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Makar Sankranti, when the sun enters the Makar raashi , is an auspicious day for Hindus all over the country, and in Maharashtra and Gujarat is celebrated by flying colourful kites. This year, BWC stepped out on Sankranti, not to join the celebrations but to capture, on film, the suffering caused by the celebrations to the unsuspecting winged creatures (mostly pigeons, since they are large unlike the sparrow and fly low unlike the eagle) that glide the city's skies. The sights were as sad as the reports we had heard of them, and it is hoped that our footage of them will motivate people to do something about such an injurious activity, which, for once, is not intentional on the part of the humans. |
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In Bombay, when you find the sky speckled with hundreds of vibrantly coloured kites soaring high above building tops, you know that it's Sankranti Day. But what you most probably don't know is that, as these kites rise to scale the skies hundreds of birds literally fall from the skies from cut wings and other injuries. In response to the increasing publicity that this issue has been attracting over the years the city's veterinarians and organizations like the SPCA along with teams of volunteers have risen to the occasion and, stationing themselves year after year at various Kabootarkhanas , have worked to save the lives and/or treat the wounds of the injured pigeons. The glass-coated manja (the kite-string) that is used cuts right through the birds' wings and sometimes necks, leaving them injured and grounded. Birds even get caught by the neck and lose their lives. BWC considered this problem deserving urgent attention since it is a suffering that animals undergo at the hands of humans, even if not intentional on the latter's part. |
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An end or at least a reduction in the number of injured birds.
Through this campaign we wish to develop preventive as well as curative solutions to the problem and aim for its cessation or at least a reduction in the number of injured. The veterinarians' role in this, however noble, should be seen as an unfortunate, temporarily necessary curative intervention rather than as the solution itself, as many welfarists might like to perceive it. A rights-based solution would consist of not causing the problem in the first place. |
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| Gathering background: |
Through leads provided by Dharmesh Solanki, Founder Trustee of PFA, Mumbai, we approached Dr. Dighe at the Mumbai SPCA to learn about the severity of the problem and to enquire where we could get to see the problem with our own eyes. We were informed by him about the rescue camps run by teams of SPCA vets at various Kabootarkhanas across the city every year on the day of Sankranti. We were advised to be present at the Madhav Baug animal shelter at Charni Road (Mumbai) where the problem was known to be acute. |
| Documenting the facts: |
To show others in addition to seeing it for ourselves, we went armed with our camcorder and spent the afternoon and evening capturing the phenomenon on videotape. Both the number of injured birds as well as the extent of injuries suffered by the birds was quite a revelation for us to witness. Unfortunately, no records turned out to be maintained by the SPCA on the number of birds treated, the number that unfortunately died, etc . Next year, it would be our special effort to maintain such data ourselves so that a scientific assessment of the problem would result. Such data would be invaluable in proposing solutions. |
| Awareness-raising: |
Some publicity was immediately obtained for the problem when a TV reporter contacted by us came with her camera crew, captured footage of the problem, interviewed us, and broadcast the footage as a small segment in the news on an evening channel the next day. |
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Our footage on the event captures how flying pigeons' legs, wings, and sometimes even their necks get entangled in manja s which they accidentally fly into. The footage also depicts how some birds cannot be detangled or nursed in time and lose their lives despite the best attempts of doctors and volunteers present.
We see our Sankranti campaign as a voice of conscience trying to be heard above the din of festivities and cheer. As with most problems related to animals, the first step is to build people's awareness of the problem and then to encourage them to follow the voice of their consciences. And this, we hope, will happen when people see what we saw on the Sankranti of 2004. |
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Pledge not to be part of the problem, i.e., pledge not fly kites in a manner that injures birds. |
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Campaign for the cause in your locality next Sankranti. Order (link) for stickers/fliers/posters from us to put up at the nearest kabutarkhana to your house or in neighborhood schools, colleges, etc . |
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Volunteer (email link) with BWC to prepare for Sankranti next year (14 Jan 2005). |
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Help Carry injured pigeons to the nearest pigeon-treatment camp. |
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