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By:

Minal Sancheti

2 May 2026 at 12:26:53 pm

Funeral for animals

Mumbai: On the occasion of National Animal Rights Day, a funeral was held for all the voiceless creatures that humans have killed for selfish reasons. The act was a campaign and was a brainchild of Animal Climate and Health in collaboration with Our Planet Theirs Too. The purpose was to spread awareness about animal cruelty. The campaign took place at Carter Road Amphitheatre and so a crowd of both young and old supported the cause. Speaking about animal cruelty, recently the internet was...

Funeral for animals

Mumbai: On the occasion of National Animal Rights Day, a funeral was held for all the voiceless creatures that humans have killed for selfish reasons. The act was a campaign and was a brainchild of Animal Climate and Health in collaboration with Our Planet Theirs Too. The purpose was to spread awareness about animal cruelty. The campaign took place at Carter Road Amphitheatre and so a crowd of both young and old supported the cause. Speaking about animal cruelty, recently the internet was flooded with a viral video of a group of men at Mira Road taking a piglet to a locality where goats were brought for religious sacrifice. Aparjita Ashish, the founder and director of Animal Climate and Health said, “It is an act of cruelty to kill animals for religious sacrifice but to protest against this they were harassing a baby pig. The poor pig was screaming for his life. So how’s that right? If you want to protest, protest peacefully.” Ashish also comments on the Apex Judiciary’s decision of euthanising terminally ill dogs, “If the dog has a serious illness like rabies and is in a lot of pain, with a doctor’s permission and in a peaceful manner, they should be euthanised. The apex court also spoke about the ABC or animal birth control which if done with correct procedures, can help bring down issues related to the stray dogs. Many times the process is wrong so the animals become subject to cruelty.” She even added that the strays should not be displaced as that will leave them confused. This is also an act of ill treatment. The occasion saw a large number of gatherers. According to the campaigners, being vegan is not just for protecting animals but also for the climate. Ashish explained, “If you see the name of our NGO, it is Animal Climate and Health. So we also talk about the impact of consuming animal products on the environment.” She gives an example of how methane gas is produced because of the dairy animals and how the food and resources to breed animals are so much that it affects the environment. The supporters who participated in the campaign said they also noticed many health benefits of going vegan. Anil Nagpal, a senior citizen and volunteer with the organisation said, “For many years I was going through ill health. I tried every treatment but nothing really helped much. But then someone convinced me to go vegan and since that time my health has improved drastically. After this many people in my circles who used to eat animal products have given up.” When asked what his protein sources are, he said, “I eat lentils and legumes. Vegetables also contain protein.” Ashish claimed that humans have an ego that makes them think they are above animals.

Dhule’s Dilemma

Updated: Nov 12, 2024

Dhule

After years marred by faltering leadership and unmet promises, Dhule, a city steeped in both potential and frustration, finds itself grappling with a familiar malaise as yet another election approaches. For nearly 14 years, Dhule, positioned strategically in north Maharashtra, has teetered between hope and disappointment. Its incorporation into the ambitious Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) in 2011 was seen as a harbinger of industrial renaissance, promising to morph the city into a bustling logistics and textile hub. Yet, over a decade later and ahead of the November 20 Maharashtra Assembly polls, the Dhule City segment remains a byword for missed opportunities.


The reality on the ground is a stark contrast to the grand visions once touted. This city, cradled by two major national highways - Mumbai-Agra and Surat-Kolkata - has yet to see its infrastructure match its geographic advantage. Roads are left half-dug, industrial zones remain underdeveloped, and its cotton-rich fields are bereft of the expected industrial leap.


This cycle of unfulfilled potential has engendered deep political disillusionment. For Dhule’s residents, elections are less an opportunity for renewal and more a ritual of hope deferred and the politicians and elected representatives reflect this stagnancy in Dhule’s politics.


The city’s electorate, once optimistic, has seen its trust eroded as one MLA after another failed to effect meaningful change. In 2019, the victory of AIMIM’s Shah Faruk Anwar, in a nod to Dhule’s significant minority community (numbering roughly 50 per cent), sparked a fleeting moment of anticipation. But Anwar’s tenure, like that of his predecessors, has left voters yearning for more than symbolic representation.


The mercurial Anil Gote, who became MLA in 2009 and then got re-elected on a BJP ticket in 2014, and Rajwardhan Kadambande (first in the undivided NCP and later an independent candidate) have also cycled through Dhule’s political scene with little to show for their stints.


Even Anup Agrawal of the BJP, the current candidate of the ruling Mahayuti, whose platform hinges on revitalizing Dhule through industrial development and an MIDC push, acknowledges the missed chances. The BJP, despite its dominance at the state and national levels, failed to seize Dhule’s latent advantages.

The city’s upcoming election invites fresh narratives but remains clouded by scepticism. A fresh entrant into Dhule’s tired political scene is Irshad Jahagirdar campaign, who was Samajwadi Party (SP) boss Akhilesh Yadav’s pick for the Dhule City seat.


With much fanfare, Jahagirdar’s name was announced even before consultations with the opposition MVA bloc leaders (the SP being a part of the INDIA bloc which includes the three MVA parties). It brings new ambitions but familiar doubts. A former NCP regional secretary, Jahagirdar’s bid centers on promises of healthcare improvement and job creation. His rivals dismiss these pledges as opportunistic.


Jahagirdar is out to cannibalize votes of the opposition MVA. Anil Gote, now flying the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT)’s flag, is the MVA candidate this time.


As a mark of Dhule’s development, he points to modest projects, such as the Panzara river cleanup as evidence of progress. However, they pale against the backdrop of Dhule’s unfulfilled potential.

For Dhule’s voters, the choice on polling day on November 20 is whether to endorse another experiment in governance or to demand more than rhetoric from those who seek to lead. This time, the call is not just for new promises but for a leadership capable of breaking the cycle of disillusionment and steering Dhule toward the prosperity that has long eluded it.

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