The last blog entry evoked some very strong responses and reactions. Unfortunately, all this happened on FACEBOOK as a comment to some pictures I had uploaded! That wasn't the forum for such a discussion. Many people who follow the blog aren't connected to me on FACEBOOK. So I decided to copy the conversations there and paste them here as a blog entry.
While I am certainly not going to stop speaking my mind because of criticism, but I will certainly be a bit more circumspect about how I write what I write.
As I have said before. I'd like the blog to be more interactive. Please voice your opinions -- regarding the blog and the project, feel free to react to each others' comments... after all those who voice an opinion, should also be able to accept the opinions of others! But please try not to be too personal though I know sometimes, it's unavoidable.
How can you appreciate beauty when you dont appreciate mother nature's gift- How could you send away the pet puppies to another village, it is like sending your child away and letting him/her die. I think it is a heartless act. Also it is pointless to blame your staff for the puppies because it is not their fault they were there in the first place.
I really must be more careful HOW I write in future. If you read the blog properly you will realize I AM NOT BLAMING THE STAFF! It is NOT THEIR FAULT that they sent away the dogs. I've been wanting to get rid of the dogs because they were becoming a menace. I had mentioned this in a blog.
As for sending the pups away to die in another village, I think you are mistaken there. There are hundreds of stray dogs roaming around here. Most look a lot healthier than "our" dogs. The people in the other village where the dogs have gone, are know to my staff and they feel assured that the pups will be fed.
I agree with you that it's like sending your children away... and that's why I'm sad. But I did what I felt I had to do. Perhaps I should have asked you and others first about how to deal with a situation....
There are no doctors for PEOPLE in the area where I work. There are no VETS. There are HUMAN CHILDREN coming to the schools that I run and honestly I am more concerned about THEM.
The dogs ate up a chicken in the village and it became an incident. If "our" dogs go and bite someone in the village it could lead to a situation that might spin out of control. And what if they turned rabid? What if one of the school childrren got bitten? Where would I take the children for treatment?
There are hundreds of stray dogs here. Would you be willing to start a project to take care of them? I'd gladly lend you my support. All you need to do is bring a team of Vets here. Or arrange for them to come and stay here for a week. We could round up the dogs and have them vaccinated. I hope you will also be able to raise the money for the vaccines and other expenses because our project certainly can' afford it.
Perhaps I have no right to appreciate beauty because I am cruel to animals. But what about those who go to an art exhibition in Kolkata and walk past a dying old man lying on the footpath without even a passing glance?
There are hundreds of homeless stray pups in Kolkata. I hope you are doing something to ensure that they don't get run over or starve to death.
Hi Siddharth--I believe I read the blog properly, and you opened by "partially" faulting Suman and Khagen for your restless night, caused by the pups being gone. Short of Suman fathering the pups himself, I don't understand why his salary was threatened or how in any way he or anyone else would be responsible for the dogs. And he obviously took that threat seriously, along with your expressed displeasure for the dogs' presence. As long as Bruni has no bordered area where she can be outside and run without being mounted by stray males, it's just going to happen again. : ( I wish there were an herb or something natural she could be fed to stop ovulation as protection. I'm off to Google that...
Tincture of wild carrot flowers!
i find it quite ironic that people find it so easy to judge when they are completely disconnected from the project...perhaps we could all remember it is Sid's words - Sid's own guilt and judgement of HIMSELF - that we are reading...he doesn't include the details because he is UNAWARE of what is going on...he is merely trying to DEMONSTRATE the ... turmoil he is going through!
But thanks for ensuring future blogs will be sugar-coated and lack any depth in case SOME ppl get offended and jump to irrational conclusions...
Danielle, what's your problem? How has any comment been irrational and offensive, other than yours above? Siddharth repeatedly has asked for feedback on his posts, and he has asked me personally NOT to hold anything back, that he wants honesty. I spent a month on the project, just like you did, and spent hundreds of dollars shipping school ... esupplies for the children earlier this year. We are no more "connected" or "disconnected" than anyone else. You can thank us for the future "sugar coated" posts from Siddharth, and Siddharth can thank you that he receives no further feedback from me.
i suppose i was a little over the top...it just makes me angry to see 'heartless' labels being thrown around when it's clear there's a little more to the issue than first considered...i hadn't even read Sid's own reponse to that remark yet before i angrily typed away...
Clearly he is big enough to defend himself...
And Yvonne i wasn't referring to your comments at all...
Hmmmm... Thanks Dani... I don't mind the criticism... yes, when it's unreasonable, it hurts. But that's ok. It's best that people speak their minds openly and give me a chance to defend myself -- and not behind my back, like some do!
It's a little UNFORTUNATE that this was the forum chosen for it. I just uploaded a few pictures. People should have commented on that! Those who read the blog and had something to say, should have left their comments there! This is my PERSONAL space... And like you, the comments made here made a lot of people who REALLY know me personally, quite upset.
Don't worry Dani. I won't sugar-coat my blogs. But I do hope, people are going to comment about my blog at the blog site and not on FACEBOOK -- unless of course, they deliberately wish to be personal!
By the way, right now I feel like lynching the visitor who picked up Bruni and her brother off the streets and left them at the project. I should have gotten rid of them as soon as he had left the project.Everyone found the pups "very cute". None of them are here to take care of them now!
Eesh! The puppies gone? I still remember the day when u were in calcutta and banshi informed u that bruni 'pregnant dikhta hain'. Then one day when we were returning to the project as soon as we landed they informed us that bruni had so many puppies...we went to see and bruni didnt protest even when u went close to the puppies..i even named them as bruni's brat brigade...just going down memory lane...
But then since its your project u know best what to do.
1 comment:
Hi Siddharth,
I don't think anyone is to blame for the puppies being sent away, I would have done the same myself (actually I already have done a couple of times).
Yes, puppies are cute and well-behaved dogs are certainly useful. However, at least here in Malaysia, female dogs are ready to conceive at around 8 months old and can have around 2-8 puppies every 6 months. That's a lot of dogs. Unless you are breeding them for food or are willing to see them starve, this is unsustainable.
I have three rescued cute puppies and fortunately there are vets here and I was able to afford to have them neutered.
How does one ask for animal doctors when there are not even human doctors? Neutering a female dog generally requires anaesthetic, sutures and antibiotics...
I think that Dakshinayan is an example to the local villages, of the benefits of education, discipline, care for the environment and also kindness towards animals. Part of kindness towards animals is making sure that the dogs that are there are well-fed, disciplined and respected as members of the project. However I don't know how to do that if Bruni's reproduction remains unchecked. A bit unhelpful, I know, but we do understand the dilemma you are in.
Laura
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