friends of animals

ddevadatta

Interesting thread. I have always nwondered about the treatment of animals but from a different perspective. If most Indians have a basically reicarnation outlook in life why is there such a neglect of animals. Of course not all but clearly there isn't the kind of outlook towards animals as perhaps in other places. There is something else operative (Beyond the mantras of vegetarinism, calls for better treatement of animals, etc), it seems to me. Can anyone shed light on this and perhaps provide a significant analysis. Thanks...

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sirensongs

Exactly - a good argument against highways, they are endangering the lives of the innocent.

Back in the good old days when Indian traffic moved at a comfortable crawl, there was little danger of this.

Signed, Ms. Old Fashioned Values

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"Why do people go to India to find themselves? India is where you go to lose yourself."
Feringhee: The India Diaries

sadhuji

indians should be more humane towards animals because these dumb creatures are linked to all our gods and godesses - the mouse with lord ganesh, the bull with lord shiva, the lion with mother durga, the donkey with mother shitala, the list is a long one ......

some food for thought.

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ddevadatta

YEs Sadhuji therein lies my own puzzlement based on that very linkage and view of the world, deities, humans, and animals. The operative word is "SHOULD BE" but it is not and I wonder why not. There is far better treatment of animals in societies that see some animals as a food source than a place like India (for many Indians at least) that do not see it in that same way. Moreover as you say when it is even tied to dieties it raises the stakes even higher it seems to me.

sirensongs

Thanks Ddevadatta and Sadhuji.

The bottom line is, any environment not fit for animals to live in is not fit for humans either. If a cow can't wander round neither can a person, and places where dogs are mistreated seem to be the same places where children, for instance, are also mistreated and kicked around.

People can do something about these problems; that's why I don't understand the attitude "that's just the way it is and it's only going to get worse."