Take Charge of Your Health

Maintaining good health at all stages of life is vitally important to be able to perform optimally and to give our best to whatever we are doing. It is also essential to be healthy to enjoy the fruits of our hard work and labour post our retirement.

It is an amazing sight to see elderly well into their eighties enjoying an active and a healthy lifestyle. Unfortunately, despite quantum growth in medical science, the modern generation is beset with plethora of health problems. As a result, poor health starts affecting our professional and  personal life from a very young age and we do not lead a very healthy working or retired life. At 58 when I superannuated from the Indian Army, I had already undergone an open heart surgery and had developed other health problems. All these medical issues have been faced by me despite the fact that I led a fairly active lifestyle, followed strict diet regimen and  did not have any serious vices except occasional social drinking. Although I am lucky that most of these problems developed towards the end of my service and did not interfere much with my work and life however it did force me to analyse the reasons for health related challenges faced by working professionals.

As per Centres for Disease Control and Prevention  health is influenced by  factors, which are classified into five broad categories i.e. behaviour, genetics, environmental influences,  social factors  and medical care. I will analyse and provide suggestions on these determinants purely from the perspective of a "health conscious individual" based on practical experience.  

The Behaviour Related Health Factors

The behaviour related health choices have the most significant impact on our health hence need to be understood and moderated to maintain good health.

Tobacco. Amongst these, tobacco use is considered as the worst which as per WHO statistics kills almost 50% of its users which numbers up to a staggering 80 lakhs per year world wide. Incidentally 12 lakhs amongst these would be those who get exposed to indirect/passive smoke. Tobacco use is a major risk factor for many chronic diseases, including cancer, lung disease, cardiovascular disease and stroke. It is one of the significant causes of death and disease in India and accounts for nearly 1.35  million deaths every year hence a "Big No to Tobacco" in any form.

Drinking. Heavy and regular drinking can cause serious health problems including a weakened immune system. As per current thinking, alcohol has no health benefits hence ideally we should not be drinking at all but if we chose to drink, it must be done in moderation. To reduce the risk of alcohol-related harms, the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that adults of legal drinking age must limit intake to 2 drinks or less in a day for men or 1 drink or less in a day for women, on days when alcohol is consumed.

Diet. We all understand the benefits of nutritious food hence I will not dwell on this too much. I will just pass on the advise I got from a restaurateur friend stating "don't eat out" as most restaurant's and eateries reuse their edible oil for weeks and thereafter sell the used leftovers  to "Dhaba's" and food stall owners for reuse. Actually these eateries are serving us slow poison hence I will just recommend that maximise your consumption of home cooked meals with leafy green vegetables and  minimise sugar intake.

Exercise. Human body is designed to move hence exercise is a must to keep it healthy. As we grow older we tend to loose our aerobic capacity, muscle strength, bone mass, balance, and flexibility. To maintain optimum health we don't have to do anything extraordinary,  brisk walking of 30 minutes for five times a week, weight lifting exercises with light dumbbell's every alternate day and some stretching exercises will do the trick. In addition, the working professionals will also benefit by inculcating small habits like standing while working, walking up to the colleagues for work, using stairs, avoiding caffeine and keeping hydrated. Unfortunately lack of will power, laziness or sheer negligence prevents us from following a simple exercise regimen resulting in serious consequences for our health. 

Stress. I consider stress as the biggest but silent "killer of health and aspirations" as it impacts body, mind and the spirit and converts a "flying eagle" into a "scared chicken". Stress is a human response developed over centuries to deal with threatening "fight or flight" situations in which the nervous systems stops "essential but non-urgent bodily functions"  such as digestion to deal with the threat. It produces hormones that stimulate the pituitary gland and the adrenalin gland to release catecholamines including adrenaline, noradrenaline, and cortisol. This results in an increased heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing rate. Normally the body should return to pre-arousal levels in 20-60 minutes or even earlier if the subject indulges in physical activity related to fight or flight. However, unlike our ancestors, the modern day professionals face fight or flight stress situations repeatedly thereby never allowing the body to return to the pre-arousal levels hence remaining in "chronic stress". In my opinion, the best way to avoid stress is by remaining organised and prioritising your work. While the chronic stress levels can be brought down by indulging in aerobic activity for 20-30 minutes at your "exercise heart rate". 

Heredity & Health

Family history is often one of the strongest risk factors for common diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, autoimmune disorders, and psychiatric illnesses. Family history is thought to be a good predictor of an individual’s disease risk because family members most closely represent the unique genomic and environmental interactions that an individual experiences. Understanding our family's health history and taking precautions is a must for all of us to avoid many chronic diseases. 

Social Relationships

Humans are social animals and are deeply influenced by the immediate social environment which can have positive or negative impact on our health. Therefore,  we  must work towards improving on the quality of our social connections and social support through community participation, social integration and relationship building in our schools, offices and neighbourhoods. Social support has appeared in many  studies to be neutralising the effects of stress and having a positive impact on health. It is my personal experience that indulging in community work, helping some one or just having friends has a great therapeutic  effect.

Physical Environment

The physical environment in that we live and work can have significant impact on our health. While the effects of pollution and proximity to toxic sites is well known, studies have also proven that density of alcohol outlets and healthy/unhealthy food stores in the vicinity can impact the general health of the population. Therefore, if it is within your control, do try and choose more healthier environment to live and work.

Health Care

Most of us have access to high quality medical facilities and are covered by health insurance however despite that we do have cases of unexpected premature deaths or serious disability due to various illnesses. It is my opinion that we should religiously get our periodic medical check ups done, get ourselves vaccinated and should not ignore the warning signs of disease. 

I will conclude by saying that health is the most critical pillar of our life however it is being ignored by most of us especially in the middle age thereby resulting in a life of disease and discomfort after our fifties. It is however within us to take charge of our health, focus on the "five  determinants of health" as discussed above and lead a happy and active life well into eighties and beyond.

Four Fundamentals of Professional Success

    Success in our chosen profession is an important dimension of our life without which the wheel of happiness is not complete. This is the reason most of us try and devote maximum amount of time and energy in this direction often at the cost of other pillars of life. The success on this front however is elusive as well deceptive. Most people even at very late stage in life are confused if not unhappy with their professional achievements. Also, this subject would possibly be the most researched and written about but we continue to see more and more work from the management gurus and professionals from various walks of life. 

   At the outset it may be prudent to revisit our understanding of professional success which does not necessarily mean to be sitting on top of the hierarchical ladder. To put it simply, professional success means doing work that is purposeful and that you enjoy, getting recognition for your contribution, having opportunity for growth, ability to balance work with personal life and financial wellbeing.   

The formula for professional success is very simple, known to all however the problem is that we tend to forget, ignore and do not pursue the  basics thereby resulting in under achievement. In my life, I have seen many highly gifted individuals not realising their full potential as they ignore the essentials of professional success while on the other hand many average people have achieved success purely by tenaciously sticking to the fundamentals. Let us see what are these basics which are so essential for achieving professional success.

Do What You Like. If feasible take up a profession that interests & excites you as it will take care of many professional challenges related to learning, motivation and focus. While agreeing to the fact that most people do not have the luxury of choosing a profession they like but as per a Washington Post Study only 26.5 percent degree holders work in the fields they are qualified. 

There is no comparative study for India but things are no different and it is quite common to professionals changing their jobs and fields of work frequently. If that be the case, I will take the liberty to recommend "blend your profession with passion" and further suggest that "it is never too late". 

    Clear and Realistic Goals. You must define clear professional goals for yourself but these must commensurate to the level from where you have started, educational qualification and your competencies. It is my experience that most of us are under or over ambitious with our professional goals. The biggest disasters occur when many of us do not align our expectations with our capabilities and the hard work we are willing to put in. While it is not feasible to exactly define what you want but it may be wise to "broadly identify the place where you wish to reach" while accepting the fact that missing the target by a notch or two is part of life.

 Upskill for Success. Every profession requires technical and managerial/leadership skills that need to be upgraded on a continuous basis. Technical skills are the foundations of your profession hence a must, but leadership skills are indispensable without which successful outcomes are not feasible.

    At this stage in life, I can accept that I along with many other senior colleagues from various walks of life lacked many of the leadership skills like goal defining, decision making, delegation, effective listening, consensus building, conflict resolution & interpersonal relations.  Best way to upskill is to practice although you can join certified/non-certified, paid/unpaid, on/off campus courses.. Writing/blogging on matters related to your profession is an interesting way of ensuring that you read, carryout research and remain upskilled all the time. 

Work on Personal Qualities. Success in your profession like all other achievements necessitates certain personal qualities like discipline (to follow a routine, time management and avoid distractions),  hard work, focus or  ability for deep work, positive attitude, integrity, self control, and emotional stability. In my opinion solid personal qualities are most critical element of professional success however most challenging to imbibe and follow therefore everyone must continue to make an effort to improve on this account. Honest self introspection with with a tinge of spirituality helps a long way in evolving as a better person. 

    In conclusion I would like to say that professional success is a must for all of us to be happy and the key for the same is in our own hands. We just need to leave our comfort zones, choose our calling and pursue it with sincerity and dedication.

Success and Life

    There is a very strong urge in all of us to succeed and prove our worth to our family, friends, and colleagues, the people who make our world. It is thus usual to see most of us  arduously working towards achieving our so called success goals. But do we understand, what is success? or these are just attempts to accomplish what others expect from us and at seeking their approval of our actions. It is surprising to see how early in life even smallest of children loose their originality and indulge in activities to please  their elders. I am sure we all regularly experience this craving to measure our worth through what others say and during the course of our lives keep trying to see "our reflection in the eyes of other people". We always find ourselves chasing one achievement after the other and then to the next without identifying ourselves with our goals, always getting to them without feeling like as if we have made any progress.  And when we don’t achieve a particular goal, we feel like a failure, like there is something’s wrong with us and that there is some thing missing. Even the highly accomplished amongst us start having self-doubt and start questioning our ability. Some carry this actual or perceived rejection from others to the ridiculous extremes and go into depression and indulge in substance abuse. Only a small percentage of the one million strong Indian Army reach the rank of Colonel or a Brigadier, which by any standards is a great professional achievement however some in this rank too may consider themselves as under achievers because they are not Generals. The same can be said for many corporate vice presidents who have not made it to the top of the corporate ladder as the CEO's.

    Why does this happen? Why don't we ever feel satisfied with our achievements? Partly we may attribute this state to the human nature which has a tendency to be never satisfied but mainly it is because we do not understand success and more importantly we have not learnt to measure it correctly. In my earlier blog, I had identified "eternal happiness" as the purpose of human life and listed certain "happiness factors" those if pursued correctly can usher a feeling of  happiness and genuine success. While most cultures and individuals understand and give credence to these factors but are not able to maintain a healthy balance.  Majority of us give undue weightage to money and status. As per a survey published by the World Economic Forum 67% of American respondents who consider themselves as unsuccessful said that "money was the major missing part of their equation for success". I am sure the modern Indian Society is no different and similarly ignore all other factors of happy and meaningful life at the cost of pursuit for money, influence and power. Now some people may say that relegating money and status to the level of other happiness factors is absurd because as per them money, influence and power will automatically take care of other factors including relations and health. Is it true? Can money, power and influence be the most important factors defining success in our lives? Even if so, how much is enough? Someone will always be richer, more powerful and wield more influence than us thereby undermining our achievements.

 This premise of the modern human society therefore is is inherently flawed.  The key to successful and a happy life is to maintain balance in our lives while excelling in our chosen fields of work. But it is not easy to find and maintain this balance in life, moreover there is no standard pattern that fits all people cutting across the board. Our focus may vary slightly depending on the stage of life we are in, our  family background, cultural mindset, interests and so on but there can't be a significant deviation or bias towards one or two "success factors" because it will cause an imbalance and takeaway the satisfaction and happiness that should come with the amount of effort and hard work being put. In the accompanying chart, I have tried to quantify in percentage terms the amount of focus that may be required to put in by an individual in various stages of his life on various "success factors" to retain this balance. It clearly emerges that at no stage in life we should ignore any aspect of life.

  To summarise, a successful person is someone who pursues a profession which interests and excites him, earns enough to meet reasonable financial aspirations, has family and friends who look up to him and is sensitive to the spiritual side of life, environment and the Society.

This is a vey liberal measure of success hence in my opinion majority of us are successful and are leading meaningful lives. We only need to realise this truth, be happy and stop chasing mirages that do not exist.  

The Pampered Pets of Gurgaon

    I was born in a small village in Himachal where it was common for everyone to have pets of all sorts. Like all other children in the village, I too was a proud owner of a ferocious "Gaddi" shepherd dog "Sheru" and a lamb. I am using the term "owner" because 50 years back the term "pet parent" had not yet been coined. In addition to the exclusive ownership over these two, I also tried to extend my claims over the family cow "Kubja" and the two bulls "Laakhu" and "Kaalia". My lamb, whose name I am now forgetting was attacked by a leopard while grazing in the jungle however his body was rescued by 'Sheru" and brought back to the village by the graziers. I recall that regardless of my protests, my lamb was skinned and cooked for dinner although despite my fondness for meat, I refused to eat because it was my lamb on the plate. Suffice to say that like other children of my generation, I spent my childhood with pets and domestic animals and enjoyed a beautiful but a practical relation with them. The good thing about this relation was that despite all the love and affection, there was a certain degree of distance between the owners and the pets.

There was enough space for the pets to move around, they were independent and there was no need to keep them chained or confined to our small flats. Also, there was a huge variety in the species of pets as many children amongst us had free roaming dogs, cats, parrots, sparrows and squirrels as their friends. There was great benefit of having these pets as they taught the children the values of sharing, caring and compassion. The children of our generation as it is never felt alone because of large numbers of siblings and cousins however deficiency if any was filled by the presence of our pets. 

    As I moved to hostel and subsequently joined the National Defence Academy, my connect with the pets continued albeit at a much reduced scale. My younger brother brought in a mongrel called "Ruby" who stayed in our Paonta Sahib house for good 13 years. She was loved by all in the family but still she was not very demanding or pampered in any way. She ate whatever was given to her, slept on ground, was kept tied whenever guests were at home and was once in a while chastised if her behaviour called for it. In 1998, based on persistent demand from my children, we procured a pedigreed German Shepheard "Diana" who stayed with us as part of our family for nine years. Diana was the first pet in my life who got a few special privileges like premium quality dog food, safe chew toys, grooming kit, a proper bed and a tooth brush. Mostly she stayed with the family in big and open cantonments all over the country where she enjoyed a lot. However in one of my Delhi tenures, we stayed in a multi story apartment in the cantonment which she found extremely difficult to adjust. Due to safety concerns of our neighbours, we had to always keep her under leash and mostly confined other than occasional morning and evening walks. She just didn't like this change in way of her life and missed the leash free time with the children. Also, she often got cranky, barked more and snapped at people and other pets passing by. This experience of staying in a multi-storey housing society taught me the need for being a responsible pet owner and need for balance between the requirements of the pet and my neighbours. As we lost Diana to a liver ailment in 2007, we decided not to keep another pet realising that it is a serious responsibility requiring lot of time, dedication and effort.

    After my retirement in 2021, I came and settled down in a housing Society in Gurgaon where I volunteered for the job of President of the RWA. I found that  our Society like any other housing society in Gurgaon has large number of pets mostly dogs of exotic breeds. It is common to see German Shepherds, Golden Retrievers, Beagles, Pugs, Dachshunds, Pomeranians, and Labradors vying for attention and rubbing shoulders with each other. You can also meet an occasional Cocker Spaniel, Chihuahua,  Siberian Huskie, Shih Tzu,  Rottweiler, Doberman, Boxer, Great Dane, Dalmatian, Saint Bernard, Pit Bull and Chow Chow. Many of these dogs are highly domesticised and quite comfortable with their surroundings. Some of these especially the Golden Retrievers, Pugs, Labradors and Beagles are very popular and have made friends with other residents more so children of the Society. In addition to variety of dogs, Centrum Park also has a few cats and a rabbit or two as pets. In my opinion, in addition to providing companionship to their "pet parents", these  beautiful animals add value and colour to the entire Society. 

    On the lighter side, I think that some of these pets have great past "karmas" and are leading life of extreme luxury as they have personal trainers, go to spas for grooming sessions, are members of dog swimming pools. I am told that one session of spa bath, hair cut and personal grooming costs nearly Rs 2000/ in Gurgaon whereas a dip in the pool around Rs 500/. These are princely sums of money compared to what my mother spend on occasional grooming of Ruby which entailed giving her bath with the iconic washing soap "Rin". Incidentally Ruby always maintained an enviable coat of hair. Sometimes I also wonder as to who is the actual "Boss" these days? the dog or the owner? because mostly I find the dogs leading their owners during walks and taking them to the places they prefer irrespective of what the owner wants. Most of these modern day "pet parents" modify their timings and behaviours as per the requirements and habits of their pets.

Presence of large number of pets in the housing societies also have a flip side wherein there have been many incidents of dog bites especially in the enclosed spaces such as lifts. Many scary videos have recently been making rounds of such aggressive pet behaviour in the residential societies of the NCR. It is also seen that most of the pets are not registered with the municipal authorities and owners do not keep proper records of their sterilisation and vaccination. As per information shared by the MCG, a total of 100 dogs only had been registered in Gurgaon up to November 2022.  As President RWA, I have found it a big challenge to keep the lifts, lobbies, roads, basement and the green areas free of dog poo and pee.  Due to these problems there have been demands from the residents bodies to regulate the pet ownership in the housing societies.

    The District Consumer Dispute Redressal Forum Gurgaon while hearing a dog bite case in November 2022  issued a order to the MCG asking it to pay an interim compensation of ₹2 lakh to the female victim, besides asking the civic body to impound all community dogs. It further directed that licences be granted for a fee of at least ₹12,000 with a yearly renewal fee of not less than ₹10,000. The forum also banned 11 foreign breeds such as American Bulldog, Rottweiler, and Pit Bull Terriers. While this order is currently on stay by the High Court, it has forced the MCG to push the registration campaign and issue guidelines for the pets in the city. 

   In conclusion, I would like to say that  the number of pets in the housing societies of Gurgaon is only going to increase and so will the ensuing conflicts. There is thus a need to regulate the pet ownership in a manner that peace, harmony, co-existence, safety, health and hygiene are taken care of. The current set of guidelines issued by the MCG although well-intentioned are difficult to implement and will not have any impact on the ground. It is a social issue and requires involvement of all stakeholders for resolution. The following approach may work.

• MCG should issue pet friendly guidelines for regulations of pets.
• The responsibility to implement should be delegated to the RWAs.
• Education of all stakeholders i.e. the pet owners, RWA functionaries and MC workers is a must. This aspect can be taken care by the NGOs.
• Adequate facilities for sterilisation, vaccination and treatment of pets should be created by the MCG.
• Informal mechanisms led by the citizens for conflict prevention and resolution must be promoted by the Government. At present the smallest problems with social backdrop are being taken to the police which is not desirable.

          

Living With a Purpose

    Understanding the purpose of  our  life is an extremely important step which helps us enjoy the journey of life well and reach destination. In simple words, it helps us in setting our life goals, achieving them and in leading a meaningful life.

   This understanding of our purpose however eludes most of us and we are leading our lives without a clear aim. We are born, we go to school , study what we are told, choose a profession whether we like it or not, get married, have children, buy a house  and so on.  Many of us just continue to carry on with the legacies of our families whereas some of us keep trying hard to out achieve our cousins, friends and neighbours. Therefore, during the course of our life we are mostly being guided by extraneous factors while lacking a clear direction. In short we are leading lives that are determined by our circumstances and the people around us. As per a study published in the New York Times only around 25 percent of American adults have a clear sense of what makes their lives meaningful. Nearly 40 percent either claimed neutrality on the matter or said that don't have the requisite clarity and purpose. Another survey by the Arizona Christian University in 2021 reports that 75 percent of the millennials (18-36 years) are struggling to find direction in life. As a result, most of us always feel deficient of some thing or the other be it money, position, relations, conviction or confidence thereby having a detrimental impact on our physical and mental well being. In addition to these discernible deficiencies, we also lead our lives without intrinsic qualities of love, trust, compassion, humility, integrity and so on. Life becomes a constant struggle within ourselves, our circumstances and our surroundings. We are working but we lack the enthusiasm and zeal to make a difference and excel. Most of the time, we are bitter, critical, cynical, argumentative and pessimistic. That this state of affairs is currently prevalent in the modern Indian Society is very much visible from the increase in number of suicides, cases of domestic violence, mental/chronic health issues,  substance abuse, increase in white collar crimes etc. As we produce more and more demotivated and unfocused citizens, the decay has started reflecting in our polity, governance, institutions and corporates thereby making them prone to corruption and unaccountability. 

    Is it right for us to blame lack of purpose as the main reason for these deficiencies? Will defining a purpose result in prosperity, success, better health, a sense of fulfilment and a better society? I don't say that it will resolve all our problems but definitely it is one of the most crucial and important first steps which can help us live in peace and harmony. Recent evidence suggests that relative to other dimensions of well-being, purpose in life appears to be particularly important in predicting future health and mortality. In a study on elderly persons, clarity on  purpose in life was associated with better ability to perform day-to-day activities and less disability in the future. Another study carried out in 2002 of nearly 73000 Japanese man and women revealed that people who had clear purpose or ikigai lived longer. 

    At this stage, it is also pertinent to ask how am I qualified to discuss this matter? Have I found the purpose and direction in my own life? To be honest I have not fully, but I have been through most of the struggles and have the courage to look back, honestly introspect over mistakes that I made and draw out lessons for myself and others.

    What should be the purpose of our life and how should we discover    it? Now these are million dollar questions, not easy to answer although there are plethora of self-help books, life coaches and internet/social media content offering quick fix solutions. A such very popular one liner based on the Western cultural thought that I came across is “follow your passion, you will find the purpose” makes it look extremely simple and easy. Although my experience says that this entire exercise of finding and then pursuing our purpose is indeed simple yet complex because it is shrouded in many layers of our being.

     As per Upanishads, humans have five bodies,

the Annamaya Kosha - Food Sheath, Pranamaya Kosha - Vital Sheath, Manomaya Kosha - Mental sheath, Vijnanamaya Kosha - Intellectual Sheath and the Anandamaya Kosha - Bliss Sheath. Most of us continue to associate with the first two to three outer sheaths which are prone to be impacted by the material aspects of the external world and do not connect with our inner self thereby remaining oblivious of the true purpose of our existence.  While exploring this topic, I have asked many individuals about their purpose of life, I was surprised that most of them answered "don't know" whereas many spoke of health, prosperity, career, family life, being a good human being or seeking knowledge as their purpose of life. Large number of them also mentioned happiness, joy and bliss. Further investigation and study lead me towards belief in the ancient Indian wisdom which specifies that the basic nature of human beings is to seek happiness that is eternal and emerging from the depths within. In my opinion, "seeking eternal happiness should therefore be our primary purpose". 

    This  "primary purpose" or "eternal happiness" provides an overall direction to the life and can be achieved by pursuing life goals, aims or objectives maintaining a fine balance between them. This part I would like to explain through a popular internet tool known called the "Wheel of Happiness" which traces its origins to the Tibetan Buddhism and has eight components" called the "happiness factors". However I have modified this tool as per my understanding of the subject and would like to refer to these happiness factors as the pillars of a happy, balanced and a meaningful life. I would not like to rank these factors and also give liberty to the readers to  give  weightage as per their choice and circumstances. During the course of my service in the Army, I often used to quiz my colleagues on their priority between health, family and profession and then invariably pontificated by saying that the priority of these factors will depend on the stage of life that you are in. It may be early for a young man to focus too much about health and spirituality but on profession and finances. Balance however is the key to ensure that the wheel of happiness keeps rolling smoothly.

   I will sum up this post by saying that we should make "eternal happiness" as the primary purpose of  our life and utilise it to give direction to our lives and define our goals. More on achieving our goals in posts to follow.

Community Dogs of Centrum Park

The Beginning

Indiabulls Centrum Park is a residential society in Sector 103 of Gurugram spread over 23 acres having a population of nearly 4000. The Society didn’t have a proper boundary wall therefore during the construction stage, many stray dogs moved in and out of the Society looking for food and shelter being offered by many good Samaritans of the Society

As a result by February 2021 there were nearly 16 dogs within/close vicinity of the Society including a litter of 6 or 7 pups. The place of birth of these pups later became a serious point of contest between a NGO and the residents of the Society. All these dogs were being taken care off and fed by a small group of dedicated women hereafter being referred to as “The Feeders”. These dogs operated singly or in packs and doggedly protected their small territories from any form of incursion  The feeders had given them interesting names like Cutie, Bhuri, Candy, Choco, Gudiya, Golu, Sukdu etc. 

As there was no support from other stakeholders including the MCG, many of these dogs remained unvaccinated or were not neutered or spayed thereby posing a threat to the residents and their pets as also opening the possibilities of increase in their population. The Builder who controlled the Society, most of the residents and the newly elected RWA which I headed as President were oblivious of the situation and considered these dogs as a minor irritation or at best a source of slight discomfort. However as these pups started growing and population in the Society increased, minor problems related to these dogs started coming up.

Raging Conflict

In March 2021, the RWA pressurised the Builder to complete the fence and plug all the gaps in the boundary wall as per the design of the gated Society. Completion of the fence work had a serious impact on the lives of these stray dogs as some of them got left out of the Society premises and those within found their freedom to roam the fields curtailed. A dispute also commenced between the RWA and the feeders about the pack of 10 dogs which the feeders wanted to bring in to the gated premises of the Society. This was despite the fact that this pack had been allocated adequately protected adjoining space where all residents had the freedom to go and feed them as per their convenience.

In June 2021 with the support of People for Animals (PFA), the feeders approached the police and forced the RWA to open the gate and let this pack of dogs in. There was great hue and cry in the Society against this arbitrary action of the powerful NGO and the police. The residents came forward in a big numbers and complained to the MCG. This was followed by a number of meetings with the residents and RWA on one side and PFA and the feeders on the other side. During these parleys, I was exposed to the highly egoistic and power focussed approach of some of these social workers. I was also privileged to receive two calls from the Chairperson of PFA wherein our RWA was given veiled threats to toe the line of her troopers on ground. 

The situation deteriorated as the number of dogs within the gated complex now reached 16. The feeders were not able to feed them adequately and the hungry and agitated dogs started damaging property in search of food. As they were let free in the Society, there were large number of fights within themselves and with the pets. There were also constant fights between the residents and the feeders resulting in many of cases of physical assault and presence of police became a common feature in the Society. The feeders alleged that the RWA and the residents were ill treating the dogs and harassing the them whereas the residents felt that the feeders with the support of PFA had converted the Society into a stray dog arena with constant danger for the children and the elderlies. 

Even during these desperate times with so much differences of opinion with the feeders , I had noticed a great sense of compassion, sacrifice and dedication in most of the feeders and the residents thus giving me a hope that this vexed matter could be resolved peacefully. Therefore, we continued to engage the feeders and tried ways and means to minimise the conflicts by fixing feeding points, feeding timings, sleeping areas etc. An agreement was also reached with the feeders to shift the feeding point for the pack of 10 dogs out side Gate No 2, their original location with proviso to keep the gate open for them to move in/out at will. 

New-borns of Sukdu

In September 2021, the situation took a turn for the worse when Sukdu (meaning skinny ) one of the dames which had not been spayed got pregnant. Fortunately for us, Sukdu moved out of the Society and gave birth to a litter of 9 pups on the periphery of the Society. There were now demands from the feeders and the NGO representatives to bring the Sukdu and her litter inside the Society which were firmly refuted by the RWA although facilitating their feeding, vaccination, medical care and adoption. 

Sukdu feeding its pups

While on adoption of stray dogs, it is discouraging that while our Society has more than 200 -300 pets of exotic breeds, not one family came up to adopt any of these pups. During this process, I also learnt of that the great Indian bias for the male gender transcends to the canines too as despite best  efforts none of the female pups of Sukadu were adopted whereas three of the male pups found homes. I also took one beautiful and an adorable male pump to my house in Paonta Sahib, more about him later.

Towards Reconciliation

Unfortunately there was no support from any of the agencies of the Government be it the Animal Welfare Board of India, the State Government or the MCG to help us find a solution to this complex problem. As a result, the uneasy relation between the feeders, pet owners, residents and the RWA continued well into 2022 despite formation of an Animal Welfare Committee as per the guidelines of Delhi High Court.  Although, the RWA and feeders started collaborating more wherein the RWA took many initiatives to provide for shelter, feeding and treatment of the dogs.

I also observed that many residents came forward to feed the dogs so as to help resolve the issue. One of our resident vets helped us in pro bono vaccination and treatment of all the dogs including the pups. I also along with some other members of the RWA occasionally started feeding the dogs and surprisingly found it to be a very  satisfying and a therapeutic activity. It also exposed me to the softer side of these canines and their urge for love, friendship and compassion. 

An unaccepted breakthrough happened on 01 March 2022 when I got a call from one of the feeders informing me that an independent interlocutor who wishes to remain anonymous with background in animal welfare was willing to help broker an agreement between the RWA and the feeders to resolve the issue. I willingly accepted the offer as I was very keen to reconcile because this avoidable conflict and tension was not helping anyone  including the poor animals. Next day, during the meeting between the RWA and the feeders he managed to make us all agree to move the biggest pack of dogs outside Gate No 2 which was their original feeding point, to keep 3 dogs  within the Society as community dogs and Sukdu along with its pups to stay in the new location adjacent to the Society Powerhouse. The RWA also agreed to provide all possible assistance in helping the feeders to take care of the dogs.

The amicable agreement between the RWA and the feeders came as a big relief for the RWA, for me personally and the entire Society. Following benefits have occurred from this agreement: -

• There has been no conflict related to the community dogs and police has never visited our Society after this. 
• The feeders are taking care of the dogs without any hindrance from anyone.
• All the dogs have been neutered/spayed/vaccinated and there is no possibility of further increase in their population.
• Proper shelter and feeding is being provided and 16 community dogs (3 inside and 13 in the vicinity) are in good health.

Conclusion

With years of experience in conflict resolution background, I found myself in deep sea while dealing with this complex issue involving multi stakeholders. I  realised that the Government and its agencies do not have time and resources to deal with such problems whereas NGOs may be having vested interests hence it is the  responsibility of the affected communities to show maturity and compassion to resolve such internal conflicts. We need to have inherent faith in the goodness of human character and have to keep the channels of communications and dialogue always open for things to progress.

The Pariah Dogs of India

 

Background

When I was young, it was an accepted norm to  put the stray dogs to sleep to control their population and caged municipal vehicles carrying these poor animals was a common sight. I don’t know how it was done but I assume it must be poisoning and it must be very painful for the most loyal friend of the humans. 

As I researched a little, I learnt that this practice was a legacy of the British who killed stray dogs due to the threat of rabies as it was widespread in British India, and treatment of bite victims imposed a major financial burden on the colonial Government. The earliest recorded case of dog killing is of 1791 in Kolkata wherein 4 annas were awarded for every dog that was killed. According to a report, in 1913, 3003 male dogs, 2957 female dogs and 392 pups were killed in Madras. The dogs were killed by electrocution and their meat fed to the zoo animals while their skins were sold. Despite the extreme fear of rabies, the native Indians did not overwhelmingly support the killing of dogs, in fact in 1932, the Parsis in Bombay rioted against the indiscriminate killing of dogs by the British. 

The Present Situation 

India is still endemic for rabies, and accounts for 36% of the world’s rabies deaths. True burden of rabies in India is not fully known; although as per available information, it causes 18 000-20 000 deaths every year. About 30-60% of reported rabies cases and deaths in India occur in children under the age of 15 years as bites that occur in children often go unrecognized and unreported 

After independence, killing of dogs continued for a few years however with the passing of the “The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 (PCA)” and with active involvement of many NGOs the practice slowly stopped resulting in significant increase in their population.  

It Is a common sight to see large packs of stray dogs roaming the streets of Indian cities, towns and villages. They are present in every nook and corner including government offices, educational institutions, religious places, military cantonments and gated hoisting societies. Most of these are in a poor state of health especially the lactating mothers and it is a pity to see them foraging for food and being abused. Unfortunately a large number of people are bitten by stray dogs across the country every year. As per data provided to the Lok Sabha, in the first six months of 2022, over 14.50 lakh people have become victims of dog bites and the total number is likely to be about 25 lakhs. Gurgaon alone has an estimated number of 1.5 lakh stray dogs. The birth control programs from the Government have been halfhearted and have failed to control the population of dogs resulting in conflicts and burgeoning of legal cases between the dog lovers and those who oppose.  

Way Forward 

The enormity of the stray dog problem and the conflicts that arise from it need to be taken seriously by all the stakeholders i.e. the Judiciary, Government, Animal welfare Board of India (AWBI) NGOs and the public. Serious efforts must be made to resolve this problem as it has a major impact on the health and well being of both the humans as well as the animals.  

We all know that this problem can be resolved if population of the dogs is controlled, they are kept disease free and  are well fed. In addition we need to educate the communities to be more tolerant and compassionate towards them. This can only happen provided we have a an effective sterilization and vaccination program which has to be spearheaded by the Government in partnership with the NGOs. It is unfortunate that most municipalities including that of my city Gurgaon have miserably failed on this account. I urge the Government especially the Municipal corporation of Gurgaon (MCG) to take a lead and facilitate vaccination and sterilization of the stray dogs. For this they  need to create infrastructure and ensure easy availability of neutering and vaccination clinics.  

It is my considered opinion that problem of stray dogs is a community issue and it is so big that it cannot be resolved by the government or by the municipalities alone. There is a need for the communities to come forward and help to deal with this problem. The Residents Welfare Associations (RWAs) must take initiative to neuter, vaccinate and feed the stray dogs in their self-interest. People must realize that a neighborhood with well managed and controlled population of stray dogs is safer and a better place to live. 

The NGOs fighting for animal rights are doing an yeomen service however have not been able to change the public opinion on stray dogs because of their rigid and  self righteous attitude. They need to leave extreme positions and find middle ground and show equal concern for the rights of local populations to leave peacefully without fear of dog bites. 

Last but not the least, the Government, NGOs and communities must endeavor to educate local populations to coexist with all animals more so the stray dogs who have been sharing this land with us from times immemorial.