Dogs are in the news these days
Gustakhi Maaf Haryana –Pawan Kumar Bansal
Dogs are in the news these days. Ashok Lavasa, former Election Commissioner of India, wrote in today’s The Tribune, the leading English daily of northern India.
A few weeks ago, it was the Supreme Court of India coming down heavily on stray dogs, unfairly treating them as a threat to human safety, disregarding their reputation for loyalty and their use for human security. “Beware of Dogs” is a familiar way of scaring literate intruders. Seeing an uproar against its perceived insensitivity, the Court reviewed its decision and ordered that their uncontrolled multiplication be checked.
That didn’t prevent a Chinese dog straying into the AI Summit clad in Galgotian attire, waking up sleeping dogs who attacked those who pompously showcased the impostor.
Dogs overcoming academic integrity reminded me of dogs getting the better of police.
I was Additional Deputy Commissioner, Karnal, in 1983–85 when I attended a passing out parade in Madhuban, the headquarters of the Haryana Armed Police. The Governor was the chief guest. Haryana Police arranged a “dog show” to showcase their novel capabilities.
The enthusiastic announcer told the gathering that dogs had been trained to smell objects and identify the person to whom the objects belonged. It created a stir when he said that we would soon witness “Haryana police ke kutte” recover from the bushes the handkerchief that belonged to the newly appointed DGP of the State, who sat next to the Governor, proud of his elevation and elated at the prospect of being so well recognized.
His handkerchief had been concealed in the bushes across the parade ground. It reminded me of Othello, who gifted a handkerchief to Desdemona. It was stolen by her maid and given to Iago, who planted it on Cassio, whom Othello suspected of having an illicit relationship with Desdemona. The discovery of that handkerchief with Cassio was the undoing of Desdemona—and of Othello himself. Did a similar catastrophe await the DGP?
The drama soon unfolded, with a handsome black Labrador charging towards the bush. There was an uproar as he found the handkerchief. With equal alacrity, the dog darted towards the pavilion where the dignitaries waited with bated breath. The lab came to the front row with the handkerchief in his mouth.
He quickly went past the entire row, looking for the owner. As the lab came near the DGP, Haryana Police almost declared victory. The dog, however, went past the DGP without turning his “eyes right,” as policemen are taught to do when they approach the saluting base. He ambled to the end of the row, turned back, and sniffed the entire row once again—without success.
The DGP was embarrassed when the lab repeated his march past twice without even looking at him. He might have felt like an officer superseded.
The worst was yet to come.
Seeing the non-performance of the trained Labrador, the announcer took upon himself the mantle of saving Haryana Police from embarrassment. With unparalleled presence of mind, he announced zealously, “Dar asal hamare DGP sahab naye lage hain, isliye Haryana police ke kutte unhe abhi nahin pehchante.”
What he meant was: as the DGP had recently taken over, Haryana Police dogs were yet to recognize him.
khabre junction