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INTRODUCTION

Evolution is successfully and progressively bringing humanity closer than ever to discovering life on exoplanets as the earth watches its unconditionally nurtured beings suffering at the hands of those conceited enough to believe the existence of their kind to be superior, with free reign over what they forget is not only their home but a shared ecosystem to be respected and cared for. Somewhere along the way, a disheartening part of the population took to tormenting those that hold no command over human tongue for casually misinterpreted entertainment and ease of life. The evident increase in inconsiderately executed acts of abuse towards animals is an alarming concern deserving cautious addressal.

THE BEGINNING OF EVERYTHING

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Co-existence of man and other creatures has been widely misunderstood for a long stretch of time. People have always had the inclination towards controlling everything to add to their benefit. Blessed with a mind so advanced and structured beautifully to support their curiosity, the human race has taken innovation in lifestyle very seriously. It is with this development that the chain of degrading animal life has grown stronger, which without proper supervision and action, will undoubtedly find more links and seep stealthily into society leading to innumerable victims who cannot approach the courtroom. In his search for better, man has been cruelly neglectful of the impact his choices have on anyone but himself. The early ages have seen some or the other form of this selfishness bound to his physical or mental greed. The hunger for power and strength is deeply rooted from the very beginning of our feet scaling this planet. The earliest of our ancestors found release and pride in challenging ferociously fatal beings boasting strength like no other. For instance, Komodo dragons, lions and hyenas are known to be famous battle opponents. It is safe to say that we had been very much invested in taking the role of predators and defying natural selection.

Expansion of knowledge boundaries set exploration as a prerequisite which humans took to extensively. Hunting for survival quickly advanced to hunting for warmth and weaponry. And as we took, we deemed them to be means to an end. We saw potential in what they could provide, and developed a deaf ear to their cries. At some point, our resistance to their pain took root so deep within, that we lost sight of our end goal-survival. Instincts to conquer, rule and dominate were vital and rather destructively matured our sense of familiarity with beings unfamiliar.

Following the initial Stone and Bronze Ages, the Iron Age saw a great boom in domestication of animals, primarily sheep, horses and cows. Be it the thrill of social upliftment that came with cattle, traditions to cope with or consumption, people had learned to put their understanding of the animal kingdom for their welfare. Although this was a stage of desperation and need of the hour and cannot be equated to any extreme forms of deterioration of other life forms, it still paved the way for a twisted outlook that bled into centuries moving forward. We could not fathom residing on the same level as our providers and were considerably craving the exhilarating joy in looking down at those below us. And so, began the construction of a pedestal so high and reliant on will power, serving an indefinitely diminished view of what lies beneath us and was once alongside us.

Yuval Noah Harari, a popular Israeli historian and renowned author, in his famous publication, ‘Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind’ states, “Ants and bees can also work together in huge numbers, but they do so in a very rigid manner and only with close relatives. Wolves and chimpanzees cooperate far more flexibly than ants, but they can do so only with small numbers of other individuals that they know intimately. Sapiens can cooperate in extremely flexible ways with countless numbers of strangers. That’s why Sapiens rule the world, whereas ants eat our leftovers and chimps are locked up in zoos and research laboratories.”

It is an honourable feat that humankind has achieved to be standing where they are, but it is the ignorance they have normalised regarding why and whom this outcome is owed to that sets our mind to rationalise inappropriate and disappointing misuse of the upper hand we have accomplished.

No matter how lowly man perceives the animal kingdom to be, he never fails to acknowledge the leverage they hold against him in terms of brawn. Ancient symbolism and association with In classic human fashion, he has taken advantage of this fact since time immemorial. The middle ages gave rise to the need for destruction on a larger scale so as to acquire reign over regions by rulers and a more specific portrayal of power and status. The army would rear animals with magnificent muscle power like elephants, rhinoceros, particular breeds of dogs and horses to accompany them in battles and assist them with mobility along with ensuring maximum damage to the enemy on the battlefields. Animal count was a significant account of military strength much like the missiles and tanks we have efficiently made a shift towards. Officials are known to imply ruthless tactics to aggravate the creatures to do their bidding and execute severe catastrophes with minimal effort and there were times of regular carelessness in looking after them.

It was the availability and moldability of wildlife that fed the masses with resources and proved them to be disposable to eyes with no remorse. Empathy seemed to have diminished with the degree of slavery thrusted onto innocent lives unfairly caught up in man’s quest to conquer. This outcome can be claimed as the source of mistreatment encountered to this day.

THE TORMENT OF TODAY

Given how evolved we now present ourselves to be, as the most revolutionary species to walk the planet, it would be expected of us to have turned overly self-conceited and drenched in narcissism. After all, we work with such highly developed brains skilled at astonishing themselves just the same. We create, we adapt, we implement and we lose track of the impact.

Human interference in innocent animal lives is disturbingly prevalent in the current times with most cases breaking down the cause to be varying rates of introspection abilities. A wide range of damage is dealt by zoos and circuses heavily exploiting animals for personal gain without taking notice of the underconditioned state they are forced to live in without a trace of their natural habitat to make up for the loss they have witnessed by man. To bring to light the haunting scenarios, let us prioritise some recent cases as follows:

Raipur found itself wounded after an eighteen year old boy heartlessly attacked five stray dogs with acid on a whim, claiming the experience to be “fun”. Three of the five dogs have been severely injured while two have been reported missing. Such uncoordinated sense of amusement and its uncivilised accomplishment drives many into a sorry state of existence.
The infamous suffering of Joymala, the elephant, at the hands of Tamil Nadu’s mahout is a displeasing voice to the ears as the illegally held down and tortured being cries for help. Unfortunately for Joymala, her screams failed to reach her tormentors. This form of immunity to another’s pain is only indicative of one’s unjustifiable lengths for baseless satisfaction.

The fire in Nagpur not only burnt alive two irreproachable puppies but also the heart of a man with cruel indifference to wild wails surging through his veins. He was also reported to be a regular assaulter influenced by psychotic tendencies. The urge to harm the harmless still prevails as an ugly evil in society and it goes without saying that it would take all of society to re-channel harmony.
Aggression is an emotion acceptable only within boundaries. Said boundaries appeared to have lost their purpose for three men in Maharashtra who reportedly attempted to kill a dog by tying him ruthlessly to a rock and forcefully flinging it into the river. Their explanation for their extreme actions takes root from the dog biting a resident of the village. This takes the form of unrightful justice achieved through unfair tactics and is not the last of when our kind does everything in their power to assert unsolicited authority.

In our race to form a human-friendly environment, we often overlook humanity. Countless more incidents have come up lately with a whopping five lakh cases reported in the last 10 years. The underlying issue is not that of fear of authorities and confrontation but one of personal morale and circumstantial response to potential threats. Being human does not always equate to humanity, and humanity does not always reflect humility.

WHAT TO LOOK UP TO

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There is fire, and there is water. Of which, one may not be necessarily proportional to the other. For both to exist in the same space, it would take an alternative timely switch of elemental ratio to balance and rule out the possibility of chaos. Human and animal interaction can be based on a similar approach. As long as the fires of passion and empathy are not extinguished by the waters of aggression and sadism, a common ground of peace within and around can be steadily accomplished.

Though the collective volume of the waters looks comparatively larger, the fires are yet to be died down and stand high ablaze. One such flame thrived a few days prior to the historic Supertech Twin Tower demolition wherein, Animal NGOs like ‘House of Stray Animals’ and ‘Happy Tails Foundation’ coordinated in evacuating helpless stray creatures from the nearby areas. It requires heroic ambition to be able to point out loopholes in plans and act accordingly in record time and is a commendable feat in itself.
Antony Rubin, a dyslexic Chennai local nurtures his own flame as an animal rescue enthusiast who has selflessly taken matters into his own hands after watching countless situations of abuse afflicted by humans. He is known to garner help from the government to support the noble cause better. Rescuing overworked bulls, illegally trafficked animals and slaughterhouses, circus lions, chimpanzees, horses and countless more, He speaks of his concern regarding the most effective end to this torture being education and building compassion in kids from the very start stating, “The government should provide guidance to the students.” It holds true that when a nation’s future knows the weight of their actions, is aware of the inequitable hierarchy, the evils of the world and the plight of those suffering at its hands, there is sure to be a revolution in the state of being for both parties for the better.
Abandonment of pets by owners no longer capable of providing for the animals is not an uncommon sight and for the most part, is understandable provided that the cause is not flawed. A small house in Kharghar is home to 15 such abandoned creatures who have found love and care again and now live a life of joy with the Khot family. Countering popular belief, Utpal Khot requests people to not adopt animals, especially not if the motive behind doing so is purely that of self-satisfaction. The family of three has transformed into one with eighteen members and delightfully so. It goes without saying that pets are a responsibility and family altogether, and are only overlooked because of how little we understand and embrace their communication patterns.

Perhaps the most independently great fire is the government and is constantly struggling to spread itself wider and to more minor parts of the system. Various laws and provisions have been implemented to ensure a secure and fulfilling time on the planet for living beings excluding humans. Some major sections like section 11 devised in India under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960 entail inflicting pain, cruel transportation and handling of animals, restraining animals, using them for entertainment purposes and many other offences of the same regard.

The laws have been framed with care to avoid further misconduct faced by beings deserving of such wicked fate. But the application and concern for these rules is not being practised to its full potential considering the state of animals in rather secluded rural and other backward areas of the country. We still see a regular herd of cows left unsupervised on busy roads of Uttar Pradesh and there still exists unawareness of animal welfare among children due to incapable school faculty. The urban class also constantly fails to provide for the basic care of both animals taking shelter with them and around them. There are still countless pets disowned by previous owners in critical condition in areas unfavourable for survival and there still exist those with unexplained tendencies to hurt. Every soul holds a candle, if only a small flame can be ignited, perhaps it would share the warmth and procure a revision of circumstances for beings with a voice usually left muffled under the rock of labels of inferiority.

CONCLUSION

A substantial cause of how unjust we are to other species is how our ancestors made them out to be. Nonetheless, there is evidence of respect and honour they shared in the way Hinduism glorifies and terms multiple creatures like cows, snakes and lions as sacred or how the Greeks are known to have worshipped their Gods like Hera and Zeus in the forms of animals like peacocks and eagles. This holy enlistment acted as a safety blanket for many species but as we gradually shift to more insensitive times, we observe a peak in crimes against the vulnerable. We received this gift of knowledge to lift those that cannot rise by themselves, not to pull the rug of rights from beneath them.

The waters are rising but the fire does not hold back. The brutality is countered by love if not now then later, but it never succumbs to never. It takes little consideration to utilize one’s resources for a cause so pure and fulfilling. A time when everyone protects their own flames from menial splashes and defines the comfort they can provide, is when humanity shall truly define humanity.

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