mobile phones from anyone.

The stealer monkey sits at a high vantage point and observes his master negotiate, promptly alighting once money, that conveniently has to be in higher dimension paper notes and not coins for the monkey’s recognition, changes hands. The stolen article is never damaged.

All of this is of course taken in good spirit, as Indians are known to be tolerant towards animals --- especially cows, monkeys and elephants, as long as they don’t cause trouble. Street dogs that abound are loved and pampered, without any religious connotations.

However, rapid urbanization of Delhi, including deforestation, frenetic construction activities and exponential rise in vehicular traffic, has created a situation of acute man-animal conflict, leading to stressful existence and abnormal behaviors.

Apart from increased numbers, wildlife experts speak about destruction of natural habitats as the root of the over-crowding.

The approximate 50,000 cows and buffalos that live on Delhi roads are thus a major nuisance now, causing innumerable accidents. There have been incidents of bulls goring people to death, while street dogs have attacked and killed children.

The monkeys too have nowhere to go and nothing to eat as the trees have been cut for expressway, metro and housing projects.

In the recent past, Delhi courts have been issuing strictures against civic authorities, following appeals by residents, to rid the city of the monkey menace. Many lawyers and their clients have been bitten within the various court premises itself.

A police officer, pestered by residents, was recently quoted to say that cops were quite helpless in catching monkeys given the wildlife protection statutes. Also, if a monkey does unfortunately get killed/injured in the process, it could create a religious furor that no political party in India will like to risk.

In 2005, frustrated with the ineptitude of the government on the matter, the Delhi court announced a cash prize equivalent to US$50 for every cow caught and delivered to an appointed government agency.

This created a mad ``cowboy’’ rush that fizzled out, as there was no way of ensuring that the caught cows were strays belonging to the city. Also animal rights activists quickly pointed at the imminent torture of the poor animals.

The Delhi government has, however, woken up to the alarming monkey attacks and allocated a budget of Rs 10 million to snare them. As per official figures about 750 monkeys have been caught in the capital this year, following prescribed wildlife norms and released in adjoining forests.

There is a big task in hand given the total numbers and officially the government has only five catchers.

Yet, perhaps for the first time, the High Court did recognize efforts recently and praised the Delhi government for also finally deciding on a sanctuary at a mining area close by to house the caught monkeys.

However, it is not only Delhi’s street animals that are fighting for their space. Humans are prey too as road rage is a major problem that harassed commuters in Delhi have to face, reflecting higher levels of intolerance.

Apart from nightmarish traffic jams giving to frayed tempers, psychiatric studies point towards new money, high growth, aspirations and the attendant rat race that has instilled an over-aggressive streak that is spilling over on the streets.

As per police estimates over 10,000 road rage incidents, ranging from verbal abuse to physical threats take place in Delhi everyday.

In the recent past two people have been killed following skirmishes on the roads of Delhi. A property consultant was pulled out of his car by a mob of motorcycle borne riders and beaten to death, following a minor brush. A father of two was killed for coming in the way of a motorcyclist.

This week, in an unprecedented incident that harks to the serious situation in US schools, two schoolboys allegedly shot dead their classmate at an up market school in technology hub Gurgaon that adjoins Delhi.

Given the aberrant behavior of people in cities, it is pertinent to ask whether it is only the monkeys to blame.

The cows that jump New Delhi’s traffic (August 2005)

Greed often scores over all else, including religion. The past few days India’s capital city New Delhi has been witness to a peculiar sight --- cowboys (many on motorcycles) with lassos spanning the city to round up cattle.

The Indian version of the Pamplona Bull run has happened following a cash award of $ 50 per cow caught, announced by the Delhi high court to rid the city of the traffic menace.

The court has been exhorting the Delhi government for quite some time to rid the roads of cows, but without much success. It is estimated that over 50,000 cows and buffaloes inundate the roads along with hordes of monkeys, camels, pigs and stray dogs, causing traffic jams and accidents.

Traffic routinely comes to a halt on highways to allow animals walk, sleep, shit and procreate. Several animals are injured with carcasses often lying on the roads.

For years, foreign visitors to New Delhi never fail to comment on cows that roam Delhi roads freely. Several foreign dignitaries, businessmen, film stars, pop singers, sportspeople who have visited the country have said that they never expected to see cows on Indian roads, especially the national capital. Somehow, it does not fit into India’s image as a global supplier of scientific manpower, including handling computers and software.

Cows and buffaloes can be spotted everywhere --- at the busy Ring Road, the Race Course Road where the Prime Minister lives, Shanti Path which runs through the diplomatic enclave. They graze the lawns that crisscross the wide thoroughfares of India Gate and the Rashtrapati Bhavan where the President of India resides.

There has been an intelligence report that stray dogs that live next to the Prime Minister’s residence are a potential hazard as they move in and out of the high security zone, given their friendly access to the security guards.

Any one of the dogs can be stitched up with a remote-controlled bomb. Fed up with stray dogs that bite, the government of the north eastern state Arunachal Pradesh has ordered a shoot to kill when sighted. Still, not as bad as London though. Bulls in rage have gored several people to death in New Delhi.

The existence of cows in particular have been due to several factors --- as Delhi as developed, several erstwhile villages have fallen in the ambit of metropolitan areas. Land that the cows and buffaloes roamed freely to graze was converted. Owners have no choice but to let their cattle out to fend for themselves. There are also several instances of cattle being left loose once they are old and useless.

But, the one reason that authorities not only in Delhi, but several cities and towns of India are unable to launch a crusade to rid the cities of vagabond cattle is religion. Cows remain a very touchy subject due to the religious sentiments attached.

The animal is revered by the Hindus and addressed as Gau Mata (meaning, the cow is like a mother). Indian history has several instances of Hindu-Muslim riots erupting over cows being slaughtered, sometimes deliberately to incite violence.

Hindus do not eat cow meat, unlike lamb or chicken that is slaughtered. The latter are usually not seen on the streets.

But, apart from religion there are other factors that complicate the task, not least the animal rights activist who make it a point to criticize any government action or inaction. Indians in general are animal lovers and often adopt several stray dogs and cows, putting up a stiff resistance to municipal authorities who try and remove them.

Further, Indians are notorious about flouting laws. Laws have been enacted against known infringements as is the norm internationally. There are fines for noise pollution, littering, talking on the cell phone while driving, not wearing seat belts…Even one against peeing in public which was strengthened after a person was found easing his bladder on the wall of the house of the municipal commissioner of Delhi.

Some analysts have said that apart from a general lack of discipline Indians break these minor laws as it gives them a sense of freedom and doing what they feel like in keeping with democratic traditions.

It is often observed that Indians living abroad who follow rules to the book, change dramatically when in India, off loading empty ice cream/pizza/cola packets even as they drive. Despite the existence of over 250 free public urinals in New Delhi, most prefer to pee on the roadside.

From time to time the authorities try and clamp down, but the task is humongous given the population and cannot be sustained over a period of time. Nobody has yet been hauled up for peeing in public.

However, to the credit of the New Delhi authorities, they have found solutions to some of the other animal problems. A couple of Langur’s (bigger sized white monkeys) are tied everyday to the forecourts of the Rashtrapati Bhavan and the adjoining north and south block that houses the main government (including prime minister and home minister) as well as military offices.

The Langur’s keep a check on the smaller Indian brown rhesus monkeys that are a menace in the area, biting government officials, running away with secret files, entering the inner precincts of offices and the President’s quarters.

Another practice by government offices, especially the Income Tax and the Delhi Development Authority (that deals with land allotment and development in the Capital) has been to assiduously and officially cultivate cats. This is to keep away mice from nibbling the reams of paperwork that has to be stored, in the face of slow computerization of government offices.

The latest order on cows with the attendant cash awards seems to have caught the imagination of the people and could also be a success. The response has been akin to hordes logging onto game shows, lucky dips, quiz contests with fabulous awards. But, a hitch has been reported as few people have been buying cheap cows from anywhere to win the higher cash award. The authorities now insist that there should be some proof of where the cattle belong. Such paper work for stray animals is very difficult.

However, the court order on cows is a reflection of the systemic changes that are taking place in New Delhi in contrast to major cities such as Mumbai. Post the unprecedented rains in Mumbai, the city has been under siege. Delhi has changed in the last few years --- the roads have been ramped up, flyovers built, an underground metro is in place, buses use clean fuel and illegal development of land curtailed.

The difference between the two cities is that Delhi has its own elected government just like the major cities of the world with elected mayors. Mumbai’s interests (as also Bangalore in Karnataka or Chennai in Tamil Nadu) are diluted as the responsibility is with the government of the state.

India has a long way to go. Comparisons of Mumbai with Shanghai or Gurgaon with Singapore are quite far fetched. For now, it is back to the cowboys.


When dogs don’t bark or bite

Dogs and cats are often close to seat of power. President George W Bush and the first lady Laura recently welcomed a new addition to the family: a Scottish terrier puppy named Miss Beazley.

In keeping with pet dignity, family wishes and political correctness, it was White House spokesman Steve McClellan who announced that the puppy is Bush's birthday gift to his wife, Laura, who turned 58.

In America as also elsewhere, pets are family and merit the full introduction. Born October 28, Miss Beazley will arrive at the White House just before the Christmas holiday, McClellan said.

Divulging more on her, in keeping with White House traditions related to pets, McClellan said she was named after a dinosaur in a popular children's book and the puppy's father is Barney's half-brother.

In true inclusive style it was mentioned that the first family comprises a Scottish terrier named Barney and a black cat named India, apart from daughters Miss Jenna and Miss Barbara.

One of the first family's dogs, an English Springer spaniel Spot, died in February, his obituary very much part of the official White House website.

Dogs and cats are given the importance in this part of the world as well. One of the most famous dog pictures relate to Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf Musarraf who was quick to realize that opinions in the west count and so does a soft side to a military leader.

A few years back while his troops were busy arresting incumbent Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and company in a bloodless coup, Musharraf promptly unleashed his two friendly Pekinese dogs among western journalists who assembled at his residence. It made the right impact.

There was levity in the reports that followed as media persons began to connect with the General. Leading newspapers talked about Musarraf's Pekinese connection, in an obvious reference to China. Every dog has his day, so did Musarraf's, who knew better than anybody that dog diplomacy does work.

Dogs have for long caught popular imagination and the media here takes special care to portray them.

Former US President Bill Clinton nuzzling his cocker spaniel Buddy was the stuff that complete American families were made of, until of course the Monica Lewinsky affair blew Clinton’s doggedness.

George Bush Sr’s, the late Millie still remains familiar and the current Bush dog family owes their lineage to her.

Here in India, politicians are not as smart as Musharraf to tilt dog diplomacy towards their end and prefer to parade nubile film stars when they want to present a happy picture and attract attention, especially prior to elections.

However, beat journalists do recall former Congress president Sitaram Kesri's Spitz that fluttered in and out of the view of television cameras when he was at the helm of affairs; former defense minister George Fernandes loves his Alsatians while another politician of note P A Sangma is proud of his German Shepard’s.

Uma Bharti, who is causing a headache to her Bharatiya Janata Party bosses, dotes on her Alsatian.

``Dogs have been domesticated by man for years,’’ says psychiatrist Sanjay Chugh, ``they appeal to a vast section of the population cutting across all boundaries. They represent a gentle side and appeal to the temporal part of the brain.

They manage to divert attention from the real issues as also happened in the Musharraf case,’’ he adds.

Sticking with animals, journalists doing the rounds here cannot ignore the couple of Langur’s (bigger sized white monkeys) that remain tied to the forecourts of the Rashtrapati Bhavan (where the Indian President resides) and the adjoining north and south block that houses the main government as well as military offices.

The Langur’s have been brought in to keep a check on the smaller Indian brown rhesus monkeys that are a menace in the area, biting government officials and running away with secret files.

The smaller and smarter monkeys have realized that the trained Langur’s are tied to a long leash and never miss an opportunity of a good tease from a safe distance. But, the Langur’s have been successful in keeping the monkey’s away from the inner precincts of offices and the President’s quarters.

Another novel practice by government offices, especially the Income Tax and the Delhi Development Authority (that deals with land allotment and development in the Capital) has been to assiduously and officially cultivate cats in their midst.

This is to keep away mice from nibbling the reams of paperwork that has to be stored, in the face of slow computerization of government offices.

However, like Musharraf and true to their label of reflecting the true Indian mindsets, Hindi movies have for long exploited the dog sentiment. In the blockbuster Hum Apke Hain Kaun, it was the family Pomeranian that finally delivered the most important letter that talked of the true emotions of the heroine just as she was about to be married off to the wrong guy.

The audience lapped it up, as this is what's expected of dogs in any case and the director absolutely connected with such a finale.

One can recall another movie Teri Meherbanian starring a Doberman and a lead Bollywood actor Jackie Shroff, which turned out to be a hit; critics said that the real star was Jackie the dog (his nomenclature in the movie) and not the other way round.

Indeed, in this age of multi-media, the right image forms a strong arsenal. Dogs and pets can go a long way in conveying the same message. Indian diplomats, political spin masters for so long embroiled in verbal nuances to draft the correct policy documents for their bosses, could take a leaf out of Musharraf, US President’s and Bollywood directors. Diplomacy and more with dogs does work.