Every dog has its day.
And 70 dogs in Imphal must have felt the same when their owners gathered them on Friday morning less than 100 metres from Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh's office.
The reason?
Members of the United Kennel Club of Manipur were doing their bit in the on-going agitation against the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act 1958.
If it was a series of street plays that some amateur theatre groups organised in street corners of this historic city last week, it was the turn of dog-owners of Imphal to stage another unique protest against the controversial Act.
One slogan read: 'Stop killing of innocent people', while another one said 'Withdraw AFSP Act from entire Northeast'.
The innocent dogs posed for newspaper photographers and television cameras, while a dozen non-plussed policemen not knowing what to do, stood guard.
Luckily for the policemen on duty, the dog dharna was only for three hours with Dr Satyendra Rajkumar, a private vet and vice-president of the kennel club terming it as a symbolic protest.
"It is not just innocent human beings who have suffered enough in the hands of the security forces who enjoy sweeping powers under this Act, but a number of dogs have also been killed in the crossfire," said Rajkumar.
He said several dogs brought to free health camp on World Veterinary Day earlier this year had bullet injuries. "One dog had five bullet injuries," he claimed.
Rajkumar, whose 500-member kennel club is only one year old, also said that it was not just security forces personnel who hate dogs, but also members of underground groups, who do not want dogs to bark when they pass through the neighbourhood during the night hours.
Okram Indra, a businessman who is also distributor for Kodak products, on the other hand said there have been instances when dogs have suffered due to bursting of tear gas shells by the police. "My German Shepherd had a lot of problems after it was affected by tear gas a few days ago," said Okram.
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