Protest rallies in US and India bring misery for horses.
By Sujeet Rajan
NEW YORK: Got used to reading those messages that declaim at the beginning of some films: ‘No animals were injured in the making of this film’? Some good action sequences are guaranteed, especially involving horses or dogs, most bet. Real life action, however, offer no guarantee of non-injury to animals, especially nowadays for horses, at political rallies, be it in the US or India.
In a strange quirk, two fine police horses across oceans became victims of public brutality at political protest rallies, in the US and India.
In India, at a protest by some party leaders and workers of the Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) in the state of Uttarakhand, ‘Shaktiman’, a horse who has been serving the Uttarakhand police for a decade after he was bought for Rs. 97,000 (around $1,500) was attacked, on March 14. Eventually, one of the hind legs of ‘Shaktiman’ was amputated to save his life; survived with an artificial leg.
BJP MLA from Mussoorie Ganesh Joshi is in police custody for brutality against ‘Shaktiman’. Reports say Joshi was arrested on grounds of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
Two days before ‘Shaktiman’ was attacked, a police horse in the state of Missouri came under attack too.
On March 12, ‘Dan’ a police horse serving Kansas City, was slapped by a woman, who had come out to protest with some 500 other people against Donald Trump.
Reports say the alleged attacker April Foster, 29, yelled at the horse as its officer pushed through a crowd of protesters. She then slapped it with an open hand, according to the Kansas City Star. Foster was later arrested.
While Joshi’s bail plea was rejected, and he ruminates upon his ugly actions in jail, Foster got bail for $500 after being charged with animal cruelty.
It’s for sure Trump has never heard of MLA Ganesh Joshi in his life. But Joshi can take some solace in jail that he does have a link now to the GOP presidential nominee front- runner, and White House hopeful, however distant it may be.