Twitter
Advertisement

Animal rights activist thrashed by mob for doing her job

Animal rights activist Ayesha Christina was allegedly roughed up on March 21 by residents of an apartment in Mukherjee Nagar in New Delhi.

Latest News
article-main
FacebookTwitterWhatsappLinkedin

Animal rights activist Ayesha Christina was allegedly roughed up on March 21 by residents of an apartment in Mukherjee Nagar in New Delhi, when she went to pick up a female dog for sterilisation.

The founder of 'Neighbourhood Woof', an NGO for animals, Ayesha had been told about the dog by a local dog lover, in an effort to neuter the animal before she gave birth to another litter on the streets and turned hostile to save her pups. At the outset, Ayesha was faced with resistance as people of Signature View Apartments demanded to see her authorisation to carry out the procedure. When she went back with the proper authorization letters and accompanied by local police just to be on the safer side, she still continued to face hostility from the residents.

"Suddenly, I was surrounded by a mob of about 70 people, including about 8 women who started beating me up and even attempting to strip my clothes. They pinned me down in an awkward position where I couldn't even sit or lie down on the ground. This continued for about 40 minutes, where the crowd kept questioning my professional integrity," Ayesha told dna.

Ayesha says she suffered multiple bruises in her lower limbs, while her face and upper body managed to remain safe because she was holding the dog which clung to her through out the incident.

A witness to the incident says that shockingly, the police who had came along with the activist did not intervene to protect her.

It was a night of horrors. For people who still live under the delusion that we live in a civil society, hear this: last...

Posted by Sonya Ghosh on Saturday, 21 March 2015
 
Residents reportedly thought that the dog would be poisoned. Ayesha denies this charge and also other reports that allege that she bit one of the residents when they asked her to show an authorisation from the MCD to pick up the dogs under the Animal Birth Control Program. 
 
When dna spoke to Ayesha, she said that the attack has only made her stronger. "I am going to channel this anger in a constructive way," she said. She also expressed her disappointment about the mob mentality where a woman could be beaten up for doing her job. But the incident has still not shaken her faith in the police, which is why she is still seeking their help, she says. 
 
 
 
"There are laws in place for animal rights activists. But policemen who are on the field and deal with such incidents, need to be educated about the laws that are in place to help professionals like us just doing our jobs," says Ayesha.

The mob outside the gates of Mukerjee Nagar Police Station, turned their faces away when this photo was taken. Just...

Posted by Sonya Ghosh on Sunday, 22 March 2015

Both parties have now filed complains but the process hasn't moved ahead since the complaints were lodged on March 21. However, Ayesha says she is determined to see this through. 

"I just want authorities to be more accountable and responsible towards their job. I am going to see this through and have taken up the issue with the higher authorities. I am overwhelmed by the support I have received through social media," she says, adding that she also wishes to tackle the lack of awareness about canine sterilisation. 

Find your daily dose of news & explainers in your WhatsApp. Stay updated, Stay informed-  Follow DNA on WhatsApp.
Advertisement

Live tv

Advertisement
Advertisement