The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has served notices to Uttar Pradesh government and Aligarh authorities over a reported incident in the Aligarh Muslim University campus where stray dogs killed an elderly person.
The NHRC has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report, carried on April 17, that in yet another incident of a stray dog attack, a 65-year-old elderly man was killed in a park inside the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) campus and reportedly, CCTV footage of the horrific incident had also gone viral on social media.
Expressing serious concern over the reported incident, the Commission on Thursday has issued notices to UP Chief Secretary, the Vice-Chancellor, Aligarh Muslim University, and the Commissioner, Aligarh Municipal Corporation calling for a detailed report in the matter, within 6 weeks.
The State Government is expected to inform whether any relief has been given to the deceased’s next of kin, the notice says. The Commission has also called for the comments of the Secretary, Animal Welfare Board of India, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India on the present status of the implementation of the provisions of law and their strategy, if any, to deal with the issue of the right to life of humans and protection from the stray animals in the light of the recent increasing incidents of attack by stray animals on humans without any provocation. The response is expected within six weeks.
The Commission says that it has observed that painful incidents such as the one reported by the media in the instant case indicate that there is a need to review the prevailing safeguards as this is not a problem of any one State or Union Territory, and the situation is grim and alarming. In the past also, the Commission had taken cognizance of such incidents and called for reports from the authorities.
It has further observed that animal rights are advocated and supported in the same way as human rights because it is quite imperative to safeguard and protect animals from oppression, confinement, and abusive treatment, which they may be prone to suffer at the hands of human beings.
But on the other side, there are constant conflicts arising between humans and unruly animals, and these are certainly rising in number with each passing day, and that is why it is necessary for the authorities to understand the gravity and seriousness of the issue, and to take effective action in the matter, without any delay. The Apex Court has also mentioned in its various pronouncements that there is no ambiguity that the rights to life and health of a person are inalienable rights. Therefore, there is a need to protect the right to life of a human.