Delivery deadline
Sir — Modern corporate culture now demands the syncing of one’s uterus with the fiscal calendar. A primary school teacher was recently told by the school principal to plan her future pregnancies for June since a July delivery might delay her return for the August academic session while a mid-term pregnancy would create the inconvenience of finding a replacement. This highlights a significant erosion of professional boundaries, with corporate convenience being prioritised over personal life. Such demands are highly invasive, reducing personal milestones to operational inconveniences for the employers.
Aditya Bose,
Pune
Balanced view
Sir — The Supreme Court of India refused to modify its earlier directives issued in August and November last year on the relocation and the sterilisation of stray
dogs (“Euthanise rabid stray dogs: SC”, May 20). The court reiterated that dogs removed from public places cannot be released back to their original locations. The top court bench observed that the right to life includes living without the threat of stray dog attacks. The court also directed states and Union territories to strengthen infrastructure and increase shelters, noting that the Animal Birth Control programme remained patchy and underfunded despite the rising dog-bite incidents across the country.
Bhagwan Thadani,
Mumbai
Sir — The Supreme Court has allowed euthanasia of rabid and aggressive stray dogs. But it is not always easy to tell why a dog is being aggressive, the reason might not always be rabies. In fact, many stray dogs are a boon to residents, serving as loyal guardians of houses, valuables, and lives by staying alert against thieves through the night. Ultimately, how the authorities will distinguish between healthy and dangerous dogs before carrying out euthanasia remains a major, unresolved question.
Tharcius S. Fernando,
Chennai
Sir — The apex court order on street dogs balances public safety with animal welfare amid rising attacks by strays. It allows euthanasia only in rare cases involving rabid or dangerous dogs after strict scrutiny. Dogs removed from sensitive areas like schools and hospitals are not to be returned to the same areas.
Rabid dogs typically survive one or two weeks after symptoms appear. The court has also emphasised vaccination, sterilisation, shelter care, and the prevention of uncontrolled breeding. Critics, however, continue to argue that vaccinated and sterilised dogs should be returned to their original locations.
R.S. Narula,
Patiala
Sir — There can be little doubt that the Supreme Court’s recent decision not to relax its previous directives regarding the removal of stray dogs by local bodies is a necessary intervention in the worsening public safety crisis. In recent years, local administrations across the country have consistently failed to curb the alarming rise in incidents of stray dog bites. Observing a complete lack of meaningful initiatives at both governance and administrative levels to address this issue, the apex court was compelled to intervene.
Abhijit Roy,
Jamshedpur
Fatal intrusion
Sir — The environment is the shared home for all. Concerns such as pollution, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation are tied to the need for a clean and sustainable planet. The destruction of wildlife habitats, deforestation, rapid population growth, and climate change allow easy passage for viral infections from animals to humans. The cycle is clear: deforestation leading to loss of habitat, which increases human-animal interaction and causes viral transmission. A balance between resource use and wastage can go a long way in helping humanity fight threats.
Ganapathi Bhat,
Akola, Maharashtra