Dr.
Kuhu Roy writes,
Give
Animals a Brake !
I say that not just on the World Animal Road Accident Awareness Day, but
everyday. Our very sentient car that travels 70 kilometres everyday in Baroda,
tending to the family of 300+ under our lifetime care at the Bridging Rainbows
Foundation, carries that message everyday. But why did I even start this
campaign? It was the accumulating pain of needless suffering of animals who
daily became victims of road hits. From mutilated remains that do not help
recognize the non human sentient being, body if intact thrown in the garbage,
no burial if the animal vanished, me and all of us who care for animals, have
seen that and continue to see that everyday. Running down an animal,
killing and maiming them is one of the easiest misdeeds to do and go unpunished.
So, something had to be done about it.
Sadly, by default, most of our energies are directed at controlling the damage
done and not at preventing it from happening. There is huge uproar and cry and
social media posts if an animal dies in a road hit, but we vanish when it comes
to spreading awareness to drive carefully by simply taking the road safety
pledge to Give Animals a Brake, each one of us capable of making a mega impact,
but we don't want to. I have realised that we cannot expect something to be
done because everyone has their boundaries, which they are reminded of when it
comes to animals. But then we all are animal lovers, aren't we?
The glitch or the unfortunate truth is, animals depend on us to be their voice
and that is where we fail them the most.
However, the greatest response to the campaign came from the Union Road
Transport and Highways Ministry to generously issue the Be Kind to Animals
directive on public transport and Government vehicles pan India.
So, I am not going to say please join the campaign, lets spread awareness to
prevent road hits. Because it has to be calling from within, that the cause
deserves more than a like or a comment or a mechanical share. Doers is the
word, wish animals could ask us to be that.
Thats my beloved Sanjana, one of the trio who pulled me out of depression after
Butter's tragic end on 2nd November, 2019. On 28th April 2020, she was run down
by a milk van. Never got to say her a goodbye or give her a burial.
